3D Chameleon - Part 3 - Your First Print - Chris's Basement - 2024

[@floridafoilers]

Excellent walk through! This is what I’ve been needing. I spent a week learning gcodes and syntax so that I can dial in my setup and I wish I had seen this video before I started so that I would have wasted less time. I’ve definitely fallen victim to the chameleon gears eating chunks of filament, which causes issues with feeding or retracting the filament and also had loads of issues with filament pieces jamming ptfe tubes even though my printer has a cutter. I also managed to damage my print plate and nozzle in the process of tweaking gcode. This hardware is a fantastic idea, but people need to understand what they’re getting themselves into when they buy it. After seeing this video I’m inspired to get my setup working. Thank you for putting in the time for this video. You did a great job explaining everything people need to know about the “hard part” of getting this to work.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you!

[@AzaB2C]

Thank you Chris! Greatly appreciate your Chameleon series.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisbecker7599]

Thanks!

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you so much for the thanks!

[@williamsteele]

Wow!!! This is amazing!!! Thanks for pointing out the bug in the temperature setting... I've fixed it now on the gcode generators.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you for all your help, Bill! This was a great project!

[@cacalet]

@@ChrisRileywill

[@Sunbound77]

Thanks for part 3 Chris. Looking foreward to part 4, with the clipper.

[@Sunbound77]

How long did it take to print the frog thing you have in the thumbnail? Did you not have footage of the print?

[@ChrisRiley]

Here's a short! kzbin.info2diCjZrqZj4

[@martinffrench4811]

Hi Chris. Thanks for the tutorial. A problem i'm having is the feed tube for the extruder keeps getting back out by the filament when it unloads.

[@ChrisRiley]

I have seen that as well. If you have a mini, you might have to tighten the printed part to hold it a little tighter. It should really have some sort of locking coupler, but I haven't found a good design for a part like that yet.

[@dennysawyer3980]

Thanks for this series! I'm planning to order a 3D Chameleon (waiting for tax refund) and it's great to see how much work it's gonna take to get it dialed in. I also intend to use a 3D Clippy on my printer, which should pretty much eliminate the tip shaping issues (although I think it introduces some of its own setup issues). A video on that would be interesting as well . . .

[@ChrisRiley]

I'll look into it! Thanks for watching

[@TeslaNick2]

I wonder if you could pre-season the inside of an all metal hot end heat break over a gas stove (like you would with a wok for example) ? You could then clean it before fitting it.

[@ChrisRiley]

You can, I have had heat breaks that PLA stuck to really badly. You could do something like this over a stove, but I usually just dip the end of the filament vegetable oil and do a throw away print. That usually really helps.

[@TeslaNick2]

@@ChrisRiley I'll nominate a sacrificial heat break and do some experimenting.

[@leesmithsworkshop]

Thank you so much, I have spent the past two days setting up the chameleon on a custom 400x400 klipper corexy and I almost have it tuned in thanks to these videos, but I just need to tweak the tip tuning, based on your prusa mini diagram do I need to pull the filament back through the rapido heat break to shape I guessed 35mm from the nozzle to the cooling zone. Does that sound ok ? also the rapido really needs a wiper with all the oozing.

[@ChrisRiley]

Not sure on the rapido, but 35mm's sounds reasonable. All you can do is give it a try and see how the tip turns out.

[@leesmithsworkshop]

@@ChrisRiley I installed an EVA 3 filament cutter mod and it's finished a simple 2 colour print without any problems.

[@chrisbecker7599]

Thanks for getting this up and posted. It has been extremely helpful!! I now have my ender 3 v2 changing colors!!. My only issue is it is not changing z elevation between layers. I'm sure it is something in the slicer settings or g-code. I believe I followed all the steps for the prusa slicer you recommneded, but not getting it to raise up. Any suggestions on that would be appreciated. Thanks, Chris.

[@ChrisRiley]

Hey Chris! So it's not changing Z at all during the print? Let me know, you can always email me a [e-mail]

[@tratzum]

Great video series I will probably give it another rewatch this weekend. I applaud Bill for coming up with a multi material solution but man his videos and home page are extremely lacking for how much is actually needed to do before it all works. I have had mine almost a week now and I have an Ender 3 with a sprite extruder. The whole direct drive system has gave me a pause. I haven't even turned anything on. I only got as far as designing and printing a mount for the endstop switch.

