Inserting a hex nut into a print



  • I've been using Matter Control for about a year now and still learning. I have been experimenting with other slicers lately, mostly PrusaSlicer, to explore their capabilities. Specifically, I'm trying to figure out how to pause my printer (I have an Ender 3 with an SKR mini E3 V2 motherboard running Marlin 2.0) so that I can insert a hex nut into a recess in the object, and then resume printing. PrusaSlicer allows for G-code to be inserted at a specific layer that will pause the print, move the hot-end out of the way so the hex nut can be dropped in, and then resume printing. I have searched the forum but most of the posts are about 5 years old and didn't go into a lot of detail. I know that there is a Pause & Resume button but how do I move the head out of the way? I saw the G-code tab in the printer section but I'm unsure of what codes to enter. On the PrusaSlicer forum I learned how to insert the commands into my G-code file, which I then imported into Matter Control. Everything looked fine until I raised the layer slider to the point where I inserted the extra code (basically, pause....move...let me drop in the nut...make sure the extruder is at temp...move back...resume) . The previewer went from looking normal to very dark (I could still see the object but just barely) and the object height continued to increase as I moved the slider to the final layer. I have not tried to print the G-code file yet to see if it would even work. I would like to learn how to do this within Matter Control if it is at all possible.


  • Global Moderator

    @bionicback321 Yes, possible, I have done it.

    http://wiki.mattercontrol.com/SETTINGS/Printer/Custom_G-Code/Pause_G-Code

    G91 ; to pause the print
    G1 Z10 E-5.0 ; move print head to Z10 and retract extrude -5 (you can put in your position you want here.
    G90

    G91 ;resume print
    G1 Z-10 E5.5 F1800 ; move print head back to Z-10
    G90


  • MatterHackers

    If you open the 'Advanced' settings under 'Print' you can add layers to pause on.

    0_1643134773832_2022-01-25 10_18_29-Window.png



  • @larsbrubaker If I understand you and Tinken correctly, I would go to Print>....Advanced>....Layers(s) To Pause>.... and then enter, in my case, 37 and it should pause at layer 36. After this is done I would go to Printer>....G-code>....Pause G-code>.... and enter

    G91 ; to pause the print
    G1 Z20 E-5.0 ; move print head to Z20 and retract extrude -5 (I went with Z20 to give myself a little more room).
    G90

    (This is the point where I would place the hex nut into the recess)

    And in Resume G-code>...enter

    G91 ;resume print
    G1 Z-20 E5.5 F1800 ; move print head back to Z-20
    G90

    If everything works correctly the printer should automatically pause at the end of layer 36 and move up 20mm to give me enough room to drop in the nut. Then when I click on Resume in the print window it should take off as if nothing had happened (in theory). Is my understanding of all this correct?


  • Global Moderator

    @bionicback321 Try Lar's method first. Just place the layers in the pause window you wish to stop at. If more than one layer, you can separate with a comma.

    Don't use the gcode I posted unless you wish to modify a gcode file.



  • @tinken If I use the "Pause At Layer" method as Lars suggests (for me it would be layer 36) what can I expect the print head to do? Will it move out of the way or just remain where it was at when it was paused? The documentation I've been able to find doesn't really say. Thanks for your help.


  • MatterHackers

    @bionicback321 it will do whatever you tell it to do in the Pause Gcode

    Printer > Gcode > Pause Gcode

    0_1643391158781_d4319abf-82e6-4d8a-bf79-82b4a20a2085-image.png

    This code, for example, switches to relative positioning (G91), moves Z up 10mm and retracts 5mm of filament.

    The Resume Gcode, just below that, will run when you resume the print


  • Global Moderator

    @cope413 Thank you.

    @bionicback321 Lars and Taylor are going to give you a better answer. I run program in RRF and they are much better at Marlin. Though I will try to help where I can.



  • This post is deleted!


  • @cope413 First of all, thanks to everyone for responding. So, from what I can tell, the G-code I typed in my earlier reply should work, as you all have explained, just fine. I do see that the M-code (M76) is left in on the first line of the Pause G-code section, so I assume that I should leave M75 in the Resume G-code section as well. Can't wait to give it a try.


  • MatterHackers

    @bionicback321 Yes, M75 will resume the print timer.


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