Can we PLEASE get a page on the touchscreen that lets us do the common calibrations without connecting a PC and remembering the magic incantations and magic dance steps?
I’m observing that even similar filaments can have different calibration values! If you want to really get it right, that means re-calibrating on every roll change.
For example, under the extruder calibrate button:
While !Head_At_temp do Heat_Head
Prompt user to mark 100mm above the print module
Extrude 100mm at nominal speed
Prompt user to measure unextruded filament of the 100mm length.
Prompt user for error (- numbers are too much extruded, positive are too little)
Calculate correct setting and apply.
This is somewhat of a pain in the ass to do with a PC, and would be dead easy from the touchscreen.
Some common shapes for X and Y calibration could also be included.
I know, but then I have to connect a computer 3 rooms away to the machine and run back and forth. Theres no convenient solution for me, and besides why the hell not have this in the touchscreen.
Have you tried using Octoprint or Octodash? It’s a super easy set up and use, to remotely control the printer. OctoDash just let’s you use a touchscreen as a front end to the server. I’ve got macro buttons for everything (autobed leveling, filament change, etc).
ok im a newb here… what is all the octo stuff? how do i get it? and how do i learn how to use it? im sure this was painful to read to you guys who know what youre doing but hey im trying here… lol
It would be nice if they would do this, but they wont. They haven’t even disabled the heater shutoff during calibration yet a year after they said they would.
You can do this calibration without even having talkback from a console really (in other words, over wifi)
Either have your previous value written down or even just assign a value, do the test, then adjust to new value based on those results.
I finally did rig up a long ass cable to plug into my computer but thats what i used to do.
No worries, we all start somewhere. OctoPrint is a webserver that runs off a Raspberry Pi. It allows you full control of the printer by connecting to the serial port (replacing the need to connect your computer to the printer). All you have to do is flash the OS onto an SD card and plug it into the raspberry pi. Then plug it into your printer, and you’re in business. It’s free (minus the hardware cost) and has a ridiculous amount of plug ins. I have preset macros for autobed leveling an 11x11, a filament manager that tracks how much I have left on a spool, a webcam to monitor the prints, etc. You also upload your gcodes to the server, and can print directly from it.
OctoDash is a touch screen front end for OctoPrint. You need a tft screen that connects to the GPIO pins on the raspberry pi. Basically, it replaces the touchscreen on the snapmaker. You can adjust the temp, move the axis, have macro buttons, and print files from it. The setup for OctoDash is a bit more complicated though.
Here are the links for both OctoPrint and OctoDash.
The point is to make the routine calibrations something that you can perform standing in front of the machine without having to add a computer.
Adding a Pi at the printer just means I need ANOTHER computer to connect to the Pi to do things, or add a screen and enclosure to create ANOTHER control head to do things that really should (IMHO) be in the original control head.
With all due respect… “should work” and “being optimal” are two very different things. E-step calibration is a major adjustment for the success of 3d printing. The more "should work"s in place, the more problems are to be had with making a good part.
That’s like saying an airplane needs a generic amount of fuel despite how much weight is on board. It doesn’t work that way. Nevermind the fact that the stock setting is terribly under extruding.
With that said, I realize there is merit to “keeping it simple”. Keeping it simple is fine for a brand new maker, but everyone on this forum has learned to adjust their e-steps to increase their part quality. Pretending like it is a non issue for the sake of convenience feels lazy to me.
Not being able to use the console over wifi to retrieve the value is not helping either.
I don’t mean to abuse you here, it just seems like snapmaker can stand to sharpen their knives a bit when it comes to being better at what they put out.
On a more positive note - the new version of luban is sharp looking and its nice that you added some “walk me throughs” for the fresh makers to play with.
Especially since the instructions make no mention at all to extrusion, flow, feed, etc. And there isn’t a published list of G or M commands on the Snapmaker site anywhere!
