Transcript
Using Cura to generate tool paths for Ultimaker 3D printer Digital Media Tutorial Written By John Eberhart This tutorial will walk you through how to export a 3D model from Rhino and generate a file for the Ultimaker 3D printer. Step One: Cura only works in millimeters so you will want to change the units in Rhino before hand. To change the units, click on the Options icon. Click Units and choose Millimeters.
If you are changing the units, you will see a window pop up to scale the model. Click YES to scale the model. Step Two: Position your model and export it as an STL file. Move the model you want to 3D print to the origin point of Rhino. Step Three: Export your model as an STL file.
Choose File>Export selected
Choose file format *.stl
At the prompt, choose Binary and keep “Export open objects” checked on. Click OK to export.
Step Four: You need to complete the Basic Model Preparation with Meshmixer tutorial on the Digital Media website to ensure your model is watertight.
Step Five: Open the Cura Software Click the Start Icon, Choose All Programs>3D Printing and Fabrication>Cura
The Cura interface
Step Six: Click the “Load Model” Icon.
Browse to your STL model you exported from Rhino. Choose Open
Step Seven: Adjusting your model’s resolution and position. Choose your quick print Profile. This will either speed up or slow down your print times. Fast Print = Z Layer Thickness of 0.15mm - Recommeded Profile Normal = Z layer Thickness of 0.10mm High = Z layer Thickness of 0.06mm You need to decide if you should print support, this will help hold the model up while printing but is hard to remove. Most of the time you do not need support. Do make sure you check on Brim, this will print a border around your part helping it to stick to the bed.
Select your model. You can move it around on the bed. If the model turns grey, it is beyond the printing limits of the machine. You can add additional models at this point if needed. Note: Clicking the “Expert” menu will allow you to fully customize the print settings. We do not recommend you do this.... However, if you still want to, refer to the advanced Cura tutorial on the Digital Media website.
Step Eight: You can adjust the Scale, Rotation, and Mirroring of your model with these buttons. If you imported your model in inches, you can change the scale to millimeters. Click on the scale button and in scale X, Y, and Z, set this to 25.4. This will convert the model from inches to millimeters Clicking “Reset” will restore the model to its original imported size.
Step Nine: Rotate and Lay Flat Operations Clicking on rotate, you can grab a rotation handle and rotate the object in 15 degree intervals. Reset will restore the models to its original imported rotations. It is very easy to create a model that does not lay perfectly flat on the build bed. When the model prints, it will often dislodge from the bed because it is not laying flat. Clicking the “Lay Flat” button will help get the model to rest on at least 3 points on the bed. We strongly recommend you do this for every part, even if you are sure its fine!
Part not properly resting on the bed
Part after “Lay Flat” operation performed
Step Ten: Verify the Tool paths Cura calculates the tool paths after each operation. Once this is finished calculating, click the normal button and choose Layers instead. This will show you the tool paths and build layers for the model.
Tells you how many grams 1 ounce = 28.35 grams Note the print time, this will vary depending on the quickprint profile you have selected and the overall size of the print. Slide this up and down to see individual layers. This is good to verify the build of the model Model in layers view
Step Eleven: Save the G-Code file Click the button “Save GCode” to save your tool paths. This is loaded into the print submission system.
