New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.
 
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XOIIO
(@xoiio)
Active Member
New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

Hi all, so I don't have a Prusa printer, but I love PrusaSlicer, and I've just upgraded my printer from the stock random mk8 extruder to a bondtech BMG x2.

One thing is that I'm totally new to dual extruder setups though, and I noticed some weird behavior that I'm still working on, so I may end up fixing myself, but overall guidance would be helpful.

I had set my print to run off the right nozzle as that will be the primary one, and noticed that both of them were heating up at the same time which is undesireable.

I changed my default extruder from 1 to 2, however this time it started heating up the left extruder only which was also the wrong behavior, and I've changed this back but it's still heating up the wrong extruder when preparing to print, even though my model is set to print off of extruder 2.

I'm guessing that for some reason prusaslicer is basically "backwards" from how I have marlin set up, but I'm not sure how I can change that, as no matter what I tweak in settings as I've been typing this, I can't get it to properly use the right extruder.

In  octoprint the extruders are in fact working properly, so it seems like the issue lies in the slicer.

Here are some screenshots of my settings in case something is obviously wrong. https://imgur.com/a/itVFbuf

This topic was modified 4 years ago by XOIIO
Posted : 28/04/2020 9:21 pm
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

Hi xoiio
I am no expert on non Prusa Machines...   does the Ooze prevention option look like what you want? 

 

Joan

I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK

Posted : 28/04/2020 9:49 pm
XOIIO
(@xoiio)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@joantabb

Hmm, unfortunately not, that puts an ooze shield around my model which will be helpful for when I do dual extrusion, but most of the time I will be doing single and not even have filament loaded in the first nozzle, so right now my struggle is getting the printer to work with a single extruder.

Perhaps my wanting to use the second nozzle as the primary one is unusual, and that's part of the issue but it seems like it should still work, right now it's just trying to use the first extruder even though my model is set to use the second. 

It's just that for how my printer is set up in terms of filament loading and whatnot using the second extruder as my primary one works best.

Posted : 28/04/2020 10:22 pm
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

Why not set the slicer up as a single extruder profile with the offset for the second nozzle as the location for the extruder?

regards Joan

I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK

Posted : 28/04/2020 10:38 pm
XOIIO
(@xoiio)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@joantabb

I could give that a shot although it seems like kind of a backwards solution to the problem.

Posted : 28/04/2020 11:08 pm
XOIIO
(@xoiio)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

So I've done more testing and it seems like for whatever reason, the gcode sent by prusaslicer isn't able to turn on the second heater. I think it's trying to print using the second extruder, but for some reason will only heat up the first one. 

It looks like this issue is because I'm using starting gcode to tell the extruder not to heat up until after the bed level to prevent oozing, I'm not sure why this is making it use the first extruder and not whichever is assigned though. I'm guessing I just need to use a slightly different formatting for the command.

 

G28 ; home all axes
G29 P1 ; do mesh bed level
M109 S[first_layer_temperature] ; wait for extruder temp

 

Posted : 29/04/2020 5:06 am
towlerg
(@towlerg)
Noble Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@xoiio

"In octoprint the extruders are in fact working properly, so it seems like the issue lies in the slicer." Can you expand that a little. Obviously you've set "Number of Extruders" to 2 but how have you confirmed which is which?

As an absolute novice, I would have assumed that the identity of a second extruder was entirely governed by Marlin (only he knows what wires are connected to what GPIO) and controlled by GCode. What extruder related GCodes appear in PrusaSlicers output?

Kludge alert! My other thought was that if this config were permanent (second extruder as primary), you could swap heater etc. wires over. 

This post was modified 4 years ago by towlerg
Posted : 29/04/2020 1:13 pm
XOIIO
(@xoiio)
Active Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@towlerg

So, I posted in the 3d printing reddit and have done testing, and it's due to having the M109 start command to wait to set the extruder temperature.

Apparently with it unspecified it defaults to the first heater, so to specify the second I need to format the starting gcode like this:

M109 T1 S[first_layer_temperature] ; wait for extruder temp

 

T1 is the second heater, and T0 would be the first.

However, this means editing the start gcode to match each time and I don't know how it handles dual extrusion, I guess it might just heat up other hot end once it's needed and be a bit slower.

There must be some way to have prusaslicer automatically detect which extruder is being used and use some sort of variable for this you'd think though.

Posted : 29/04/2020 6:00 pm
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@xoiio

the prusa single filament mode in Multi fialment setups, specifies extruder T? which prompts Prusa firmware to ask which extruder to use
If you use prusa multifilament mode, the slicer specifies extruders as T0, T1, T2 etc... so there is no confusion.

regards Joan

I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK

Posted : 29/04/2020 8:24 pm
towlerg
(@towlerg)
Noble Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

@xoiio

FWIW I added a second extruder to my printer profile in PrusaSlicer, selected the second extruder and resliced. The only functional (lots of comment changes) difference was that the GCode T1 was added.