[@ChrisRiley]

Good luck on your projects! Hopefully this helps

[@LFS2008]

Thank you chris very helpful can you show us how to deal with the MK4 a walkthrough for gcode?

[@ChrisRiley]

I'll look into it!

[@BangBang-mm4ic]

Will there be any addition to this series with the new addons that just dropped? New firmware, auto clippy, lcd display

[@ChrisRiley]

Yes, there is a lot more that I would like to do with it. I plan on making future videos.

[@TheOneAndOnlySatan]

​@@ChrisRileyPlease start making them

[@roberthobbs8958]

​@@ChrisRileyyes please, I am going to give the MK4 on my E3v2 (klipper/sprite DD) a go with 3dclippy

[@specialsphotography9819]

​@roberthobbs8958 Hi did you get it to work on klipper I have the sonic pad and wonder if it will work. Thank you

[@Reds3DPrinting]

Hey Chris, Are we only able to use the Chameleon on a bowden extruder system? or does Direct Drive work as well? Thanks in advance! :D

[@williamsteele]

It works on all printers, direct drive or Bowden.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thanks Bill!

[@Reds3DPrinting]

@@ChrisRiley Yall the best. after my event this weekend I plan on ordering this now that Chris has a proper tutorial. there are lots of videos on youtube about the 3d chameleon but this is by far the best most in depth explanation. I hope 3d chameleon is sending you some free kits or something for your service you provided to the community. They will probably get more sales than ever now because of this.

[@MickieSanford]

Hey Chris Thanks for the walk through I did exactly as you said but my printer didn't go through the commands it just got stuck loading and then stopped any suggestions?

[@ChrisRiley]

How are things going with the Chameleon.

[@Dude-ot9sb]

The 3D Chameleon Mk4 firmware update is expected to release this week along with links to open-source add-ons. Will you perform a Part 4 to this series to evaluate the Mk4 firmware setup & features?

[@ChrisRiley]

Yes, I do plan on doing some follow up videos.

[@muddymaker3721]

You should add CFO to your text introduction haha, good stuff Chris👍

[@ChrisRiley]

LOL! Good idea!

[@erkk84]

Do you have program to do a 3d clippy video on prusa mini? I’m having a lot of issues about the swelling, with a lot of configurations…

[@ChrisRiley]

I don't, but if I come across one, there will be a video for sure.

[@swould333]

Hey guys, technical question. If youre running a printer that runs a setup that uses a printserver like octoprint, mainsail/fluid... Could you bypass using the physical limit switch and just use a digital pin from the pi to provide the signal for the Chameleon controller? That could reduce color change time dramatically.

[@ChrisRiley]

You can, I am trying to figure out a good way to do it. I plan on making a video showing how as soon as I can make it work.

[@AI_FUISON]

@Chris-Riley whats the spool holderyour using

[@ChrisRiley]

This is the old one I had from my Pallet 2 setup, it's really close to this one. www.printables.com/model/507657-3dchameleon-spool-holder-printed-side

[@AI_FUISON]

thank you so much@@ChrisRiley

[@The3DPrintingGrandad]

So, while i am a tinkerer, i use my Ender 3 S1 Pro more like a tool. I am extremely interested in better multi-materal management on my printer. My question is, in your opinion is the 3D Chameleon more of a toy or a tool? My printing budget is tight and I hate to spend money on something that requires constant fiddling, when I could wait and get something that is designed to print multi-material out of the box.

[@ChrisRiley]

Chameleon, at least the version I tested here is mainly just something to tinker with. I haven't been able to get it to work consistently.

[@The3DPrintingGrandad]

@@ChrisRiley Thanks Chris. I'd love to be able to afford a Prusa XL 5TH or a RatRig IDEX. Honestly I think an IDEX with a multi-material until feeding both toolheads would be an awesome combination. It would be like a cross between an XL 5TH and an X1 Carbon.

[@The3DPrintingGrandad]

Tada 3D Printing just released a video about an MMU3 filament buffer that looks like might be beneficial to the 3D Chameleon. It's titled: Prusa MMU3 Upgrade - How to get a smaller foot print!!! She did not create the design, but show how its built and works.

[@ChrisRiley]

Sweet, I will go check it out.

[@tratzum]

I noticed your wipe tower looks vastly different then mine. Mine is very narrow. I bring it up because the wipe tower is not enough to purge my nozzle after a color swap and I am not sure how to correct this. In tool change gcode I think I know the string of commands for loading from gears to nozzle but that just make a huge blob.

