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FLASHFORGE DREAMER 3D Printer User Guide : Single & Dual-Extrusion Print



Single-Extrusion Print
1. Open FlashPrint by doubleclicking on the icon.
2. Click on [ Load ] and choose an .stl file from hard drive.

3. The object will then be shown on the screen. 

4. Click on the object and then click on [ Extruder ], select [ Use left extruder ].

*Left extruder will be used for illustration purposes.
5. Now the 3D model is ready to be created. 
Dual-Extrusion Print
1. Open FlashPrint by doubleclicking on the icon.
2. Press [ Load ] and choose an .stl file from hard drive.

3. The object will then be shown on the screen.

4. Press [ Load ] and choose another (or the same) file from hard drive.

5. Click on the object and then click on [ Extruder ], select [ Use left
extruder ].

NOTE: One object is turned to green, that indicates it will be print with the left extruder. 
6. Now the 3D model is ready to be created. 
[Read more...]

Afinia H480 3D Printer, Installation & SETUP Guide for Windows and Mac OS X



To install and set up your Afinia 3D Printer, please follow these steps: For more information, please see the Afinia 3D Printer User’s Manual!
1. Attaching the Material Spool
Attach the Material Spool to the Afinia 3D Printer by following these steps:
A. Connect the power adapter to the power interface and turn on the power switch.
B. Unscrew the lower right screw from the left side of the Printer. Use this same screw to attach the spool holder with the bottom right lip of the spool holder locked onto the printer’s corner and the top of the holder mounted over the upper left screw.
C. Put the ABS plastic spool onto the holder with the end of the filament pointing up from the back.
D. Thread the filament through the Filament Guide at the top of the spool holder.
E. Insert the end of filament into one end of the Filament tube. Feed the filament through the tube until about 4 inches of filament protrudes from the tube.

2. Install the Software and Drivers 
Mac 
Insert the Installation Disc into your Mac. Open the disc, go into the Mac folder, and double-click the Afinia Mac Setup.pkg icon. Follow the prompts through the installation. The drivers will be added and the Afinia software will be installed to the Applications folder.
Windows
Insert the Installation Disc in your PC. Start the Afinia 3D Printer setup.exe file and install it to the specified directory .
Follow the instructions in the Installer to be sure the drivers and software are all in place before connecting the Afinia 3D
Printer to the PC when prompted to do so.
For installation on Windows XP, you will need to manually specify the driver location.
• If you are installing from the Installation Disc, select the disc as the location of the drivers.
• If you are installing from a downloaded file, the drivers are copied to the Program files\Afinia\Afinia 3D Printer\Drivers folder; specify that location during the hardware installation. For more details on this process, please see the User’s Manual.
3. Load the Print Material Filament
This process will be the same on both Mac and Windows.

A. Start the Afinia 3D Software (refer to the software install procedure if you have not already installed it), and select Initialize from the 3D Print menu.
B. After the Printer has initialized, select Maintenance from the 3D Print menu. Click the Extrude button. After the printer nozzle has warmed up to 260° C, the printer will beep; you can also monitor the nozzle temperature in the Maintenance window.
C. Once the nozzle is heated, push the filament into the hole at the top of the extruder head and hold it there with gentle pressure until the extruder motor starts pulling it through the extrusion head. The extruder will extrude a thin filament of material for a short period of time.

4. Prepare the Platform
Before you start printing, the platform must be prepared so that the model adheres
to the platform enough to be printed without the model moving. There are several
options for preparing the platform that are discussed in the User’s Manual.
5. Level the Print Platform
To print correctly, the platform must be level. Perform the following steps:
A. Open the Maintenance dialog box from the 3D Print menu.
B. Click the To: button to bring the platform to the height shown, then slowly increment the height until the platform is about 2mm from the nozzle, clicking To: after each increase.
C. Use the five position buttons to check that the platform at all four corners and the center are the same distance from the nozzle.
D. If the platform is not the same distance from the nozzle at all five points, you will need to adjust the platform until it is level. There are 3 screws under the platform that are used to level the platform. Adjust the screws as necessary until all four corners and the center of platform are the same vertical distance from the nozzle.

