CTC Duplicator Astroprint Cloud Slicing print quality issue

Hi everyone.

I am currently running an Astrobox (Pi3) on my CTC Duplicator 4 with Sailfish firmware. I am using the Astroprint keyring as print quality test piece between the Makerware slicer and the Astroprint Cloud Slicer. I have selected Flashforge Creator as my printer in the setup as the CTC is pretty much an exact copy.

When slicing in Makerware and sending the file out the Astrobox works fine if i use the Astrobox cloud slicer i get quality issues in the top finishing layer (gaps on one end).

I am printing in PLA temps 216 extruder bed at 60 extruder speed 40 travel speed 80 which is my usual for any slicer i use.

I am leaning on the fact that this is an issue with the slicer as i don’t have a problem with my usual software printing this print, i’m pretty confident in my settings also. Considering one end of the print has an issue it looks to me there is a bug of some sort because if the settings were not suitable the other side of the print would also have issues.

Top Print is Makerware and bottom print is Astroprint cloud slicer.

I would check that both your usual slicer and the cloud slicer have the same top layer count and infill percent. Also some slicers are just better at certain things. Which astroprint slicer are you using there are two available. I find cura often looks good on simple prints with no tweaking. Slic3r takes a bit more work sometimes but for tough prints it is sometimes the best way to go.

Also check speeds. Differing speed and acceleration settings can cause type of thing on some models where the path the slicer chooses allows too high of a speed.

Edit: looking closer I would bet on speeds or just slicer differences. The good one is also nicer looking to my eye on the letters. On those speed and cooling can make all the difference.

Hi Darren,

In the Makerware version i have those settings are not available to look at, it’s not the best for tweaking but it works ok. Speeds are the same in both slicers demonstrated.

In regards to choosing between Cura and Slicer, i cannot find that option. When i go to create print file i am presented with “Choose your quality” and i also can’t find anything in the Advance Settings menu. More than likely i am missing something here :wink: am i looking in the wrong place? I would like to try the two different slicers on the cloud and see what print results i come up with once again.

It has been discussed recently to separate the slicer from the printer…but for now when you set up the printer you choose the slicer you want it to use. I simply set up two printers one for each slicer.

You can then choose the slicer by choosing the right printer on the slice screen.

the advanced setting you mention are located on the astroprint slice screen…under the

SLICE and PRINT buttons…it looks like a link and says “advanced slicer settings”

I had a look, because my printer uses X3g format the slicer option dissapears, if i choose Gcode option then the slicer option is there. I am not sure if my printer will work of i choose Gcode option instead though since it’s usually X3g based originally.

Edit Further investigation reveals X3g file based printers can’t select the slicer. That’s a real shame because the existing slicer used what ever that is isn’t the best, i am printing something else out at the moment and the quality just isn’t there with how it slices up the model. For now i will have to stick to preslicing in Makerware and upload from there i think.

@Stephen_Ozoux:

1.) Go to Printer Profiles

2.) Go to Printer Settings (Click the edit button)

.

3.) Under “Advanced Printer Settings” You should be able to select the slicer

4.) Like this:

In any case, if possible, can you share a screenshot of your astroprint cloud slicer settings?

The screen should look like this:

I would like to see how this compares with your Makerware slicer settings…

I believe OP is correct…if the Print file format is not set to Gcode you loose the ability to choose the slicer.

Not sure but I don’t think sli3r does X3G format…thus as indicated in the file manager when slicing with a non code printer you get Cura as the slicer…

to the OP not suggesting this is a great idea but you could slice using slicer to generate G code then use one of the apps available on line to convert that to X3G…but then you might as well just use a standalone slicer and then you might as well use the Makerware…but if you really wanted to compare that is an option…there are several free slicers out an some of them output X3G natively.

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Yep that is all correct.

CTC does not support STL files, i just tried selecting the Gcode option the selected cura and it just “Fail to print”

The only current workable option for a quality print is to do the process you have mentioned. In regards to Cloud settings the only thing i change is extruder speed to 50 and travel speed to 100 and deselect support, everything else is left as is.

To be honest i am still very happy with what Astroprint has to offer functionality wise, the thing i do lose that i wish i could have is the ability for the software to control the fan, the cloud slicer worked well for that, doing things the way i have to now i lose that function and have to do it manually.

@dilanka, From what i can read you want me to share my Makerware settings so you can compare? Makerware is like an Apple product…i have to use an old version to work properly with the ctc so it does not have the advanced settings like the newer makerware versions, in saying that it does not allow you to see anything other than temp and shell number, support percent.

Which Slicer is Astroprint cloud slicer using when in X3g mode? obviously it doesn’t show it in the advanced options so thought i’d ask :wink:

Yeah, I was just curious since I’ve never really used Makerware.[quote=“Stephen_Ozoux, post:8, topic:1173”]
Which Slicer is Astroprint cloud slicer using when in X3g mode?
[/quote]

CURA :wink:

Yup! You are correct! I misread OP’s post above.

I know ReplicatorG uses slicer, that also works fine with Makerbot and CTC. Might be worth having a look at? Would be nice to be able to use the full function of Astroprint. Makerbot and CTC printers are fairly popular as well. I will also be using Astroprint on my self built Delta once it’s complete, that will run on Marlin though i think so shouldn’t have any of these issues.

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New problem! I installed the latest update and now my printer falls off the network and Astroprint goes back to the setup screen. Everything worked perfect before the update, what have you guys done! lol :wink: I’ve tried reinstalling the image and all the rest, it runs fine for a couple hours then decides to fall off again, yesterday it fell off mid print so had to throw that one off the build plate. My network is fine but it’s worth mentioning there definitely feels like some kind of pattern to it when the printer dissapears. I also use the camera at all times which usually freezes not long before the printer dissapears. I am using a PI3 so i assume this is not a processing power issue. The webcam i am using is a Logitech HD C270.