I added a second extruder to my Octoprint printer profile and tried printing  (Virtual printer) both files, they both used Tool0.

I posted the above on the OctoPrint forum.

Posted : 30/04/2020 1:20 pm
intexind
(@intexind)
New Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

Well I think this is all wrong regarding T calls and Extruder Numbers/Positions

I have been working with G code for over 30 years and this is really confusing 

If you call a T call eg. Tool 1 Tool 2 Tool 3 Tool 4 Tool 5 THEN the extruder should be corresponding and not missmatched E1 E2 E3 E4 E5

SIMPLE yeah 

NO Seems like Prusa Has decided to confuse the standard and Use

T0 as E1

T1 as E2

T2 as E3

T3 as E4

T4 as E5

THIS IS VERY CONFUSING ,WHY NOT JUST LOGICALLY MATCH THEM UP AS THEY SHOULD BE ????

PLEASE FIX THIS !!!

Posted : 22/08/2020 1:59 pm
3Delight
(@3delight)
Moderator Moderator
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.
Posted by: @intexind

Well I think this is all wrong regarding T calls and Extruder Numbers/Positions

I have been working with G code for over 30 years and this is really confusing 

If you call a T call eg. Tool 1 Tool 2 Tool 3 Tool 4 Tool 5 THEN the extruder should be corresponding and not missmatched E1 E2 E3 E4 E5

SIMPLE yeah 

NO Seems like Prusa Has decided to confuse the standard and Use

T0 as E1

T1 as E2

T2 as E3

T3 as E4

T4 as E5

THIS IS VERY CONFUSING ,WHY NOT JUST LOGICALLY MATCH THEM UP AS THEY SHOULD BE ????

PLEASE FIX THIS !!!

Why don't you report it over on the GitHub Issues for PrusaSlicer (Prusa staff rarely come to these forums)...

https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer/issues

Posted : 23/08/2020 12:59 am
Eddie Green
(@eddie-green)
New Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.
Posted by: @xoiio

... I've just upgraded my printer from the stock random mk8 extruder to a bondtech BMG x2... (that's Two direct drive extruders)

I had set my print to run off the right nozzle as that will be the primary one, and noticed that both of them were heating up at the same time which is undesireable...

I changed my default extruder from 1 to 2, however... heating up the wrong extruder when preparing to print, even though my model is set to print off of extruder 2...

Hi @xoiio and to anyone else looking for the answer to setting up dual extruders in a comparable way to other slicers.

Scenario:

  • Two hotends - T0 (Extruder_1) and T1 (Extruder_2)
  • Print using only one extruder, or
  • Print using both extruders, with similar or dissimilar materials

Printer Configuration:

  • Add the following lines to Start G-code:
; START GCODE

; set extruder(s) and bed temperature
M104 T0 S[first_layer_temperature_0] ; set nozzle temp
M104 T1 S[first_layer_temperature_1] ; set nozzle temp
M140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; set bed temp

; wait for temperatures to stabilise
M109 T0 S[first_layer_temperature_0] ; wait for nozzle temp
M109 T1 S[first_layer_temperature_1] ; wait for nozzle temp
M190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; wait for bed temp

Note: For more than two extruders, create additional entries for T2,T3 etc as per the code shown.

 

Filament Configuration:

  • Add new filament by saving an existing filament under a new name - 'None' - and edit the following:
  • Set Nozzle and bed temperatures to zero,
  • Set filament colour to taste (suggest white)
  • Turn off fans (just in case)

Print Setup for Extruder_X only:

Note that the following configuration can apply to any single extruder - in each case set non priniting extruder materials to 'None'.

  • In Print Settings > Multiple Extruders > Extruders, set to X for all enabled settings
  • Set material for extruder(s) not in use to 'None'
  • Select desired material for Extruder_X
  • In the model, set the extruder to be used to X

*( X= desired Extruder No)

Print Setup for multiple extruders:

Setup remains unaffected by the new Start G-code commands.

Posted : 06/07/2021 12:25 pm
Eddie Green
(@eddie-green)
New Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

(UPDATE) For some odd reason, editor won't accept additional images - Here is the one for Print Settings > Multiple Extruders > Extruders, set to X for all enabled settings)

This post was modified 3 years ago by Eddie Green
Posted : 06/07/2021 12:37 pm
Eddie Green
(@eddie-green)
New Member
RE: New to dual extrusion, need some help with slicer setup.

(UPDATE) Print Settings > Multiple Extruders > Extruders, set to X for all enabled settings

It turns out that for single extruder printing, these settings are irrelevant. Setting the materials for each extruder and setting the extruder to be used for each part is important - note that you must select extruder X specifically rather than leave this as 'default' which is how the part is set when loaded into the slicer.

 

Posted : 07/07/2021 12:30 am
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