Re-opening Chitubox created .ctb files and (now) other solution opportunities.

[njee20]

Per my last post, you need to delete the printer profile and re-add your printer. You’re saving to random file types at the moment, because Chitubox appears not to know what printer you have.

 

The problem is not hardware or software I’m afraid, it’s user related.

 

Chitubox will tell you when you open if an update is available, but again, that isn’t the problem.  

[GWR57xx]

On 02/09/2023 at 17:47, Ray H said:

For reasons unknown to me, I have just managed to save a couple of files with .cpddpl extensions.

 

Hi Ray,

By any chance was that file output from UVTools?

If so, you chose the wrong conversion option.

You need File->Convert_To->Chitubox->Chitubox_CTB_(Encrypted).

 

[njee20]

May I politely suggest the OP doesn’t get involved in UVTools at the moment. Chitubox can output perfectly good prints, adding in a load of extra variables seems likely to cause more confusion at this stage. 

[Ray H]

Thanks for the latest responses.

 

I believe that I have now set a new printer profile or, at least, changed from the Default printer to the Elegoo Mars 3 (and deleted the Default printer). I can't remember whether I've always used the Default printer or whether it got changed at some stage although I don't recall ever changing it. 

 

As yet, I haven't had time to do a test print but intend to do that later this morning and report back.

[njee20]

And what are your exposure settings now? Ignore anything on the bottles that advises 6-8 seconds, they’re woefully out of date from when printers used RGB screens. 

[Ray H]

25 minutes ago, njee20 said:

And what are your exposure settings now? Ignore anything on the bottles that advises 6-8 seconds, they’re woefully out of date from when printers used RGB screens. 

 

The bottom one is 35 seconds and the ordinary is 2.5 seconds.

[njee20]

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

 

The bottom one is 35 seconds and the ordinary is 2.5 seconds.

 

That's more like it. That's on the long side for the base exposure and the short side for the standard exposure, but should work.

[Ray H]

I decided to have another go late yesterday afternoon, this time with some of Modelu's seated people.

 

Five as supplied and five as mirrors of the supplied five to give ten in total. There were no other changes other than the mirroring so if one model printed and its mirror didn't I could tell whether or not there might be a problem with the model's supports.

 

I'd let Chitubox add supports below the Modelu base and also add a few other supports that it felt needed.

 

The Bottom Exposure was set to 25 seconds and the normal exposure set at 3 seconds

 

One of the ten models was nowhere to be seen once the print had finished and another was only printed from the waist down and ended up waist down stuck to the FEP. The other eight look OK although I haven't inspected them too closely yet.

 

The (Chitubox added) bottoms were a swine to remove from the build plate. Luckily, I was able to remove the models themselves from the Chitubox supports so the models escaped damage. I'm going to try a slightly shorted bottom exposure, perhaps 22 seconds next time.

 

I did notice that I could see a mark on the underside of the FEP/top of the screen when I was removing the half model. My guess is that the IPA hadn't completely dried when I refitted the tank. That may account for the problem with one of the models.

 

The missing model maybe attributable to it not being sat on Chitubox's "build" mat which I'll check later. Trying to squeeze all ten models onto the "build" mat wasn't the easiest thing and I may well have lifted the missing model when I meant to move it sideways, but that's just a guess.

 

I plan to rotate the print horizontally through 180º prior to the next print as another means of checking that I'm heading in the right direction.

 

An advantage of seated passenger models is they aren't so tall, so the print finishes quicker🙂

[GWR57xx]

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

I decided to have another go late yesterday afternoon, this time with some of Modelu's seated people.

 

Five as supplied and five as mirrors of the supplied five to give ten in total. There were no other changes other than the mirroring so if one model printed and its mirror didn't I could tell whether or not there might be a problem with the model's supports.

 

I'd let Chitubox add supports below the Modelu base and also add a few other supports that it felt needed.

 

 

 Doesn't the Modelu stl file come pre-supported on a raft?

If so, I'd try it as is without letting Chitubox add more supports, especially not below the Modelu raft.

 

     

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

One of the ten models was nowhere to be seen once the print had finished and another was only printed from the waist down and ended up waist down stuck to the FEP. The other eight look OK although I haven't inspected them too closely yet.

 

 

Good to know that the print was mostly successful - can't be too much amiss.

