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Author Topic: 3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4  (Read 204 times)

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3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4
« on: February 14, 2024, 05:11:10 PM »
Hey guys,

Are there any 3D printing slicers that can create toolpaths that will work in Mach4?

For example, can Mach4 run gcodes that're generated in CURA?

Also can you point me towards any topics about 3d printing with Mach4?
Really struggling to find any info about 3D printing with Mach4. I'm wanting to add a print head to my router.

Thanks,
Reece



Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: 3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2024, 01:09:23 AM »
Just my opinion but I think you would be wasting your time trying to use Mach4 for something it was never intended to do.

Cura is an excellent software for creating the sliced model GCode as well as defining the correct temperatures and feedrates for the size and type of filament being used. To this end it creates many M, G & E code calls that would not be recognized by Mach. Although there are a number of other CAD/CAM softwares (Aspire, Augie, etc.) that will create sliced model GCode they are, in my opinion, nowhere near the level of the dedicated 3D printer softwares.

Stand alone 3D printers are relatively cheap nowadays and or course, they are designed for the purpose and if you want to produce top quality 3D prints then that is the way to go.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: 3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2024, 02:29:23 PM »
Hey Tweakie,

I'm actually wanting to lay down continuous fiber to create a composite 3D internal "skeleton" for a project I'm working on.
It'll require a pretty large print area, over 1m^2.
Ideally I can just stick an extruder head onto my large machine. I could roll the fibers through the extruder, while the machine follows a path I created in Cura.

The only things I would require from Cura is the toolpath, and the extrusion speed of the fiber. I don't need any of the heating, infill, etc...
 
Maybe Aspire or Augie would be better suited for this?

Otherwise, glad to hear that Mach will ignore those commands specific to Cura printing.

I wasn't sure if you need to create mach specific gcode. Or if mach can work with any old gcode.
(I typically use the Mach specific 'post' from Fusion for milling)

Thanks,
Reece

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: 3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2024, 01:17:44 AM »
Hi Reece,

Perhaps the best thing then is to just ‘jump in’ and try it.
You would have to replace the ‘E’ codes generated by Cura (Notepad ‘search and replace’) with your rotary axis code (A?) and calibrate this axis accordingly within Mach. Also delete the preperational bed heating, levelling & wiping lines but other than that it should work.

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: 3D Printing Slicer / Toolpaths for Mach 4
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2024, 08:21:53 PM »
Agreed! I will jump in and start trying stuff out. Thanks for the help!

-Reece