Always recalibrate the Nozzle Height after levelling the platform!
6. Calibrate the Nozzle Height
The Nozzle Height must be calibrated prior to printing to ensure that the nozzle is the correct distance from the platform.
A. Open the Maintenance dialog box from the 3D Print menu.
B. Using the default setting of 121mm, click the To: button.
C. Check the distance between the nozzle and the platform. If the platform is currently at 121mm and appears to be about 12mm away from the nozzle, change the number in the text box to by 9mm to 130 and click the To button. Use small increments from there when calibrating the nozzle to avoid striking the platform into the nozzle.

D. Once you are about 1mm away from the nozzle, increase the number in the text box by 0.1mm increments and click the To button. Repeat until you get 0.2mm from the nozzle. 
An easy way to check the distance between the nozzle and platform is to fold a piece of paper in two, which will be about 0.2mm thick. Use this as a spacer to gauge the distance between the nozzle and platform.
E. Once you have the platform within 0.2mm of the nozzle, click the Set Nozzle Height button to save the current nozzle height.

F. Check the nozzle height at all four corners of the platform. Repeat the Platform Leveling and Nozzle Height Calibration processes if needed.
[Read more...]

3D Printer Basics and Troubleshooting: FDM Printers



This Instructable is to help with understanding the basics of 3D Printing and how to troubleshoot the most common problems with FDM 3D printers. These images were taken from a slideshow that I created to help people with 3D printing.
What is a 3D Printer?
• A robot that can make 3D objects from electronic data, also called Additive Manufacturing
• Popular Types of 3D printers
–Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
• Extrudes molten plastic layer by layer
–Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
• Laser melts plastic powder layer by layer
–Stereolithography
• UV light hardens liquid layer by layer
Why FDM printing?

• FDM 3D printing is popular because it is the lowest cost method for creating prototypes and refining designs at home
• FDM – Thicker parts, rougher surface finish
• Lowest Cost, fast prints
• Large parts can warp without a heated bed
• Support structures required
• Usually within 11” X 6” X 6”
• Usually weaker PLA material is used
• Walls thinner than .060” can get messy
[Read more...]

