Automate filament changes in PrusaSlicer

[@writeheroics7490]

What others don't cover (the three or four videos I watched) that you did better was mention 1. slice it first, 2. make your adjustments, 3. slice it again. Finally, it's working. Thank you!

[@3DRevolution]

Really glad it was helpful! Happy printing!

[@greglinfield7760]

This is the sort of instructional video I really like, concise, to the point and doesn't pad it out with a load of extraneous information that you don't particularly want or need. Thanks...

[@3DRevolution]

Glas you liked it! Thanks for commenting and happy printing.

[@derektoy4444]

Great video and explanation. Us simple folk with single extruders appreciate you showing the tasks it takes to go through a color/material change. Can’t wait to see what more content you have in store!

[@3DRevolution]

Haha thanks and glad it helped! I'm also on the single extruders as well at the moment. I sold my last dual extruder a while back but will be moving into the multi extruder setup again soon.

[@hippocortex]

Awesome. Thanks so much for running through all the steps!

[@Liberty4Ever]

Excellent video. Direct, to the point, great demonstration of exactly how to do this with examples of different techniques, then a demonstration of the actual print. All the information and no time wasting rambling. Perfect. I subscribed for more content like this. Now I'm going to print some custom black TPU mud flaps for my little Japanese mini truck with yellow TPU "MEEP MEEP" graphics. 🙂

[@3DRevolution]

Really glad you found it helpful, hope it helps with your mud flaps! Happy printing!

[@manekdubash5022]

Precisely what I wanted to know. Thank you.

[@3DRevolution]

You're very welcome, glad it helped! Happy printing!

[@YourBuddyDinec]

I know the M601 pause print option isn't working for most non prusa printers. I know for sure it doesnt work on marlin since I was trying to insert magnets on my ender for with no luck for a little while.

[@3DRevolution]

That's not a problem at all. If you're using a printer which doesn't recognise specific gCode commands PrusaSlicer uses, it's easy to change this. Go into Print Settings > Output Options in Prusa Slicer, and then under "G-code substitutions", click the +Add button. Then, in the line it's created, add the gCode that PrusaSlicer uses, add the gCode you'd like to replace it with, and hey presto, you're done. For Marlin printers, the gCode you'll want to use for a mid-print filament change (which pauses the print, moves the head away from the print, allows you to change the filament, then on confirmation, moves back into place and continues the print), is M600: marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M600.html

[@AceOfBased_83]

​@@3DRevolution Good Morning, I know this is more likely an issue with my printer, and not Prusaslicer, but I'm hoping you might have some insight anyway. The M600 code seems to work at first for a change of filament as instructed by prusaslicer. The message comes up on my printer screen about changing filaments, the print head moves to the back-left, purges and waits, but it only has a 40 second timeout before it will start printing again, regardless if the filament has been changed or not. I want it to wait indefinitely until I instruct it to start again. For reference, I am using an Ender 3 S1 Pro with the latest Firmware on both the machine and the display.

[@autofctrl]

I have different materials with different temps and settings. Is it possible to select different filament profiles for each change? That's an option I can not find... Any help would be very much appreciated :)

[@3DRevolution]

Very frustratingly, this is not yet a feature that's been added. The best I can suggest at this stage is, if you're printing using OctoPrint, once you've changed your filament and then before you click continue, go to the 'Temperature' tab, and set an 'Offset' for your new filament. This will make sure the tempearture changed throughout the print from that point remain relevant.

[@joeking5211]

Hi, with regard to bluerider0988's comment below, can't you use 'Add Shape'. Coincidentally I just watched your video about that now before this one, where you placed the shape over the section on the model you want to change settings for. Only a thought, as I cannot use PS or SS as yet due to total and utter setup confusion so I can bet I have made a mega goof here, but it was just a thought to try and help and compliment you on your clear presentations. Kind Rgds.

[@3DRevolution]

Hey Joe. Sorry, which question is that? The only @bluerider0988 question I can see here is regarding having the filament settings change when you do a mid-print filament change? The 'Add Shape' feature allows you to add aditional geometry to a part that will then be printed, but doesn't have any impact on your print/filament settings. I think you may be thinking of the 'Add Modifier' feature, where you create, scale, and position a shape, and any part within that shape has certain settings applied to it. However, you can only apply print settings (layer height, infill, speed etc). You are not able to apply a filament setting (such as temperature, retraction, or extrusion multipliers) using a modifier shape. I'll be releasing a new tutorial on PrusaSlicer 2.6 soon so keep watch in case this is a feature they've added to that.

