Hi There,

i’ve recently stumbled upon mattercontrol when searching for alternative software for my Makerbot Replicator Mini. Just let me say that i did not choose that printer myself — but now i’m stuck with it. So, the original software that comes with it is unfree, hell to run on Linux, and just generally … bad. Mattercontrol looks much nicer, and has all the features i need, also it says it supports the Mini. However, when i connect my mini to my Linux system, dmesg shows usblp loaded, and no serial port (ttyUSB*) created. However, when selecting to add an Makerbot-Mini in MatterControl, automatic device discovery fails, and in manual i can only select tty* devices.

So, how do i connect MatterControl to my Makerblärgh Mini?

Thank for the great Software! Best,

NebuK

Two distinct types of bed leveling exist: hardware and software.

Software leveling means the controller software makes an analysis of the existing bed as it is and alters the print instructions to compensate for any flaws.

Hardware leveling requires the user to make mechanical adjustments to make the nozzle and the bed co-planar.

As your question does not specify which type of leveling you are inquiring about, I will cover both.

Software leveling requires a probe of some kind to measure different points on the bed. MatterControl's Automatic Bed Leveling feature is considered software leveling, and it makes use of the nozzle. The user places a piece of paper under the nozzle as it is lowered to the bed. When there is slight resistance to moving the paper, the probe is complete at that point. The process is continued at other points on the bed until a reliable model of the bed can be acquired. For Cartesian printers, three points is usually enough. For delta printers, 7- or 13-point calibration is more appropriate. Other printers with built-in leveling probes make use of a laser or force-sensitive resistors which probe the bed automatically instead of having the user do it manually.

Hardware leveling requires that the bed be able to be adjusted using thumb or regular screws. They are usually spring-loaded to keep tension, and will stay at the height at which they are set pretty reliably. A common method for leveling the bed is to use a piece of paper as described in the software leveling section, manually moving the nozzle over different points and adjusting the bed up or down until it is perfectly level. The whole idea is to make sure the nozzle moves on the same X and Y plane as the bed.

For more information, check out our article about bed leveling: http://wiki.mattercontrol.com/Bed_Leveling

EDIT: Link to article

I'm printing some very complicated shapes which require much support material. Is there a way to increase the cooling time in between support material and model material for easier separation after the print completes? Which setting would this be?

Thanks,

Max

Sorry for the confusion but we don't support the 5th generation Makerbots yet. They use a different communication method than most printers (a direct USB connection instead of a USB/serial converter). This is why the kernel's USB serial driver does not detect it and create the port.

The profiles for the 5th generation machines are included with MatterControl, with the intention that you would be able to export X3G files to an SD card and print from that. However, MatterControl's X3G export functionality has been disabled in version 1.4, pending a rewrite. It will be back again in the next patch.

At this time MatterControl does not have the ability to increase cooling time in between printing support material and model material. It's an interesting concept, and I'll add a note for the development team to review as they continue to improve the program.

The following settings have worked well for me, making removal of support material easier:

Interface Layers: 0
Z Gap: 1mm
X and Y Distance: 1mm

Thanks Ryan,

so for auto leveling I don't need extra hardware.

how would it get over a problem I have had in the past, on getting all the corners the same level, I have found that at the center of the plate it is to tight [ this is just hypothetical ] as I have cured the problem, how would Matter Control handle this situation.

If the corners are level and the center of the bed is too high (assuming that's what you mean by "tight"), then it sounds like the bed is warped. In that case, MatterControl can't compensate; it requires a flat bed.

Connecting a new motor to your printer and don't know which wire is which? Here's how you can figure it out.

The NEMA 17 stepper motors that printers use have two coils, and two wires connected to each coil.

To find a coil, take a piece of spare wire or a paperclip and use it to connect any two of the wires together. Turn the motor shaft by hand. If it becomes harder to turn after you connect the wires, then both those wires are on the same coil. Consequently, the other two wires must be on the other coil.

Electric motors are also generators. By shorting a coil, you are essentially giving the generator an infinite load, which you can feel as you try to turn it.

The wires on the first coil are labeled 1A and 1B, and the wires on the second coil are labeled 2A and 2B. The wires are also usually different colors, but the colors themselves don't really mean anything and are often different from motor to motor. It doesn't actually matter which wire you call A and which one you call B. Likewise, it doesn't matter which coil you decide is #1 and which coil you decide is #2. If your motor runs in reverse, just swap any wire with it's partner, or swap the coils with each other.

thanks Ryan that's what I thought. couple of other questions on this subject, does this also work with touch.

One this that puzzles me, the z switch, I assume this is the stop end, you say that it should be at the top, would this not cause the nozzle to keep pushing on the bed, or does the control software take this in consideration.

Actually, MatterControl's 7 and 13 point leveling was made to handle non-planar beds. We tested this on an old Type A machine with a severely warped acrylic bed (it was basically U shaped).

It does work on the Touch as well.