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The utilities tab allows you to move the print nozzle in the X, Y and Z planes. You can change the size of the movement by selecting the 0.1mm, 1mm or 10mm options and then move the printer nozzle or bed by pressing one of the arrow buttons. Pressing the Home buttons will set the nozzle or the bed to their '0' location.
If you want to load or unload a filament you can set the Load/Unload temperature by pressing the up or down arrows for the corresponding nozzle and then select load or unload. The printer will then give you instructions to complete the Loading/Unloading process. There are two holes in the top of the extruder head where you feed the in the filament for each nozzle.
The filament guiding tubes detach from the extruder assembly so you can gently guiding guide the filament in or out of the extruder during the loading/unloading process. Orient the filament roll such that the filament wraps underneath the roll and extends upward straight into the guiding tube as demonstrated in the following picture, to ensure minimal stress on the filament.
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Convert your 3D model into an STL file for slicing. This process may be different depending on your 3D modeling software, but in Fusion 360 for example, you can export your model to as an STL file by: right clicking on the body you want to print in the hierarchy, click ‘Save as Mesh’.
A ‘Save as Mesh’ menu will appear. Make sure you have the 3MF format selected, then choose your level of refinement (High high works well) and click OK. Then select where you want the STL file to be saved.
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Browse to the location where you saved your STL file. Select the file and press ‘Open’. Now that your model has been imported, make sure the ‘View’ tab in the top left corner has been highlighted, and then select your object by clicking on it. Now select which extruder you want to print your object with. If you have a particular filament loaded in the left or right extruder already you will want to select your extruder accordingly.
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If you want to do a dual nozzle print make sure that you select the extruder for each individual object on the build platform. |
You can manipulate the Scale, Location and Orientation of your object on the build platform to suit your needs using the Scale, Move and Rotate icons. You will want to position your print so that the maximum area possible is supported by the print bed.
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Slicing
You can start the process of slicing your model by clicking the ‘Start Slicing’ button. This will open a window where you will select your slicing template.
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Now, make sure the extruder you are using has the correct filament profile set; for example 1.75mm PLA is the most common filament used in the lab. Select your slicing template. When in doubt you can always just choose the standard ‘Standard - Pro2 - PLA’ template. Slicing templates will be added to are available in the ‘Slicing Templates’ section of this document so you can download them and import them using the ‘Import’ button on the template screen.
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Make sure you re-slice your model if you have previously sliced it and added supports afterward. The current templates do not have support generation enabled so when you slice with these manually added supports you will get this prompt:
We want to include the supports we just manually added, so click ‘Yes’.
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You can preview the sliced version of your model to ensure that your print will have all the desired settings applied. You can ‘Export’ your resulting GCode file to your computer or a USB drive. Or, In this case, we will upload the file directly to the printer by hitting ‘Upload to Printer’.
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Note: You must be connected to the ‘Device Development 2.4 Ghz’ Wi-Fi network to upload directly to the printer. |
If you do not see the printer as in the image above, make sure the printer is powered on and it has finished its booting process and then try hitting refresh. Once you see the printer you can click ‘Upload’.
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The printer will then heat up the nozzle(s) and print bed to the specified temperatures in the Slicing template. The printer will then ‘Home’ the XY axes and the Z axisX,Y, and Z axes. It will then lower the bed and extrude out some filament to prime the nozzle with plastic.
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Warning: It is important to hold some tweezers around the pile of extruded plastic during nozzle priming, because the printer tends to drag this blob of filament into your print, and it may ruin your print. |
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