Ultimaker 3D Printer User Guide : Skipped layer / Bed drop



Skipped layer/Bed drop 
Several things can be at play here as different issues can show very similar error in the print - a missing layer.
Underextrusion
One common cause can be temporary underextrusion. Extrusion is prohibited for some reason, such as a tangle on the spool, for a few layers and the printer then continues as normal. See the underextrusion section for more information about this.
Lubrication of z-screw
Another cause can be a lack of lubrication on the z-axis threaded rod. Your printer came with a little bag of accessories, in there you will find a small sachet of green grease that is meant for the threaded rod. Spread out some grease on the rod and move the bed up and down to spread it out thoroughly. It's important that you grab the bed towards the back of the machine while doing this so that you don't risk bending the bed. While doing this it's a good idea to also inspect the screw to see that there isn't some sort of debris causing issues (such as a small piece of PLA for example).
Misalignment of bearings
Next up is some sort of excessive friction causing the bed to bind up until the motor is able to break it free causing a sudden, and too large, drop of the bed. Turn the machine off and manually move the bed up and down to see if you can feel if there is a certain spot that seems to have much higher friction than the rest of the movement.
If you feel that the bed is binding somewhere it could be that the rods are not perfectly aligned with the linear bearings. A classic example of this is a drawer that is pushed in slightly askew, it will bind in place. To remedy this you will have to first remove the cover plate that hides the linear bearings. Two screws on the underside of the bed hold it in place. Once you have removed the screws you can simply lift it to free it. Use a piece of tape to hold it at the top of the printer, out of the way.
Now comes the tedious part. In order to re-align the bearing you need to loosen the four screws that hold each bearing in place. Loosen all but one of the 8 screws. As soon as you've done this it will be hard to move the bed as it will very easily bind in place, patience is key here. Wiggle the bed and move it up and down a bit so that the bearing can self align, tighten one of the screws and then wiggle the platform again and then tighten the two remaining screws. Repeat the same process for the other bearing. Try moving the bed fully up and down and see if you got any improvement. You may have to repeat this once or twice as it can be tricky to get things in just the correct location.
Too much oil
One user reported that he had oiled the two thick rods of the z-stage and this caused issues. Once the oil had been cleaned off again, the problem went away. Worth a try.
Overheating due to excessive current
Due to a slight design flaw of a revision of the controller board it's possible that some printers will have a problem where excess current to the stepper drivers cause issues. What happens is that the stepper drivers overheat, the protection circuitry of the chip kicks in and shuts the driver down for a brief moment, during this moment there's a chance that the bed moves down unpredictably.
Thankfully this is usually easily fixed by simply lowering the current for the stepper motors. This is done on the printer via Maintenance -> Advanced -> Motion settings -> Current Z. The default value is 1300mA, try lowering this to 1200mA.
Faulty rods or bearing
Unfortunately it is also possible that something is wrong with either the rods or linear bearings of the z-stage. If you've tried all the other solutions listed above it might be time to contact your re-seller or Ultimaker themselves to get replacements for these.
Spool holder interference with bed
Check to make sure that the parts of the spool holder that sticks into the machine isn't hitting any part of the z-stage such as the "cap" that goes over the linear bearings or the bed itself. It's possible that you could see some scratch marks on the holder itself.
The easiest way to get around this would be to simply take a file and remove a mm or two from the spool holder tabs. Another, more involved, way to possibly solve it is to move the bed forward. This is done by removing the cover over the linear bearings, loosening the screws on the bearings and then pulling the bed forward. The tricky part here is to get the bearings perfectly aligned with the rods again afterwards. It's very easy for them to start binding if they're not. Using a file will take a minute or two at most so it's a much much less involved process.
[Read more...]

Under extrusion : A visual Ultimaker troubleshooting



Under extrusion 

What is it?
Under extrusion is simply that the printer can not supply the amount of plastic that is asked for. Symptoms of this is missing layers, very thin layers or layers that have random dots and holes in them. This problem is probably the trickiest to find the direct cause for as there are so many variables at play.
The printer will do its best to try and achieve the printing speeds that you are asking for. If this is beyond what the printer is capable of you will run into problems. If the printer is at the very edge of its capability the amount of plastic being extruded will be reduced but the print keeps going normally. When this happens your printed object might look ok at first glance but if you look closer you will see that walls are not properly fused and there are gaps between fill lines.
If you go beyond this in-the-middle stage the printer tries pushing harder and harder to extrude the material but eventually the pressure will be too high. Ideally when this happens the extruder motor will do what we call a skip back where the axis of the motor spins in the opposite direction for about a quarter turn to relieve pressure. This will not damage the printer, it's an intended behaviour to prevent the filament from being ground up by the feeder. You will hear when this happens as it will make a *tock* sound and if you look closely at the filament that is being extruded you will see a sudden reduction in volume.
If the skip back doesn't happen your filament will be ground down by the feeder and you will have to remove the filament and cut away the damaged part.
Do NOT increase flow to compensate
Let's get this out of the way from the start, this is a terrible idea and very counterproductive. Imagine trying to evacuate a building during a fire, hundreds of people are trying to squeeze through the single exit but only one at a time can exit. If only one person at a time can exit through the door, will it help if you add more people inside the building? This is essentially what increasing flow does in this situation. Increasing flow has its uses but preventing under extrusion is not one of them.
Respecting the limits of the printer
The simplest and probably the most common cause for under extrusion is simply that you are asking the printer to do more than it is capable of. We measure how fast a printer can print in volume of plastic per second: mm 3/s. In ideal conditions an Ultimaker2 is capable of printing about 10mm3/s. A more realistic limit is 8mm3/s but it should be noted that at these kinds of speeds the quality of the print will not be all that great and depending on the size of the object you are printing it might not even reach such a high speed due to the minimum layer cooling time slowing down the print speed.
To figure out how fast you're trying to print you simply multiply your nozzle diameter with the layer height and speed. So for example, if you're printing with 0.2mm layers at 60mm/s you would do: 0.4*0.2*60 = 4.8mm 3/s. This is a speed that a properly functioning Ultimaker2 should be able to handle without any problem.
Temperatures
The faster you print the less time the plastic has to heat up to proper printing temperature before being forced out through the nozzle. Cooler plastic is more viscous and requires higher pressures to push it through the nozzle and eventually the pressures will simply become too high and under extrusion happens. So, can you increase the temperature to work around this issue? Yes, you can, but within reason. Setting a temperature above 240-245C for PLA is starting to get into bad territory as the plastic will start to change properties if left in the nozzle for too long and can cause clogs. If you have to raise the temperature this high while still printing at normal speeds there is something else going on. You will also likely see degrading print quality at these temperatures such as increased stringing and worse overhangs.
Grinding 

