RepSnapper Manual:RepSnapper Howto
Basic Usage
Launching
To run repsnapper on windows double click the repsnapper.exe file within the repsnapper/Src directory
On linux type repsnapper/Src/repsnapper into the console window.
After launching the repsnapper application you are presented with the main window of the application
On the left is the 3D view and on the right is the confuguration and control panel.
Loading an STL
To load an STL into the 3D view click on the tab labeled Input file and press the Load STL button. In revision prior to ??? you are presented with a Fluid file browsing dialog. In later versions you will be presented with your standard operating systems file browse dialog. Choose the STL that you wish to load and click OK. The 3D view should now display your STL. Use this button to pull in a facet file to process into Gcode.
- TIP: If repsnapper crashes at this point you might have an STL file that is "Bad Input" try converting it to binary using ./ivcon file.stl file.stlb and loading the binary version into repsnapper instead. you can get ivcon here. Compile using gcc -lm ivcon.c -o ivcon
Viewing the STL
Once an STL is loaded you can rotate translate it and scale it in the 3D view so as to see what the object looks like, doing so will not effect the print its mearly for viewing purposes
- To rotate the STL hole down the left mouse button and drag.
- To translate the STL hold down the left and right mouse button and drag.
- To scale the STL hold down the right mouse button and drag.
Working with STL
Once an STL is loaded, you can move it to further onto the build platform, rotate it and scale it. You can also duplicate it and load additional STL files onto the build platform.
- To move the STL, first select it on the browser, then tab to the translate box and enter absolute values into the X and Y fields. You can also drag the object by left-click-hold in the X or Y box then dragging it with the mouse. Apparently changing the Z value is not recommended.
- Duplicate adds another copy of the STL beside the first.
Convert to GCode
Converting to GCode is a simple process, click the GCode tab and press the Convert to GCode button.
If you like you can remove the homing and shield code from the next layer tab. This will save time between layers during prints, but should only be done if your machine is reliable and your steppers don't skip steps. Converts the STL model into GCode (machine language)
- TIP: For a technical overview of the GCode generation read this
To send the GCode to a FiveD GCode compatible printer open the Print tab, and click the Connect to printer button. Check the Communication Log tab to make sure the printer has connected and is receiving temperature signals from the Extruder Controller. To start printing click the Print button. This starts sending commands to the printer for execution.
Configuring Printer Settings
Simple tab
- Connect to printer:
Establishes communications between the PC and the main board.
- Port:
Manually selects the serial communication port that you want to talk across.
- Speed:
The serial communications baud rate. Typically 19200 - must however match the setting in your firmware.
- Load STL
Loads an STL file
- Convert to GCode
Converts the STL to GCode
- Load GCode
Loads previously generated GCode file
Starts printing
- Calibrate
Does something clever
- TIP: This feature is currently not implemented
Input File tab
- Load RFO:
Best Guess: This will load multiple STL's zip format as is supported by the official Java Reprap Host software for printing whole beds of parts at a time.
- New RFO:
Best Guess: This will create a new multiple STL zip file.
- Save RFO:
Best Guess: This will save multiple STL zip file based on the currently loaded STL's
- TIP: RFO stands for Reprap Object Format However RFO support is currently not working in repsnapper with any known revision.
- Duplicate:
Creates a copy of the STL file. Useful for printing several items of the same object, ie. 10 clamps.
- Translate, Rotate and Scale:
If an STL object is first selected in the browser, this will alter the part for creating gcode.
- Object Name, File location, File type and file material:
Name a file system and document the contents.
- Object rotation:
Selects the plane to rotate the object about. GCode generation is affected by final object placement. Also useful when loading several STL files.
- Save Settings
Saves all configuration settings. The configuration settings are stored in a file called Repsnapper.xml
- TIP: Repsnapper currently stores the setttings file the current working directory (So If you start repsnapper in a different working directory don't be surprised that you now have all your settings back to defaults) This will hopefully be rectified soon.
- Load Gcode
Loads a previously generated Gcode file.
- Fix STL errors
Presumably makes the structure water tight and aligns all surface normals.
Print Options tab
GCode tab
Display Options tab
Print tab
Initial printer Setup Notes
Below the author describes the things he had to do to get repsnapper (V333, dated 14-08-2010) working to the point where he could finish a print of a test block. Firmware used was Tonokip's firmware running on an Arduino Mega with Pololu stepper drivers.
Firmware
- Make sure your Arduino config file is accurate. Test movement lengths with a ruler to be sure.
- you can do this from repsnapper. (See appendix A to see how to manually control your bot from repsnapper)
Printer definition
- Make sure 'extruded material width' matches the extruded filament diameter.
- Extrusion multiplyer determines how fast your extruder goes at a given print speed... This parameter is the one to fiddle, to set your stretch.
- Max printspeed is the speed that repsnapper will command the axes to move. Too fast and you will strip your filament or stall your extruder.
- Turn acceleration off. Make sure Use Incremental ecode is on
Print options
- infill Distance was set quite small, I changed it up to 1.8mm
Raft
- Turned off Raft for the test blocks.
Gcode
- Start tab
- Removed the M83 line in the start code. (important to replace it with an M82 command, or reboot the Arduino)
M83 has the effect of causing the extruder to start very slow, and extrude faster as the print progresses..??
- Cleared the text out of the other tabs, knowing that the steppers are skipping steps is a good thing at the beginning.
Appendix A.
Everything happens from the Print tab when you want to manually control your bot.
- To get working for the first time, you must make a connection.. make sure the USB is plugged into the arduino, and that the arduino software is not using the virtual serial port.
- make sure you have the correct serial port selected in the Printer Definition tab, and the speeds set to a reasonable number.
- Select 'Connect to printer' (should be lit)
- You can check your connection by selecting the communication log tab on the 'Print' page. From 'Communication Log', select 'Communication Log, again and see that commands are being acknowledged...
- you can eventually skip this step by making sure that your temperature is being updated.
Go back to the 'interactive control' tab.
- You can execute a line of gcode by putting the cursor into the 'GCode' box and pressing enter, or the 'send' button.
- You can jog all three of your axes by hitting one of the numbered buttons.. -100 on the top line will move the X axis 100 mm (or inches! if you are set up for inches) in the home direction...
- (you may want to re-visit your arduino config file and reverse an axis or two if things move in the wrong direction).
- middle line is Y axis, Bottom line is Z axis...
- Pressing home will cause that axis to run in the minus direction until it reaches an endstop.
'Home All' is not supported in Tonokip's firmware.
- Clicking 'Switch Heat On' will cause your extruder to start to heat up. It will try to get to the set 'Target temp'.
If you change the target temp, you must deselect switch heat off, then on again for it to register.
- To run the extruder, once at temperature, set the speed slider (in mm/minute ?), the length (in mm ?) and click the 'Run extruder' button. It will run for the distance specified in 'Length'.
to run it again, you click 'Run Extruder' again, it will de-select, but the motor will run anyways.
Still trying to figure out:
- what the 'Downstream Multipliers' do.
- what the 'lua' thing is about.