Print timings out of sync? Unable to cancel prints?



  • Hey

    Upgraded to the latest MatterControl software and I've noticed an anomaly that I can't be sure is software. I've only noticed since upgrading mind you. If i was to print an item and slice it, on the side panel it will say (as an example) "Print Time: 5h, 40 min"

    I start the print and leave it be. I come to check it a few hours later to find the print 100% done, printed fine. My printers LCD screen will say "Print time: 3h. 30m" I've noticed it on a few prints now and it's always different by hours, if it's a few minutes, who would care? But hours... I like to be around as it finishes so I can set the next piece going. I'm tempted to run a stopwatch with a print and compare between MatterControl and my printer itself.

    How does MatterControl generate the time? It sends the gcode for completion % to the printer during the print which matches what is in the software. It's just the generated timing is so different.

    I've also noticed that if I cancel a print it'll give me the pop up to say "do you wish to cancel" and I click yes, the print will stop, but keep extruding filament. It'll also keep "printing" in MatterControl and you can't cancel it. It just keeps asking if i wish to cancel. Only way to stop that is to close Matter Control entirely. Not sure if anyone else has seen this? When i re-open mattercontrol, it loads the last thing i printed and not the current file i was printing.

    I've noticed it won't resume a print either. It'll ask if I wish to resume (had a power failure last night) and I click yes. Print head zooms to the spot and just sits there. MatterControl shows it's print timer counting up, but nothing else happens. I then go to cancel and end up in the endless loop of not being able to cancel.

    Like your thoughts.

    Damien



  • The prints finish in about 60 to 70% of the time guessed. Also happens when you load a gcode file sliced with a different slicer. The only place where it makes a potentially big difference is when it comes to cooling as it grossly overestimates the time it takes to print a particular layer. So when printing something with a small cross section and you set the cooling to turn the fan on when the layer takes less than 30 seconds it might display 31 sec and actually the layer gets done in 20 and the fan of course does not turn on. So to reliably turn the fan on for layers taking less than 30 sec set it to 45 or 50

    Edited by Admin, off-topic to the issue at hand.


  • MatterHackers

    The calculations of time are based on a number of factors in the print settings but can sometimes the settings affect each other and result in a compounding effect. For the moment our time calculations are going to be off from the realistic time until we are able to find all the different reasons for the variations. I have seen the same thing in almost every printer I have supported in the past including the Zortrax M200, Up Plus (using up software 1.7x), ect. It takes some time and is not super important so this adjustment is always one step behind actual print stopping bugs.

    As for the software not canceling the print correctly, this is something we may need to take a look at. The printer, as long as it is still connected to the computer, should have stopped after it reached the inserted line of code to stop the printer. This could take a few seconds to a minute if the G-Code command is quite long for the operation it is currently on. If you are needing to close MatterControl to get the printer to stop then I would ask what version of MatterControl you are on. It seems that one function may be causing all the issues noted relating to this and updating MC or reinstalling it after wiping out the AppData folder may be in order.



  • @michael-petitclerc

    Hey Michael,

    Thanks for the response. I'm using the latest version of MC. It's the only thing I use for my CTC Replicator. Is there a cache folder in AppData? Happy to clear it.

    Does MC do a log file of prints, successful or cancelled etc? So far, MC is excellent... my printer on the other hand.... cheap chinese. But it's a great learning curve.

    Damien


  • MatterHackers

    Yeah, we have a folder in the Local Appdata folder. You can find this folder by searching %localappdata% in windows. If you simply rename the folder or remove it you will clear out the remainder of the data from MC when uninstalling it.

    I do not believe MC logs the prints when completed but I could be wrong, I'll have to check.

    In MC 2.0 we store the data in the directory Home>History>Print History


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