Description
Prusa Slicer, and no other slicer btw, does not allow to unleash the full potential of IDEX printers.
It is possible to change that without making any major changes in the codebase.
1. Copy and Mirror mode
To make copy and mirror mode work, we need a way to configure multiple bed sizes for the printer and letting the user select the bed. Copy and mirror mode require different bed sizes. This is easier than trying to visualize both toolheads, analyzing if they are colliding or not and it saves us tons of sanity checks.
Github image links:
bed configuration screenshot
bed selection screenshot
2. Variables
- the toolchange count variable should also work if there is no purge tower in use, currently it reports zer0 in this case
- there should be additional vector variables which tells us at which toolchange index the toolheads are getting used the first and last time, so that we know when we can turn a toolhead on/off. Ideally, we are able to turn a toolhead on, like for example 2 minutes, before we need the toolhead. This way we dont need any standby mechanisms.
3. Toolchange gcode
to make real use of an idex printer you need to be aware of the next XY coordinates for the next toolhead. We are currently doing that with a post processing modul. The idea is to make a single gcode move in IDEX copy mode where we park one extruder and at the same time moving the next extruder to its new xy coordinates
Retraction and deratraction in front and after a toolchanges should be optional
Youtube link:
V-Core IDEX - Endgame Toolchange - YouTube
This is how we manipulate the toolchange gcode atm. there is a lot of stuff that needs to be outcommented as you can see. this is the ONLY way to provide real seamless IDEX multicolor and multimaterial printing without the need for a purge tower.
;G1 Z0.6 F3000
; custom gcode: end_filament_gcode
; Filament-specific end gcode
; custom gcode end: end_filament_gcode
; custom gcode: toolchange_gcode
T0 P1 X78.426 Y124.685 Z0.2
; custom gcode end: toolchange_gcode
; custom gcode: start_filament_gcode
; Filament gcode
SET_PRESSURE_ADVANCE ADVANCE=0.044
; custom gcode end: start_filament_gcode
;G1 E-0.8 F7200
;G1 X78.426 Y124.685 F30000
;G1 Z0.4 F3000
;G1 E0.8 F7200
4. Print settings
the fact that we can select only one print setting for all materials is unfortunate. I am totally aware that different print settings are creating all kind of slicing issues. But we should be at least able to select different speed and acceleration settings for the different toolheads and filaments, this should not affect the slicing in any negative way
Thanks
Helge