3DChameleon Mk3 New Firmware

[@3dmedicvince449]

I'm still amazed at how you went from 1 stepper per color to this design for all 4 colors. Hopefully here shortly I will be going for the Chameleon 4 color system and can't wait to use it.

[@justing7490]

Just got mine in the mail today. I had not realized there was a firmware update. Always impressed.

[@unicorndonut466]

Good thinking with this upgrade/update!

[@SovaKlr]

Filament detection on the single tube would make it possible to have varying distances on the tubes. You'd know when an old color was X distance away from being unloaded. You could program in the distance to the extruder from the sensor for loading.

[@philip_fletcher]

The filament runout could also be 'passed through' to the printer's main board when not doing filament changes (ie become a traditional filament runout sensor)

[@eduncan911]

Always impressive Bill. Haven't checked in for a while. Looks like I have a lot to catch up on!

[@blake3dcake]

This looks so cool!!

[@aokiomar256]

can you make a demostration of 8 colors printing please

[@graytjen7]

I am curious about this as well!

[@rezavarghayi8181]

Very cool stuff! With a mainboard that supports 2 extra steppers i bet you could integrate this into marlin or klipper. That would be great. This is a ton simpler with less moving parts compared to a prusa mmu

[@PCNAF09]

I wrote a bunch of macros in klipper firmware to do the filament change and chameleon presses

[@SirMcstoney]

Do you have these posted anywhere? I have been working on trying to get it setup

[@pokegeaks2]

I'm really excited for international shipping to canada for the upgrade. I have the Mk2 and i've been working on getting it set up

[@3d_chameleon]

We're still trying to figure out how to do it cost effectively... shipping actually costs more than the product... but we're always happy to ship it if someone want's to pay the cost. (The unit is only $13... but shipping to Canada is $14.85... so if you're willing, we will ship it.)

[@thedunemaster]

@3D Chameleon I am setting up my MK3 Chameleon. I have a question about extruder replacement mode. To use this setup do I just plug my extruder cable into the 3D Chameleon's extruder motor instead of having it plugged into the Chameleon black box and leave the motor controlling selector alone? If so what is the Estep for the 3d Chameleon extruder? Alternately if I chose the mode to keep my existing extruder I see the instructions have a bracket to install under the extruder in order to install a fitting just before the extruder. I don't see how this is going to work as my extruder will not just load filament because I push it in. I have to press the release leaver. The same would be true if the chameleon tries to pull the filament out. My printer extruder is going to hold on to it. That part my be accounted for in the tool change gcode.

[@williamsteele]

1) Extruder replacement mode is not recommended due to difficulty in setting it up (software wise.) We do not have auto generated code for it and you'll need to write it all by hand, on top of using our post processor that reverses T2 and T3 for proper operation. 2) I've not seen an extruder yet that you can't load via software... even if they have a lever, it's only for human interaction... our gcode synchronizes the motions of both the 3DChameleon and the stock extruder to push/pull at the same time, so it will load. You can see it in our other videos in the playlist, like the Ender 5, which also has a lever, but it works just fine.

[@thedunemaster]

@williamsteele Thanks for the clarification. I will go for the extruder mode. I was noticing as I was going through the checkout by loading 4 filiments and letting it change between colors that when I would load the first color it would stick in the y adapter. and not fully extrude. Then when it would retract it would retract too far, because it never extruded as far as it thought It did to begin with. After this would happen it was just really confused. O would have to unplug the power reload the filiments to the starting position. It would rarely get through all 4 color changes without this happening. It always seemed to be color 1 that would hang up. Is there a way to keep this from happening?

[@williamsteele]

@@thedunemaster So, for extruder mode, you're going to have to take the extruder motor out of the 3DChameleon. When you do, make sure the drive gears are aligned properly (or tightened properly) against the motor shaft. It's possible they're not, which is causing the issue. You can also adjust the tension (by printing new tension tuning sliders from our Tinkercad repository) to increase the tension... however, 99.9% of the cases of this is just drive gear alignment. Also, make sure you test it with all 8 screws in place... that's a requirement for the proper force to be applied. Lastly, as for the eSteps, it's 152.

[@thedunemaster]

@williamsteele So I go the physical part of it set up today and will start the gcode set tomorrow. My printer is running klipper. I was considering putting the gcode in a macro and just putting the call to the macro in the slicer tool change block. Am just asking for trouble 😀 If so, I will just follow the instructions as they are in the basic video. One more question about using this in extruder mode. I can see how the extruder and the Chameleon can work syronized to push pull during the load and unload since that is all timed by the button push, but does the Chameleon disengaged for the printing so they are not fighting? I assume it does, but it just is not in the check out process.

[@williamsteele]

@@thedunemaster Yes, as soon as the button press let's go, it moves to a different unused color.

[@onecarwood]

Love the product but by calling it the Mark 3 or MK3 it really confused me with the Prusa being called the same.

[@williamsteele]

Well, it's common convention on any product to use that designation.

[@BT123D]

How do you set the length of retraction and feed, to customize the placement of the Y splitter and how far away the extruder is

[@williamsteele]

Well, that depends on which configuration you're in. Mode 1: It's set by setting your E value on the G0 command... which is basically driving your extruder. Mode 2: You can't... it's always set to 10" retraction and 11" load... you need to shorten the tube between the Y adapter and the extruder to set the proper distance. Mode 3: You set it by setting the G4's dwell parameter, which defines how long the button is pressed... as long as the button is pressed, it will move the filament.

[@BT123D]

@@williamsteele Thank you for your reply, I didn't quite understand it but I think that's due to my question not being clear. I found the answer in the P1P installation video where using mode 3, you can set how far the 3dCham feeds and retracts on each change.

[@อมรชัยธนธันยบูรณ์]

ZX81 background.

[@williamsteele]

Yep!

[@tupacpsp]

Teringdikke20TB 😂 Oh, wil je de 3d chameleon eens checken.

[@TheOneAndOnlySatan]

So Bill, iam poor meaning the price and international shippen ends up almost 300 dollar for me. And i use klipper, so do i really need your kit or can i print it and config everything i need in klipper, maybe a sex mcu board with steppers. (Got a skr e3v3 with steppers not used)

[@HelgeKeck]

i assume the STLs arent available!? Have to ask :-)

[@williamsteele]

The STL's for the Mk3? They're on Printables.

[@HelgeKeck]

@@williamsteele the ones from the chameleon mechanism

[@williamsteele]

@@HelgeKeck Yes... they're on Printables.

[@HelgeKeck]

@@williamsteele nice, thank you

[@Bapate-rh9be]

You should have asked for steps.