If you experience under extrusion, find that the filament has been eaten away by the feeder (grinding) and you don't have a clogged nozzle you likely need to adjust the tension of the feeder. On top of the feeder, to the right of where the bowden tube enters there's a small hole with a tension setting screw inside of. On the front and the side of the feeder there are two white dials that indicate the feeder pressure.
Ultimaker2: In March of 2014 the spring inside the feeder was changed and the proper setting will therefore differ depending on when you received your printer. For machines from before March of 2014 the indicator should be at the middle and for machines after this date the indicator should be at the top.
Ultimaker2+: The default setting for the Ultimaker2+ is in the middle.
You want to adjust the tension so that the feeder never grinds the filament but rather skips back when the pressure becomes too high. Try increasing the pressure first (moving the indicator further down). When properly adjusted the motor will skip back to protect the filament from grinding so that the feeder can always get a good grip (and prevent damage).
Note that the new feeder on the Ultimaker2+ will not skip like the older feeder of the Ultimaker2 as it has changed to a geared and stronger design.
Tightly coiled filament
Towards the end of a roll of filament the coils are usually small and tight. When going through the bowden tube the filament will experience higher friction than if the filament was nice and straight. If you're printing at the limit of what the printer can achieve this additional friction can be enough to push it over the edge.
Tangled filament
This might seem obvious but make sure that your filament can unspool unhindered. Check that the filament isn't overlapping on the spool for example. It is not uncommon to have the filament loop under itself when you remove it from the printer for storage and it can be hard to see.
Clogged nozzle
Due to the tiny exit hole on the nozzle it doesn't take much for the exit to become fully or partially blocked. Blockages can have a wide variety of causes such as unexpected contaminants in the filament (with good quality filament this is very unlikely), excessive dust or pet hair on the filament, burnt filament or residue of filament with a higher melting point than what you're currently using.
If you've recently switched from printing with a material that requires fairly high extrusion temperatures such as ABS to a plastic with a lower extrusion temperature like PLA it is important to get rid of all the ABS in your nozzle. Often you can get rid of the old plastic by simply manually extruding the new material at the higher temperature required for the old filament. When using a higher temperature than you would normally use it is important to not let the plastic sit in the nozzle for too long. Doing so may cause the plastic to burn and block the nozzle.
If there is something physically blocking the nozzle such as dust build-up or something along those lines, a very good method to start with is what's referred to as the "Atomic" or "cold pull" method. Click here for instructions
Usually performing this operation a few times will take care of the problem. If it does not you can use a very thin wire to poke into the nozzle to help dislodge whatever it is that is causing the blockage. A popular tool for this is acupuncture needles. These can be bought cheaply on Ebay for example or you can contact us and we can supply them for you. Any sufficiently thin (the opening of the nozzle is 0.4mm in diameter) and stiff wire can be used however, just be very careful not to damage your nozzle. After dislodging the blockage perform the Atomic method again to extract it.
As a last resort you can remove the nozzle completely and try to burn out any residue in the nozzle with a propane torch. This is a fairly lengthy procedure on the Ultimaker2 as it requires disassembly of the print head and it is rarely needed. The Ultimaker2+ however has an Olsson block which makes it possible to unscrew just the nozzle making it easier to either replace the nozzle completely or making it easier to clean out. 
Combing
Modern slicer software uses a method called combing to prevent stringing. When the print head needs to move from one part of a print to another and there is a void between the two locations combing causes the head to move inside the perimeter of the part instead of crossing across voids. This makes it so that any dribbling from the nozzle gets deposited inside the part where it is not seen. A side effect of this can be that the reservoir in the tip empties out ever so slightly and when it starts to print again it takes a moment for the reservoir to fill back up. As the reservoir is filling up little to no plastic is actually extruded. It should be noted that usually this isn't an issue for shorter travel moves. It is when the head needs to make a long trip that it can cause issues.
