Welcome to the SeeMeCNC Community

I have taken the next step, but there are so many yet to reach my goal.
I did some shopping for a printer service and gaged on the cost. I am buying the Max V2, I'm concerned about the height, did you ever hear someone complain about to much build space? My shop space limits the vertical and I need a ladder to change the wire. I want to shorten the vertical rails to the ones the Orion uses. Doable?
Also I would like more plug and play after assembly, I currently have a 4 axis CNC mill with the EMC2 controller on a Debian Linux box, I work in deskproto, bobcad, rhino, microstation 3d, poser, artest. I was hand writing G-code before APPLE fell out of his tree and Gates was still a DOS prompt. I am a 'retired' Master Draftsmen with an exceptional ability to visualize 3D space in my mind.
I have an older PC running XP sitting around that would be a good print server. I have the perfect stl file, hot and ready, what programs will I need to get it printed?
I should read the books for rhino and deskproto they may do slicing to g-code for printing but they need post processors to configure the machine dependent code

Stl to program for g-code?
G-code to controller program?
Controller to printer
End program

What am I missing?

Welcome aboard, I enjoyed reading your registration entry!

You can shorten the towers if you'd like. No problem with doing that at all.

Rhino does not slice/generate gcode, I use it daily myself. From an STL you need a "slicer" - this is basically the CNC machining equivalent of CAM. Common open source and/or free slicers are Cura, Slic3r and Kisslicer. They all work, I prefer KISS myself. The printer firmware is Repetier - also open source. You can download a copy preconfigured for the Max V2 here. The final thing you may need is a host application to send the gcode to the printer. However, you can also print from an SD card right on the printer without using a host/computer. I prefer a host app and use Matter Control or Repetier - both free. That's about it.

Hi St Monkfish and welcome to the forum.
I have never heard of any one who wanted to cut the uprights and make them shorter, but I see no reason
why it can't be done. Some of the calibration scripts would need to be changed to match your shorter uprights
but it can be done.

These printers run on Repetier Firmware and communicate with the host computer by a program called Repetier Host.
Repetier host includes a slicer program called Slic3R that slices the .STL and creates the gcode which can be sent to the
printer via Repetier Host or copied to an SD card and printed via the SD card which inserts into the LCD.
Other Slicers are Cura and Kisslicer. A pay for software called Simplify 3D is available for $140 if you want to pay for a slicer.
They do not offer a demo product and few of us on this forum have purchased it, although some have.
I hope I answered most of your questions.

Mhackney, you snuck it in while I was typing mine, good job!

Thanks gentlemen

I'm going to look at these programs befor I ask any more sophomoric questions and it would probably help if I had the printer in my shop.

I have an older PC good working order, lousy video card, that is going to become my print server, I can load windows xp or Debian Linux. Mattercotrol isn't ready for Linux, what OS would be best suited for a dedicated serving platform, I'm getting my bench ready for the new arrival and would like to get the learning curve started

Thanks again

St Monkfish wrote:Thanks gentlemen

I'm going to look at these programs befor I ask any more sophomoric questions and it would probably help if I had the printer in my shop.

I have an older PC good working order, lousy video card, that is going to become my print server, I can load windows xp or Debian Linux. Mattercotrol isn't ready for Linux, what OS would be best suited for a dedicated serving platform, I'm getting my bench ready for the new arrival and would like to get the learning curve started

Thanks again

I don't know a thing about linux but I know that you can setup XP as a rudimentary server but I have a feeling that a Linux variety would be better as a
server but like I said I know nothing about Linux.