Anyone know their way around a 3D printer?

[Expat Tomcat]

I bought a 3D printer in January. It’s a Phrozen 4K mini and uses Chitubox as its slicer software. I’m hardware proficient and software dumb. I want to get busy making parts but need to get more comfortable with the software

anyone proficient in STL files?

Chitubox? 
 

HEEEEEELP

[Dandiego]

I have the same setup. Perhaps I can help. What seems to be the challenge?

 

Dan

[denders]

Well, the STL files come from a modeling software. Fusion 360 is free. There are others too. You have to create a model unless you’re planning on only purchasing STL files. 

[Expat Tomcat]

I’m aware that STL files are widely available on Cults3D and other marketplaces for sale. The problem for me is the slicer software, I’m just not a coder or a software engineer. I go looking for a beginner tutorial and 20 seconds in the “tutor” is speaking in tongues and spewing gibberish. The retention factor falls to zero. This stuff is so new no one without a IT degree knows how to use it. Should I go to the local trade school and ask if they teach a course? Find a guru? Pray to the modeling gods?

[Maxim61]

33 minutes ago, Expat Tomcat said:

I’m aware that STL files are widely available on Cults3D and other marketplaces for sale. The problem for me is the slicer software, I’m just not a coder or a software engineer. I go looking for a beginner tutorial and 20 seconds in the “tutor” is speaking in tongues and spewing gibberish. The retention factor falls to zero. This stuff is so new no one without a IT degree knows how to use it. Should I go to the local trade school and ask if they teach a course? Find a guru? Pray to the modeling gods?

I've been resin printing for a couple of years. I use Lychee slicer as I like it better. If I have a corrupted STL file I will import it into Microsoft 3D builder to repair it or sometimes I will join multiple pieces together using this software. Before  you slice the piece that you want to print add your supports and look for overhangs. In lychee they will show up as yellow areas that will require supports etc. Getting your printer to print consistently is much more difficult as there's so many different parameters for each type of resin.Try this You Tube video , really good and easy to understand the basics. 

 

[Dandiego]

Expat. I started using Chitubox when I got the Phrozen printer. I used a YouTube video to get the basics and then jumped in. The learning curve is quite quick. Import the file and it appears on the build plate. Align it whatever way you want and then tell the program to add automatic supports. Once the supports have been generated hit the slice button, save the file, send file to printer. 

 

Try something small first. I was printing in less than an hour.

 

I am sure that I could dive way deeper into settings and make it way more complicated, but simple is better for me. 

 

Dan

 

[SCRATCH BUILDER]

Have you been helped? and found everything you need. related to your question?

[Expat Tomcat]

On 8/10/2023 at 3:08 PM, SCRATCH BUILDER said:

Have you been helped? and found everything you need. related to your question?

No I’m still trying to resolve this, I also bought a Revopoint Mini 3D scanner and still can’t get that to play nice either 

[Thomas Lund]

Hi Expat

 

I'm also relatively new to this. Bought an Anycubic Photon and use Chitubox..

 

Open your STL file in Chitubox (open, not open project)

3D model appear in your print area in the program

You can open more STL files in the same project, so you print them at the same time

Over on the right side you see the individual STL files and you can select and deselect which parts you manipulate

So, with the parts you want selected, you can

   Move them around. Select the 'Move' tool over on the left and a 3arrow thing appear on the part(s)

   Rotate them. Select the rotate tool and 3 rotate circles appear. Drag these to rotate your part(s)

   Scale them. In the box that appear you can scale the parts(s)

 

Generally I've heard that it is best if the part(s) are rotated to NOT print everything in the same layer, meaning that it needs to be rotated to a 'slanted' orientation in one or two axis. So if you for instance have something like a flat plate, it should not be entirely horizontal, but at an angle. I hope that makes sense.

 

Also I find that it's good to lift the part up from the base layer as it makes it easier to separate from the supports.

 

Once you have you part(s) as you want, you can go to the support page (tab on the right). There are a whole lot of settings there, but for starters select 'platform' button and it will give you a basic support structure. I haven't played a lot with that.

 

Once done, return to the main tab and select the 'Slice' button. Once that is done you can save the slice file to an USB stick and take it to your printer.

 

I hope this helps you and is not too basic... feel free to contact me

 

Regards

Thomas

 

 

[wunwinglow]

Well, I have been 3d printing for more than 2 decades but it looks like you are getting the advice you  need already!!

[BiggTim]

On 6/23/2023 at 12:45 AM, Maxim61 said:

I've been resin printing for a couple of years. I use Lychee slicer as I like it better. If I have a corrupted STL file I will import it into Microsoft 3D builder to repair it or sometimes I will join multiple pieces together using this software. Before  you slice the piece that you want to print add your supports and look for overhangs. In lychee they will show up as yellow areas that will require supports etc. Getting your printer to print consistently is much more difficult as there's so many different parameters for each type of resin.Try this You Tube video , really good and easy to understand the basics. 

 

X2! I recently started using this software and I love it!!

[Out2gtcha]

On 10/24/2023 at 11:49 AM, BiggTim said:

X2! I recently started using this software and I love it!!

Just DLed Lychee tonight, and am working on getting supports for a big (and very detailed) lizard for my daughter.

Seems a bit easier to edit the supports in Lychee VS the OOB AnyCubic software.