You can switch off this behaviour in the expert settings: Expert -> Open Expert Settings... If this option is greyed out you need to first switch cura to the full settings mode: Expert -> Switch to full settings Once you have the expert settings open the combing option is located under the "Retraction" settings in the top left. If you uncheck the "Combing" checkbox cura will perform a retraction and then move in a straight line when it needs to move the head from one point to another.
It is up to you to decide which behaviour you prefer. If combing isn't causing problems for you then you may prefer leaving it enabled as it saves a little bit of time. Whether or not combing will cause a long travel move leading to under extrusion issues depends on the geometry of the model you're trying to print. There isn't a definitive correct choice here.
Deformed teflon insulator
Before reaching the hot zone of the nozzle the filament will pass through a white insulator piece. If the print head has seen excessive temperature in combination with a very tightly assembled print head it could happen that the exit of this insulating piece gets slightly deformed. If the exit diameter has deformed it could cause unnecessary friction making it more difficult for the feeder to extrude properly. To find out if this is the case you have to disassemble the print head. Once taken apart you can have a close look at the insulator paying particular attention to the exit hole. Try feeding a straightened piece of filament through it, there should be no resistance. If a lip has formed at the exit causing friction you can try to very carefully use a drill bit to remove this lip. However it is important that you remove only the lip and nothing more. The insulator must form a very tight seal against the hotend so that no plastic can leak out.
If you are not comfortable performing this operation or feel you need a replacement part please get in contact with your reseller or Ultimaker.
Ultimaker2+: Please note that because the Ultimaker2+ no longer uses a spring but instead uses a solid spacer, it is critical that the distance between the two metal plates is correct. A small tool will be made available for this eventually.
Filament diameter
High quality filaments have very high tolerances and are produced with a diameter around 2.85mm. This can be misleading as they are usually sold as "3mm". This is not because they are trying to trick you but to make sure the filament works properly in the printer. If you buy cheap filament make sure that the diameter does not exceed 3mm. Also note that some filaments may be slightly oval so measure twice, rotate your callipers 90 degrees for the second measurement. If your filament exceeds 3mm there is a good chance that it will jam in the printer as it will simply be too thick to pass through the print head. And even if it does pass through it may cause excessive friction which in turn leads to under extrusion. Really your best option is to not use it to avoid head aches.
Besides making sure that your filament isn't too thick it is also important that the printer/slicer software knows the diameter of your filament. On an Ultimaker Original this is a setting in cura (or any other slicer you are using), for the Ultimaker2 this is set on the machine itself. Why is it important you ask? it is important as this measurement is used by the slicer/printer to determine how much filament to feed to produce the line width you want. If your settings say your filament is 2.9mm in diameter but your filament is actually 2.7mm the printer will be feeding through slightly less material than it actually needs. This will not create a dramatic difference but it can for example be seen as tiny spaces between the lines in a top surface. It can be the difference between a water tight print and a print that leaks.
Feeder wheel
The material is fed into the print head by a small knurled wheel in the feeder at the back of the printer. The knurled wheel is a sort of sleeve that is attached to the motor shaft of the feeder motor. it is important that this sleeve isn't able to slip. To make sure it isn't you can put a small mark on the shaft and a matching one on the sleeve. After printing something, inspect the marks and make sure they haven't moved in relation to each other. If they have you will have to tighten the small set screw that holds the wheel in place.
On newer Ultimaker2 printers this is less likely to happen as the shaft is no longer round. A small cutout helps keep the wheel in place. But it's still something to check, just in case.
For the Ultimaker2+ this is not relevant.
[Read more...]