[@ChrisRiley]

I would adjust the purge volume. In prusa slicer its on the plater tab under the purgin volume button. Adjust the numbers there.

[@tratzum]

@ChrisRiley 🤦‍♂️ I swear I checked every setting before asking. Yet after you said it I found what I was looking for.

[@ghostrc4]

Chris can you help me figure this out, I have followed all your steps on all your videos but I am unable to get the tool change to work, I get the purge line but my 3dC tries to pull the filament out after that and never print T0 I let it run through and the 3dC never changes color.

[@ChrisRiley]

It doesn't accidently hit the Chameleon switch when it does the prime line does it?

[@sebh3035]

Est ce que ça fonctionne sur une creality K1C?

[@ChrisRiley]

Yes, there is a parts list for it. www.printables.com/model/653583-3dchameleon-installation-for-the-creality-k1-and-k

[@CuriousRealmz]

Something that was supposed to be pretty much plug in and print now suddenly looks like a lot of work just to get a simple print up and running. Lovely demo but wow.

[@ChrisRiley]

Yes, there is a lot to it for sure.

[@awilliams1701]

I wonder when we get to see the mk4 + mmu3 tips. They claim it uses less waste than the mk3 version. They said it should be like march or april. I hope so because I'm sooooooo ready to go back to color prints.

[@ChrisRiley]

🙂👍

[@mikecrane2782]

I just wonder if you could use macros for each filament selection via the button, then just use an unload and load T0,T1,T2 etc

[@williamsteele]

Only on Klipper... there are several users that have done it already. The Prusa Mini doesn't have macro support, however, it's running a modified version of Marlin.

[@mikecrane2782]

OK, I could write macros in an old slicer program folders, (CEL Robox AutoMaker) and insert them up as required into the “robocified” GCODE, which was their way of post processing Cura or Slic3r sliced files.

[@williamsteele]

@@mikecrane2782Well... the issue is the post processor has no idea where things are at. PrusaSlicer's Tool Change GCode is an inline processor and has access to other variables that a post processor wouldn't have. (In fact, PrusaSlicer is based on Slic3r... which also has similar capability.) You could certainly write something as a post processor, but you'd still have to inject something to indicate where the tool changes need to occur and remember key variables (like whether it's a first layer, what color is active and what is the status of the print head, like temp and fans) but really that's what we've already done here. You'd be reinventing some of the things the Tool Change block is already doing in PrusaSlicer. (This also applies to other slicers, like BambuStudio and OrcaSlicer as well, since they're also based on PrusaSlicer.)

[@ChrisRiley]

👍🙂

[@HackMonkey]

Did you run into any issues with needing to adjust the tension in the Chameleon unit? I moved all the way up to the +2 tensioners, and still had issues with slipping during loading and unloading at relatively slow speeds.

[@williamsteele]

That sounds like the drive gears are not aligned on the shaft correctly. If it's running on the smooth surface of the drive gears, you'll see exactly that.

[@ChrisRiley]

🙂👍

[@Dude-ot9sb]

Awesome 3-part series. Considering to purchase 3D Chameleon after more info on the upcoming Mk4 release additional updates -- your videos build confidence in giving this a shot. This Part 3 video features photo of a large multi-color frog print , but you didn't include a time-lapse or details on printing it. Is that in a follow-up video? And, what was the time duration to print the 4 block + purge pad that you showed in this video? Thanks!

[@ChrisRiley]

The test took about 2 hours and Froggo took about 14 hours Here's a short! 3D Chameleon - Prusa Mini - Cute Froggo by WF3D kzbin.info2diCjZrqZj4

[@vikavorkin2790]

Any one knows if the sources of the chameleon are available? Do I need to contact the creator? I heard the firmware is closed sources but everything else is open source but I can’t find anything except printer adapters and user mods.

[@ChrisRiley]

A lot of the parts are available, but not all. I would contact 3D Chameleon and ask.

[@vikavorkin2790]

Any news? Would like to integrate this with klipper. The selector design looks nice and compact.

[@swould333]

Awesome intro. Ive really enjoyed this series. Technical question... Do you really need a feed rate after the G0 command? Wouldn't the G0 just us the firmware default rapid travel rate?

[@williamsteele]

No, it always uses that last feed rate command issued.