[@hamza7eue7675]

Is there a way to make it possible to make it do another purge line before going back to the print with the new color to make sure the nozzle is primed and ready

[@3DRevolution]

There may be a way but I'll need to test to see if it works. In many slicers including PrusaSlicer, you can set custom gCode to work at certain points. It may be that there's a way of running a custom gCode after a new filament has been loaded, but I'll need to check that that code is then run during this mid-print process.

[@clone3dflex]

In the cure, before starting the printing, the printer makes the nozzle cleaning. How do I clean the beak before starting the impression with Prusa Slicer?

[@3DRevolution]

If you want to have it do a full nozzle clean before returning to the print after a filament change like this, I'm afraid I don't think it's possible with many printers. If you wanted though, you'd want to modify the gCode in the Colour Change gCode script in printer settings, but it will depend on what printer you're using.

[@zzix9367]

does this work on other printers not prusa ones i have anyvubic vyper and tried to do this but it stopped the print i clikced pause and it was stuck on realising cache code forever and i changed fialment but it did not start and i couldnt cotinue on a big print im trying it again

[@3DRevolution]

I believe it does, but it does depend on what style your printer is running (Marlin, Klipper, Prusa, etc.). I'm afraid I've not tried it myself on the AnyCubic Vyper so I'm not sure there.

[@nelylicious1]

Thanks so much for creating content for us to learn :) I gave this a try, but my printer isn’t pausing, just continues printing, any tips on why it could be happening, I must be missing something or doing something wrong :(

[@3DRevolution]

Hey I'm really glad you liked the video but I'm afraid I have an apology to make. We are all always learning and it seems that printers running legacy Marlin firmware ignore the M600 command and therefore won't pause using this system. However, I'm looking into a workaround. Most slicers (including PrusaSlicer) allow you to enter gCode substitutes (so it uses X every time it would otherwise include Y). There may be a different gCode you could swap M600 out with which would simulate this to a point. It likey won't enter filament changing mode, but you may be able to get it to pause at set places, and then you manually change the filament before unpausing the print.

[@nelylicious1]

@@3DRevolution Oh no worries at all. I appreciate you having a platform for learning :)

[@yagoa]

it seems that sequencial printing is incompatible with filament changes I print everything sequencially unfortunately :(

[@3DRevolution]

Oh really good to know, that's not a combination I'd tried but thaks very much for letting me know. I guess with sequential printing, due to the space you need to leave, there's only so many items you can fit on the plate per print anyway, so hopefully switching to printing one item at a time isn't too much of an issue for you if you wanted to do this.

[@PeterGrey-y8w]

Great video, except.... my printer is a Creality Ender-3 v2 Neo printer. When printing a model which I have sliced in Prusaslicer with a colour change just a you described, my printer stops on cue and moves away from the print area (just as yours in the video). But there is no prompt on the screen and, as the stepper motors are locked, I need to manually pull out the first filament and manually push in the new using the lever on the extruder which opens the tube. After changing filament there is no obvious way to tell the printer that the job is done and it should resume printing. Do you have any suggestions??

[@davidcuevas1392]

You have great videos. it sucks KZbin algos don't promote you

[@3DRevolution]

Ah thanks David. I'm trying to increase the rate I publish videos so hopefully that'll appease the KZbin algorythm gods.

[@davidcuevas1392]

@@3DRevolution I’ll watch any time you post

[@craftsmanchris7]

I am trying to use either the pause at layer height or the filament change on my ender 3 s1 pro but it does not work. Any ideas?

[@rs.7610]

This only works if your printer supports pausing. I have an anycubic kobra plus and it does not support pausing.

[@3DRevolution]

Unfortunately the AnyCubic doesn't support a number of gCode commands. However, there are plugins which have been made which are meant to solve that. I've not got an AnyCubic so I've bot been able to test it myself but two links for you to check out are the original plugin: github.com/inanutshellus/cura-plugin-pause-at-height-filament-swap?fbclid=IwAR3ZdRG_HRv0m6cZOc4o9I9ckqZMW3q1FH-LLsD9rIZ0GBTNyEiUjj1wLVQ And the later updated/modified version of it: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4160010?fbclid=IwAR0BhhL6XK45x2LI9Hc1ysUuwUBhuEn1fvCMmpMhYWQvkX6SSZ6lroo5w8A

[@e.gadd.1]

I can't get this to work for anything :( I click plus and the color changes in the Preview. Then in order to be able to slice again you have to change something with the model, so I move it and move it back. Slice again and print. It still never pauses and waits to change filment, it just prints the whole thing What am I doing wrong?

[@sanketss84]

thanks this has been super helpful

[@3DRevolution]

Glad it helped! Take care!