3D Printer Software : CURA SOFTWARE



Cura prepares your model for 3D printing. For novices, it makes it easy to get great results. For experts, there are over 200 settings to adjust to your needs. As it’s open source, our community helps enrich it even more. 
THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED 3D PRINTER SOFTWARE
Cura creates a seamless integration between hardware, software and materials for the best 3D printing experience around.
Novices can start printing right away and experts are able to customize 200 settings to achieve the best results for their models
Optimized profiles for Ultimaker materials
Supported by a global network of Ultimaker certified service partners
Print multiple objects at once with different settings for each object
Cura supports STL, 3MF and OBJ file formats
It’s open source and completely free
3 STEPS TO PRINTING A 3D MODEL
Every model you design for print must be translated by Cura into instructions your Ultimaker will understand. It does this by slicing your model into thin layers and exporting the file to your SD card ready for print. Here’s the process in a bit more detail.
1. CREATE AN OBJECT WITH 3D MODELING SOFTWARE

The first thing you’ll need is a 3D model. Just be sure to export your file in either a STL, 3MF or OBJ file format so Cura can understand it.
2. IMPORT YOUR 3D MODEL FILE INTO CURA

Within moments, Cura slices your model ready for print. You can preview it, scale it and adjust settings as you’d like. Save it to your SD card. 
3. 3D PRINT YOUR MODEL ON YOUR ULTIMAKER


Insert the SD card into your Ultimaker, click print and your printer will spring into life accurately realizing your model in 3D.
[Read more...]

HD2x Airwolf 3D Printer, 5 Steps to 3D Printing



Now that we have installed the software, this section will cover the main steps to printing.
1. DESIGN OR DOWNLOAD 3D MODEL: When doing this, Keep in mind the printing
orientation and the printing material(s) that you are going to use.
PROGRAMS: Sketchup, Solidworks, Rhinoceros, etc.
WEBSITES FOR 3D MODEL DOWNLOAD: Thingiverse, GrabCad
FILE FORMAT: .SKP, .SLDPRT, .3DM, etc.
2. CONVERT TO STL FILE TYPE: “Export” or “Save As” the 3D model into an STL file type.
Make sure to include the “.stl” file extension if it does not already have it. Some
software packages may require a plug-in to export as STL (i.e. Sketchup). The Dual
Head section of Cura will discuss how to export multiple STL files.
PROGRAMS: Sketchup, Solidworks, Rhinoceros, etc.
FILE FORMAT: .STL
3. CLEAN UP STL FILE (THIS STEP IS OPTIONAL): Cleaning up the STL file may be necessary after creating it. This will help the slicing engine create the GCODE.
If you skip this step and your file will not slice correctly, bring it into Netfabb for repair.
PROGRAMS: Netfabb, MeshLab
FILE FORMAT: .STL
4. SLICING THE 3D MODEL: Other than the design process, this is the most critical step in 3D printing. This is where you will apply print settings to your 3D model (i.e.
temperature, infill, layer height). It is very important to have the right settings. Each
setting is VERY dependent on the material.
PROGRAMS: Cura
FILE FORMAT: .STL and .INI
5. PRINT: Once the GCODE has been created by the slicing engine, the model can be printed using Repetier Host or from the micro SD card.
[Read more...]

