Slic3r 0.9.9

[Bill Havins]

Can someone give me a step-by-step for installing/linking(?) Slic3r 0.9.9 in Repetier-Host, please? I'm running Windows XP (heavy sigh) and Repetier-Host V0.84 with Slic3r 0.9.8. When I try it "my way" I get error messages of a file saved in an unexpected location, and a missing value/parameter. I just don't understand this set of software very well (yet).

Thanks!

Bill

[Bill Havins]

Never mind - I got it!

By the way, Slic3r has a number of improved features: http://slic3r.org/

Cheers!

[cambo3d]

thanks i'll check it out, any tips on installing it?

[Bill Havins]

Unless someone else gets it done I'll post a step-by-step tomorrow when I'm a little more alert. The process is a bit fiddly.

Bill

[mhackney]

I haven't tried a print with the new Slic3r yet, but WOW, what a great feature list!

• raft - (I hardly use, but good to have)
• option to avoid crossing perimeters - this is great, keeps nozzle in infill area to minimize blobs/stringing, I'm looking forward to trying this.
• option for external perimeters first - yes!
• option to print infill before perimeters - I'm not sure what geometries would benefit form this so needs some investigation.
• only generate infill where it's needed - this could be a great time optimization
• disable retraction on layer change - another nice feature
• multiple different layer heights on same object - another very cool feature but I did not see where/how this is setup
• cut parts of a model - again I did not see where this is set up
• many other infill features, improvements, bug fixes and changes

This looks like a nice update to a great slicer. Some of these new features are worth investigating. I was a Slic3r groupie and recently switched to KISS. I suspect I'll be using both of these depending in what I am trying to do. I really like the concentric top/bottom and infill capability in Slic3r and missed that in KISS.

Also, check out this new blog entry by the Slic3r author: Tip: printing with Bowden extruders. He nailed it! My experiments led me to the same conclusion, retraction is a necessary evil with Bowden setups. Slic3r 0.9.9 has new features to improve Bowden extruders.

[Bill Havins]

Regarding installing Slic3r 0.9.9,...well, it's a bit fiddly. I'm going to try to describe the steps I followed to get it into Repetier-Host, but I may blow up one or more of the steps in my description so proceed with caution!

These instructions work for Windows XP SP3. The steps for other platforms will vary.

1. Go to http://slic3r.org and download the zipped folder for 0.9.9. You want to save the zipped folder for now - don't extract the files yet. Remember where you saved the zipped folder.

2. Go to the Repetier-Host folder in your Program Files on your hard disk. For me it was C: > Program Files > Repetier-Host. In the Repetier-Host folder find the Slic3r folder. Rename that folder so it won't be overwritten when you extract the 0.9.9 files; I renamed my 0.9.8 folder "Slic3r 9_8."

3. Find the zipped 0.9.9 folder you saved in the first step. Extract those files to the Repetier-Host program folder (for me it was "C:\Program Files\Repetier-Host"). After the extraction process finishes confirm that there is now a new Slic3r folder in your Repetier-Host program folder.

4. Open the Repetier-Host program from the "Start" menu in Windows XP. Click on the "Slicer" tab in the right half of the screen. You'll notice that the menus in the Slic3r area under that tab are "dimmed." (The menus I am referring to are the "Print Settings:", "Printer Settings:", and "Extruder 1:" menus.)

5. Click on the "Configure" button in the upper right area of the Slic3r section of the screen - this should launch the Slic3r 0.9.9 executable (oh, please, please, please launch the executable...!).

6. When Slic3r 0.9.9 opens, click on the "Print Settings" tab and then click the "Save" icon (the icon of a floppy disk) just under the tabs. This will open a "Save Preset" dialogue box that includes the name of the printer settings that were active when you opened the "Printer Settings" tab. Click "Okay" and the "Printer Settings" will be saved.

7. Complete Step 6., above, for the "Filament Settings" and "Printer Settings" tabs.

8. Close Slic3r and the menus that had been dimmed should now appear active.

9. Load a very small .STL into Repetier-Host and go through your normal slicing routine to confirm that Slic3r 0.9.9 is performing as expected. If it is, open Slic3r 0.9.9 and explore the menu changes that are available in the update.

If the above process doesn't work for you in Windows XP, post a description of the problem you are having. I'll follow this thread and will update the process I've described until it is spot on.

Here is a link to a description of some of the settings in Slic3r 0.9.9: https://github.com/alexrj/Slic3r/wiki/Online-Help

Hope this helps!

Bill

[Bill Havins]

I had to add "M84" at the end of the "Custom G-Code"settings in Slic3r. Otherwise, when it finished a print job, the stepper motors would "hum in unison" (ugh!).

[Flateric]

Is that what that is, thankyou for posting the fix, gonna go try that out right now.