A even more sharper knife!

They did it! Slic3r as a new version in the wild with the coolest features you can find, take look:

This is a very important update, grab it now and enjoy! I want to say thanks to the wonderful community that has been helping with feedback, early testing and nice ideas. A lot of people is involved in our open "quality assurance" process! 

New features:

• graphical interface for composing multiple objects in one single print (with tools for rotation, scaling etc.)
• new --merge switch to compose multiple object with auto-positioning from command line
• new option to randomize starting points across layers
• automatic detection of additional required perimeters for avoiding haps in domed/sloping objects (the perimeters settings means nowminimum perimeters as Slic3r could add more when needed)
• sequential printing: print a complete object, then move onto next one, with automatic collision detection
• ability to export STL files of composed plates, as well as a Splitcommand to turn multi-object files into individual objects
• we can read OBJ files now

Improvements:

• very large memory savings and speed boosts, allowing to process high-resolutions files without getting out of memory; also, the number of threads is customizable
• very improved surface quality due to new smoothing algorithms
• the GUI doesn't block while slicing and a Cancel button was added to stop the process
• hole perimeters are extruded in reverse order (from the outermost to the innermost) to get better overhangs
• a slight compensation is applied to avoid small hole shrinkage
• support material now uses honeycomb pattern (much work is still needed on support material)
• retract before changing tool for dual extrusion

Changes:

• SVG colors were inverted to better support DLP printing (next versions will carry more settings for SVG export)

Bugfixes:

• fixed some GUI memory leaks
• fixed some fatal errors
• fixed a bug causing high memory consumption when infilling every 2 or more layers
• some holes where filled
• some nearly-thin walls were discarded
• removed tiny dots/blobs that were generated sometimes
• bottom layer speed ratio wasn't taken into account when estimating layer time
• omit any G92 E0 when in relative mode

I need tools!

Last tuesday I've managed to print some parts for the Prusa Air, but this kind of empirical tuning of Violeta it's giving me something to think about. There's a science behind this stuff, this shouldn't be all about empirical experiments, so I've googled around and found many theories how you should calibrate your 3d printer and/or setup your skeinforge configurations.

Skeinforge it's uglier than hell, but it's the most used slicing tool, there's a bazillion of knobs and values you can change, but apparently, if you suffer from a light OCD, you can get some decent prints by changing just 5 settings :)

At least this is the approach you can find in ProfileMaker.

Josef Prusa made a RepRap Calculator, a valuable tool for sure.

I can't wait to start making some printers. :)

I've done it!

I've finally done it! These are the first 3 pieces for the Prusa Air. Last saturday I went to AltLab to print them, but as usual, Violeta (the resident cupcake... the 3D printer) said - "No you don't!", and after a couple of hours discussing with her, I went home :p

Mental note: If you need give a name to a machine, skip the chapter "Women", for some kind of strange reason, the machine catch their... let's call it "moods".

So, after licking my bruises, I've stumbled on Celso Martinho time lapse documenting his Ultimaker build, and after that he tweeted about some extruder problems, very similar Violeta. We've exchanged some tweets about 3D printing and he has found a post in the Ultimaker forum, suggesting to turn off the Temperature setting in Skeinforge.

This tuesday I went back to Violeta and tried to talk to "her" without mentioning "temperature", and it worked! I was able to print the support for the Y-axis motor and two clamps... and then it was getting late and I had another lady to go to ;)

Not like beef jerky, but still smoked

Last monday I've picked up from my university a package. It was filled wih goodies, 4 Nema17 stepper motors, 4 opto-endstops and a sanguinololu pcb with all the components... to solder on it!

So, on the next day I went to work and took the whole swag with me, hoping on having time to soldering everything while at work, and all went right, all morning surrounded by nasty fumes, but by lunch time I've already uploaded the Marlin firmware onto my freshly assembled sanguinololu and was able to connect it with ReplicatorG and PrintRun :)

But it was only lunch time, and when I got back at home, there was another surprise, my 12 "10€ worth ebay bought linear bearings" had arrived, oh happy happy joy (insert happy dance here).

Almost lost my bearings!

It has been a while from my last post, but let's get back to work!

Bearings... I went bearing shopping, at least get some ratings, and i was shocked!!!

I've asked on brick and mortar shops, and the prices... they asked me 4,50€ plus VAT for 1... yep, one 608 bearing!! 608zz are the same bearings you can find in skateboards, and not long ago I've built some longboards and there are top notch bearings in ceramic with ultra rolling power for 60€.... 8 of them!!!

And the cherry on top of the cake, linear bearings, lm8uu ones, 17€+VAT, also for one bearing... I'll be needing at least 11 of those!!!!

Well, I was getting disappointed, fired up a browser, http://www.ebay.co.uk, lm8uu, and bought 12 bearings for 10€...

One after another

Yep, one cube... err... not really a cube, after another. Trial and error it's a scientific approach, but AltLab cupcake can get on your nerves.

First of all, Violeta it's a kind of cupcake prototype with many and many hours of printing, so she can be a kind of moody and the standard setups on ReplicatorG doesn't apply to her, wich it's a kind of a bummer :p

Second, João Neves, Basílio and me, well... how should I put this, we are rookies on 3D printing matters, but very eager to take the bull by his horns :D

Now, yesterday at AltLab, we've started with a new ABS spool, a spool with some bad reviews from AltLab experts, they never got an usable print from it, so,with our natural stupidity we've engaged in empirical effort to calibrate the damn thing.

As you can see, after 4 hours of trials and errors we've give up and wen home... with a promise, let's investigate what is the correct way to calibrate it :)

Just imagine....

Someone close to you needs an organ transplant and a compatible donor it's getting hard to find. Unfortunaly this is a very recurrent picture, but science it's getting there! There's a San Diego company, Organovo, is using 3D printing technology to print human skeletal muscle, and use it as graft.

Can you imagine printing a whole organ?

(via 3D Printing is the Future)