BUILDER 3D Printer Manual : Print Software



Cura (Windows, MAC, Linux)

Cura is a open source program which prepares your object into a file (gcode) that can be read
by the Builder 3D printer.
After installing Cura, select Custom machine and enter the sizes of your Builder
Download the INI-files for your Builder 3D printer
Load the INI-files in Cura by using the option “open profile”
Enter the number of extruders in the “Machine settings” menu
Reopen this menu and set the extruders offset (X-Y) values to zero.
For more information about Cura, check the manual.
Repetier

Repetier Host prepares your object into a file (gcode) that can be read by the Builder 3D printer.
Download Repetier Host from our website http://3dprinter4u.nl/3d-printer-installatie/.
Repetier Host is adjusted to the settings of the Builder 3D printer
For more information about Repetier Host, check chapter “Repetier Host”
Repetier for MAC

The following steps should be taken to be able using the settings
of builder in Slic3r.
Go ahead to step 2 and download the Ini-files
2. Start Repetier-Host
3. Open the tab Slic3r
4. Press “Configure” to activate Slic3r.
5. Choose “Load Config” in the file menu.
[Read more...]

Airwolf 3D Printers User Manuals (model AW3D v.4, v.5, v.5.5) : Software for your 3D Printer



SOFTWARE FOR YOUR 3D PRINTER
• Familiarize yourself with all the appropriate licenses for using the STLs, software, and firmware included with the printer. Our website has a list of sources for this information. Much of the material is "open source." While this generally allows you to access the underlying file or programing, it does not necessarily grant you the right to reproduce or sell the item (read the license carefully). In most cases you are also responsible for crediting the author for the work when you reproduce and/or distribute the work. For the AW3D v.4, v.5, and v.5.5, designs by Prusa and Mecano were the primary inspirations for the machines.
• Install the software included with your Airwolf AW3D v.4, v.5, or v.5.5 onto your computer as follows (for MAC, the software will need to be downloaded from the respective websites).
o Install Slic3r (v.7.2b) on your desktop or in your C directory. It is a simple install because it does not require any dependencies. For printing out the included STL files that make up AW3D v.4, v.5, and v.5.5, we recommend 7.2b because the parts were designed to be sliced on this version. The later versions however (such as 9.8) are very sophisticated and allow you to alter a number of parameters which can greatly improve the quality of your prints (MAC users refer to www.slic3r.org).
Install Python 27 directly into your C: directory (MAC users refer to http://www.python.org/getit/).
Install Pronterface (can also be downloaded as ZIP from https://github.com/kliment/Printrun) similarly and put a shortcut on your desktop. On older versions of windows, you may need to download Python 2.7.3 from http://www.python.org/getit/. If you go to open up Pronterface and the user interface comes up, everything is working correctly (MAC users refer to http://koti.kapsi.fi/~kliment/printrun/ and https://github.com/kliment/Printrun). 

• Once you have become a pro with Pronterface, download Repetier Host from http://www.repetier.com/. This software will allow you to control the speed of the print and provide you with a visual before printing (both very, very important for long 10-15 hour prints). You will use this program essentially to replace Pronterface.
• These are the only programs you will need to run the printer. Later, you may wish to install Arduino 23 to modify the firmware, Google Sketchup (or an alternative CAD program) to create your 3 dimensional objects, and Meshlab (or a similar program such as Netfabb) to make sure your objects are watertight.
• To get the printer running, you may also need to download the FTDI driver for the Gen6 circuit board. With most versions of windows, it will load the driver automatically once the printer is turned on, connected to your computer, and your computer is connected to the Internet. If this does not happen, you can download the appropriate driver from here: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm. For Windows 7 64 bit, download the "setup executable " under the Comments column.
[Read more...]

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