[@alanrobinson6257]

Does this work on any printer or only a prusa ?

[@3DRevolution]

It works on many printers but not all. The printer needs to recognise the M600 gCode comand.

[@bluerider0988]

This would be great if you could select different filiment settings when you change filiment. Not everything prints well at the same temperature etc. Edit: You answered me on another video. Thanks.

[@3DRevolution]

Yeah that would absolutely be a fantastic feature. I'd highly recommend posting it as a suggestion to Prusa on the PrusaSlicer forum: forum.prusa3d.com/forum/prusaslicer/ If you'd rather not, let me know and I can do it myself.

[@bluerider0988]

@@3DRevolution it's probably more likely to be taken seriously if you post it.

[@3DRevolution]

@@bluerider0988 Haha I'm not sure I've ever posted on the Prusa forum, at least, not as 3D rev, I'm sure I have with my personal account in the past. I'd be surprised if the members on there know who I am but I'll set up a 3D rev account on there and post it :)

[@joep9912]

Does this make the print weaker in anyway where the color change is?

[@3DRevolution]

Not in my experience, especially if you're using the same material. It's no different between just continuing with another layer of the colour you were already printing. There could possibly be weaknesses when moving from one material to another, depending on the materials, but this specific method isn't really designed for that anyway as it doesn't inately allow you to change settings for a different filament after the change. That said, if you're running OctoPrint, when you've changed the filament (but before you continue the print), you could set an offset for temperatures and extrusion (effectively the difference between what your original filament was set to, and what your new one requires) and that would allow for a material change using this method. But in short, in response to your original question, no, this shouldn't make the print any weaker at the point of change.

[@joep9912]

@@3DRevolution Great, thanks for the info.

[@tvideo1189]

Except all printers (most of them out there) with legacy Marlin firmware will ignore the M600 command. You didn't mention that.

[@3DRevolution]

Thanks for highlighting this, I wasn't aware of that as I'm not running printes with legacy Marlin firmware anymore. I am however looking into a workaround, setting Prusa to substitute M600 with G04 to pause at set times and then you just have to do a manual filament change, but at least you can be confident that the points of change are accurate.

[@pascalr5225]

Thanks but i don't have the orange button on superslicer

[@3DRevolution]

This tutorial is on PrusaSlicer I'm afraid. Whilst SuperSlicer is based on PrusaSlicer, and whilst it offers some unique control not available in PrusaSlicer, it doesn't have every feature PrusaSlicer supports. I will be doing a number of tutorials on SuperSlicer in time but for now if you want to do this you may want to just use PrusaSlicer.

[@pascalr5225]

@@3DRevolution thank you for your answer and for the info, I'm going to try on prusaslicer, because I haven't found any tutorial that can explain why I don't have the little blue cross in superslicer when it exists.

[@drabberfrog]

Prusa slicer doesn't have an option for add pause print!

[@3DRevolution]

How do you mean? That's literally what this video shows you how to do.

[@yagoa]

The plus button doesn't work on Mac, anyone have a different way of doing it?

[@3DRevolution]

How do you mean? Are you running the latest version of PrusaSlicer? I have it running fine on my Mac. What printer do you have? It may be that the slicer is working fine but your printer isn't compatible with the gCode command that allows this function to happen

[@yagoa]

The pressing + on my keyboard just creates a ! mark at a seemingly random layer on all my Macs and the button does nothing, using prusaslicer 2.7.1@@3DRevolution it has been this way a year now

[@yagoa]

it seems that sequencial printing is incompatible with filament changes I print everything sequencially unfortunately :(@@3DRevolution

[@yagoa]

i guess prusaslicer is now in the past for me

[@kdt85]

Thanks!

[@3DRevolution]

No problem!

[@onkarkitekt]

🏆

[@3D4all]

WTF - this works since 2019 - nothing new …

[@3DRevolution]

Hi Markus, I'm glad to see you've evidently had a lovely weekend and are in a good mood. I never said this was a new feature, but I'm releasing short tutorials on specific features to help people who are newer to 3D printing and weren't necessarily aware of their existence. I'm sorry if my offer of assistance to those less experienced than you caused any offence. Have a wonderful day and I hope this video hasn't ruined your otherwise perfect weekend.

[@Laz_Arus]

Sheesh Markarse ... you must be the life of any party! 🙄

[@Laz_Arus]

@@3DRevolution Thanks for this vid. It was succinct and to the point. It was all that I needed to understand the procedure. 👍

[@3DRevolution]

@@Laz_Arus Thank you Laz, lovely to hear. I hope you're well, happy printing!