Cura 2.1 open beta and Octoprint

[danilius]

Has anyone used Cura 2.1 beta with Octoprint yet? If yes, can you give me some pointers how to configure a UM2 for Octoprint with Cura 2.1 beta? I have got it running fine with Cura 15.04 and Octoprint.

[nallath]

I can give some information on how we envision some bits to work. Some of you might have noticed that there is a doodle3D plugin for Cura 2.1. This is a plugin of the "outputDevice" type. What it does is scan for devices (or start any connection, much like USB Printing) and if a connection is made, it's added to the list.

The list is then used to populate the list in the right corner. So if someone were to make a octorprint plugin like this, you could easily print directly from cura to the printer.

[Amedee]

Interresting...

But more pragmatically, I think Danilus is probably just looking at how to generate 'reprap-gcode' instead of 'ulti-gcode' for the UM2...
(can't check right now, will have a look later on)

[danilius]

But more pragmatically, I think Danilus is probably just looking at how to generate 'reprap-gcode' instead of 'ulti-gcode' for the UM2...

Correct, and I'm looking forward to your results!

[martin-bienz]

well... create an (umo, other non-um-printer) profile with heated bed, easiest way ... else, I have not yet seen a setting to generate reprap-style gcode in cura 2.x...

[Amedee]

It is in the printer definition. We need nallath to confirm, but my understanding is that for this beta you cannot change it form the UI, so you need to change in the printer definition file, or better make a new one (very easy with the 'inherit' cabability)

Here is my take on this:

I created a new printer file ultimaker2_octoprint.json:

Code: Select all

{
    "id": "ultimaker2_octoprint",
    "version": 1, 
    "name": "Ultimaker 2 with Octoprint",
    "manufacturer": "Ultimaker",
    "author": "Ultimaker",
    "icon": "icon_ultimaker2.png",
    "platform": "ultimaker2_platform.obj",
    "platform_texture": "Ultimaker2backplate.png",
    "file_formats": "text/x-gcode",

    "inherits": "ultimaker2.json",

    "machine_settings": {
        "machine_gcode_flavor": { "default": "RepRap (Marlin/Sprinter)" },

        "machine_start_gcode": {
            "default": "<copy here what you have in Legacy Cura>"
        },
        "machine_end_gcode": {
            "default": "<copy here what you have in Legacy Cura>"
        }
    }
}

I don't have an UM2, so I don't know which start/end G-Code you need, but just copy what you have now in Legacy Cura.
All the G-Code needs to be on one line, lines separated by '\n', just like this (from UMO):

Code: Select all

"default": "M104 S0 ;extruder heater off\nM140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)\nG91 ;relative positioning\nG1 E-1 F300  ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure\nG1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F9000 ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more\nG28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way\nM84 ;steppers off\nG90 ;absolute positioning"

Then restart Cura and add a new printer:

Add printer

and you are done...

[danilius]

That was brilliant! Thanks for that. Now I have to trawl through a million different things to get everything set up the way I want, such as bed temps and filament diameter. Oh well, I suppose that was going to be par for the course.

[nallath]

It is in the printer definition. We need nallath to confirm, but my understanding is that for this beta you cannot change it form the UI, so you need to change in the printer definition file, or better make a new one (very easy with the 'inherit' cabability).

Yup This is also why we added the inherit functionality.

[danilius]

I am banging my head against a wall. What did I do wrong with this. Cura does not recognise it:

Code: Select all

{
    "id": "ultimaker2_octoprint",
    "version": 1, 
    "name": "Ultimaker 2 with Octoprint",
    "manufacturer": "Ultimaker",
    "author": "Ultimaker",
    "icon": "icon_ultimaker2.png",
    "platform": "ultimaker2_platform.obj",
    "platform_texture": "Ultimaker2backplate.png",
    "file_formats": "text/x-gcode",

    "inherits": "ultimaker2.json",

    "machine_settings": {
        "machine_gcode_flavor": { "default": "RepRap (Marlin/Sprinter)" },

        "machine_start_gcode": {
"default": ";Sliced at: {day} {date} {time}\n;Basic settings: Layer height: {layer_height} Walls: {wall_thickness} Fill: {fill_density}\n;Print time: {print_time}\n;Filament used: {filament_amount}m {filament_weight}g\n;Filament cost: {filament_cost}\n;M190 S{print_bed_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own bed temperature line\n;M109 S{print_temperature} ;Uncomment to add your own temperature line\nG21        ;metric values\nG90        ;absolute positioning\nM82        ;set extruder to absolute mode\nM107       ;start with the fan off\nG28 X0 Y0  ;move X/Y to min endstops\nG28 Z0     ;move Z to min endstops\nG1 F12000 X5 Y10 ;move hotend to front left\nG1 Z15.0 F{travel_speed} ;move the platform down 15mm\nG92 E0                  ;zero the extruded length\nG1 F200 E5              ;extrude 5mm of feed stock FAST\nG1 F50 E15              ;extrude 15mm of feed stock SLOW\nG92 E0                  ;zero the extruded length again\nG1 F{travel_speed}\n;Put printing message on LCD screen\nM117 Printing...\n"            
        },
        "machine_end_gcode": {
"default": ";End GCodeM104 S0                     ;extruder heater offM140 S0                     ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)G91                                    ;relative positioningG1 E-1 F300                            ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressureG1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F{travel_speed} ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even moreG28 X0 Y0                              ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the wayG28 Z0     						 ;move Z to min endstopsM84                         ;steppers offG90                         ;absolute positioning;{profile_string}"
        }
   } 
}

[martin-bienz]

I am banging my head against a wall. What did I do wrong with this. Cura does not recognise it:

Hi Danilus, what do you mean by does not recognise it. I just copied and pasted your code into a new profile, fired cura 2.1, clicked on Printer, Add printer... and I can select the machine profile.

Capture.PNG (8.79 KiB) Viewed 17579 times

If you are on windows, locate your local cura settings folder in appdata (should be: %localappdata%\cura\machines). This works for me.

[danilius]

Things are pretty weird now. I opened the custom profile and deleted everything until it started being recognised, then added everything back in to get at least basic functionality. That worked. Then I saved that same file as "ultimaker2_octoprint2.json" and Cura fails to pick that up. I did edit the header to read:

Code: Select all

   
    "id": "ultimaker2_octoprint2",
    "version": 1, 
    "name": "Ultimaker 3 with Octoprint",

(yup, waiting for UM3), but nada.

[danilius]

I think specifying printers this way is really sucky, but I suppose this is not something high up on anyone's list.

[martin-bienz]

hmmm... what editor are you using? As I said, I used Notepad ++ on Windows, created (copied and existing profile I had) deleted it all and then just copied and pasted your code... worked first time. I tried your edits, worked also. I loved to see UM3 in my list (I guess you trust me without screenshot).
If I remember correctly my file encoding was UNIX, ANSI ...
Are you using the latest Cura 2.1.0?

Helps? Else, I have no clue to be honest!

[Amedee]

I don't understand either, I just did the same on my Mac with a copy/paste of your code, and it just works...

... custom profile ...

^this is probably a typo, but this is not a custom profile it a a machine...
Can you confirm you are in the same directory as e.g. ultimaker2.json ?

Also on which platform and version are you?

[danilius]

Sorry, I mean a machine profile, and I'm on Ubuntu 15.04, and I simply saved the file into the same directory.