Sounds like the one that was stuck to the FEP was printing fine to the waist, then the suction from the FEP was too great for the supports so they gave way? Maybe strengthen those supports a little.

 

     

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

The (Chitubox added) bottoms were a swine to remove from the build plate. Luckily, I was able to remove the models themselves from the Chitubox supports so the models escaped damage. I'm going to try a slightly shorted bottom exposure, perhaps 22 seconds next time.

 

 

I suppose that means you haven't fitted your flexiplate yet?

     

 

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

The missing model maybe attributable to it not being sat on Chitubox's "build" mat which I'll check later. Trying to squeeze all ten models onto the "build" mat wasn't the easiest thing and I may well have lifted the missing model when I meant to move it sideways, but that's just a guess.

 

 

That would certainly explain it!

Have you discovered the right mouse button in Chitubox for changing the 3D view orientation?

When viewing the model on the build plate, hold down the right mouse button and you can rotate the view any way you like to get a better view of what is where.

 

 

 

 

[Ray H]

The Modelu .stl file does come with a raft. I think I just got carried away yesterday for some reason. I'm fairly certain that I saved the finished item (all ten models) using Save Project before I started the print but I can't find that file now so I'll recreate it without the extra supports and try reprinting.

 

The mirrored version of yesterday's half model printed OK so maybe the half model struck unlucky. I think that might have been the one near the marks under the FEP.

 

Thanks for the tip about the right mouse button. I've just tried it but it seemed to take a while for the display to respond. The replacement PC is due later today, thank goodness.

 

The flexiplate is a story in itself. Intent on taking full advantage of my month's free Prime membership which I got when buying the Mars 3, I looked for the flexiplate thereon and found what I thought was a complete set. When I opened it I somehow thought the metal plate I found was the magnetic part with the adhesive "stuff" on the other side so I went shopping again elsewhere and bought what I thought was just the magnetic flexiplate.

 

Imagine my surprise when I eventually discovered that the second purchase wasn't actually needed - the metal plate that I found in what I'd bought originally was the flexiplate and the adhesive side incorporated the required metal plate to affix to the build plate. Doh!

 

The removable plate that I'm currently using doesn't seem too flexible - it does bend with some force but so far its only managed to cast a few models off.

 

Your post has just encouraged me to check all the other plates that I bought. Lo and behold, the plates of two of the unused three sets are a lot more flexible so I've changed over to one of them.

 

All good "clean" fun.

 

Expect a pause in developments whilst I sort the computers out.

 

[njee20]

Chitubox will also arrange all the models, no need to be trying to move individual ones unless you really need to. As you've found that'll cause you problems. Just set the minimum distance between models. I usually go with 1mm on small models and up to 2mm on larger ones (like wagon/coach bodies) to give space for resin to drain between them.

[Ray H]

I had seen the auto arrange option in Chitubox but hadn't understood its purpose, so thanks for that.

 

And to continue the saga . . . . 

 

The computer has indeed arrived. It came with a power lead and what looks like a wireless Internet dongle but the monitor was absent as were the keyboard and mouse. Unfortunately my present monitor has a 15 pin VGA style connector whereas the new box of tricks has a connector - USB? HDMI? - that I've not aware of seeing before. I have been promised delivery of the remainder of the kit by Friday. I do have myself partly to blame because I ordered the various items over three days but I'm told the monitor I was to have had failed during testing hence the delay.

 

Anyway, back to the Mars 3 Pro.

 

I thought I'd nailed it with the more flexible build plate but No! Probably my fault because in my hurry to try it, I overlooked to give the flexiplate a clean, just using it straight from the packet. I did get three out of the ten models printed but the bottom layers (and little else) for the remaining seven were stuck to the FEP.

 

I cleaned the flexiplate - which I've just discovered has some fairly sharp edges that I need to attend to - and increased the bottom layer exposure time back up to 30 seconds. Just under two hours later I had ten models, all of which look to be complete prints. They've just been removed - quite easily - from the flexiplate and have been through the wash machine. They'll go through the curer in the morning. Fingers crossed, I think I might now have a better understanding of this 3D printing lark. Thanks for all the responses & suggestions.

 

Can I suggest for those who don't know about it, search YouTube for videos on the use of the Tank Cleaner facility. It's saved me having to keep draining the tank.

 

I've got some work I want to do on the layout over the next day or so, so I'll probably give the printer a rest until after I get the new computer up and running.