GMU:RapMan/HowTo: Difference between revisions

# Convert your 3D object

# Print your converted 3D object

==Create your 3D File==

===Design your 3d objects===

* Thin solid walls must have a specific thickness, currently we are limited to 1mm, 2mm, 3mm... Any x.5mm will result in hollow walls. This is due to our extruder nozzle being 0.5mm in diameter. Above a certain thickness (I think 5mm) any value is possible, so 10.1mm walls will print just fine.

* When parts must fit into each other, design with some tolerance. The value of ~0.5mm seems like a good choice

===Choose your material===

Choosing the right material (also called filament) to print with is another important thing when designing your object. Different plastics have different properties that might influence your print and each plastic has its own conversion profile. There is a good overview of commonly used materials over at the [http://www.bitsfrombytes.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Filament BfB Wiki]. Our default material is [[Wikipedia:Polylactic acid|PLA]] and I recommend to stick with it.

===Choose your design software===

You can use any 3D or CAD Software to design your objects. Due to the countless options you have here it's impossible to give a general recommendation. Nonetheless here are a few choices:

<br clear="all" />

==Convert your 3D File==

Converting your 3D file means:

# Convert your .stl file to a file our printer can read

===Export the .stl file===

Exporting the .stl file is in most packages simply choosing File->Export from the menu and then selecting .stl. If your software doesn't offer this option please refer to its manual or search for help on google which probably will come up with the right solution.

It's wise to use software like [http://netfabb.com/basic.php Netfabb] or [http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ Meshlab] to check your exported .stl file for the correct size and errors and also do minor tweaks like rotating and scaling.

<br clear="all" />

===Convert the .stl file===

Converting the .stl file means converting the three dimensional data into a format which the printer understands. We call this format [[Wikipedia:G-code|G-code]], which is a numerical file format containing all the movement and other control information for the printer. G-code is also used on a number of different machines like computer controlled milling machines or routers. Currently there are two software choices you have.

# Skeinforge, a platform independent software solution

# Axon, which basically is a nice looking interface for Skeinforge but Windows only and somewhat limited

====Skeinforge====

Skeinforge is at the first sight a weird and scary software with lots of different buttons and input fields. On the upside Skeinforge runs on Windows, Mac and Linux which makes this software our tool of choice. Don't worry there's only a few thing you need to know to be able to export files correctly.

Secondly download the profiles I specially prepared for our printer and materials [https://github.com/matthiasbreuer/RapMan-3.1-Profiles here]. When using PLA (which you probably will because it's awesome) these are all you need to get great prints on our printer.

More to come, it will get interesting now.

====Axon====

Axon is the official software distributed be Bits from Bytes. Even though Axon is easier to use, I do not recommend to use it since it is outdated. Axon 2 is being developed right now but I would still in any case recommend Skeinforge if you are using any of our standard PLA material.

For the fearless, you find Axon and Axon 2 both [http://3dpedia.3dsystems.com/display/BFBCustTechRes/Downloads+%28software%2C+profiles%2C+firmware+and+print+files%29 here]. The download site is a bit confusing and you'll have to click ''Login'' first which will log you in as a guest.

==Printing your converted 3D object==

===Before you print===

===Checking the printer and filament spindle===

During the printing process screws of moving parts might become loose. Since the whole printer is jerking around sometimes this could be anywhere. Some places you should always check are the screws of the x- and y-stepper motor pulleys and the screws of the extruder gears. Also check if the belts are tight enough. Loose screws of motors and gears will make your print look ugly.

===Printing===

Printing is fairly easy. Copy the G-code file to the sd card, put it into the RapMan controller and power it on. Then select your file and run it. The printer will do stuff now for a while. There's a progress bar on the display which will give you a slight feeling how long you still have to wait. While the printer is working you can watch it, go get a coffee or go somewhere completely else and do whatever you like. In 99% of the cases the print will finish without any problems so you presence is not required. I've run the printer over night a few times but I still recommend to check on it once in a while.

<br clear="all" />

===After you print===

After your object is printed there are some steps you might want to do:

==Be nice and share==

[[Category:Design]]