[@swould333]

Wow... Didn't realize the code was different between standard CNC code and the 3d printer variant. On the mill and wire machine I run that's true for the regular move commands(G1, G2, G3) but the G0 command just uses the max speed allowed in the control.

[@williamsteele]

@@swould333 In 3D printers, G0 and G1 are exactly the same command... just by convention do we only use extruder motions on G1... but it's not required nor enforced at all. Feedrate is always just the last one issued. It was a lot easer to implement it that way back in the of using a 328 chip to get the firmware to fit... and we've evolved following that history since.

[@ChrisRiley]

Thank you Bill

[@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass]

that CAD demonstration is exactly what the 3D Chameleon documentation needs! BTW If those speeds you said are correct then we would want the extruder feed rate to be F2040 at load and unload. Seems to be a lot higher than the F1500 default

[@williamsteele]

Agreed! That's a wonderful demonstration.

[@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass]

@@williamsteele I feel like I've asked this like 4 times now, but should I be using F1500 or F2040?

[@williamsteele]

@@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass The default is F1500, which is 25mm per second. If the 3DChameleon is loading a little faster, the force it is exerting is greater pushing the filament into the extruder. If it's exactly the same, there will be little force applied. It all depends on what your extruder will accept, but generally our F1500 value is perfect for most extruders.

[@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass]

@@williamsteele Do we WANT force applied? more or less? You are describing two situations but not saying which is better Sorry I feel like you make a lot of assumptions about what people know and your tips are a little vague sometimes. Just a couple extra words and it would be crystal clear

[@williamsteele]

@@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass That's dependent on your extruder. I can't answer it... some load with no force, just by simply supplying it filament (like Bambu printers), others need it pushed in, like a Creality classic extruder. The force will vary.

[@codyhuffman9714]

not gonna lie im confused. i didnt do any custom gcode and i cam switch colors fine for the most part

[@ChrisRiley]

Whoa! I would to love to know how that works.

[@sebarsS9]

Who's that guy on the hex tile?

[@williamsteele]

The late Sanjay Mortimer, one of the co-founders of E3D. Awesome guy!

[@ChrisRiley]

🙂👍

[@oscarrodriguez-nw4np]

I have a double extruder, tenlog tl d3 pro, I put a clipper on it, would it be possible to put this device on an extruder?

[@ChrisRiley]

You should be able to put it on anything. It does take a lot of work to get it tuned it.

[@awilliams1701]

so......yeah. this seems way too finicky for me. The mmu2 was tricky enough.

[@ChrisRiley]

👍🙂

[@awilliams1701]

"you might consider drying it". I ALWAYS dry it. I have 75% humidity even in the winter. If I don't dry it, it's bad. I have the new sunlu s4 filadryer. It's amazing. On my mk3 mmu I used 3x dual slots for not just drying, but filament management as well. I never needed the buffer either. The downside of the filadryer is that it's only 4 slots. I have 2 of them. So if I need 2x 5 color prints at the same time I'll have to use a dual slot added to the mix. lol

[@ChrisRiley]

That's a great dryer!

[@sit-and-fly7785]

Fun to see your skill at work, Chris. However, it appears you need the patience of Job to get the thing dialed in. A little too fiddly for me even in what is a very fiddly hobby.....:)

[@ChrisRiley]

👍🙂

[@kazolar]

This is such a crapshoot, without using a cutter, filament tip shaping bring me back to 2016 when I was tuning a filament splitter, it was tuning and shaping/polishing with custom heatbreaks designed to supposedly shape and polish the filament. Eventually I ripped out that system and built a true multi material system -- double idex. This exercise is just a masochisms, the solution of cutting the filament and eschewing this shaping nonsense is how modern systems should be working. What you managed to do is just find the settings that work for these 4 filaments, if you change one, you'll likely needed to tune the shaping logic again. Even the "successful" print has accumulation of a blob at the change point. To me this is a fail.

[@williamsteele]

His test print is still loading the filament too far on that initial load. I like to tune it so that the filament only starts coming out of the nozzle as the purge block is printing. Once you do that, there is never a blob created.

[@TGMisKillingTheMiddleClass]

"This exercise is just a masochisms" you just described the 5 weeks or so I've been trying to get mine to work reliably Do I enjoy the pain? literally has taken a toll on my mental health since I refuse to give up

[@ChrisRiley]

Hang in there!

[@nicksantitoro]

@@ChrisRileyplease tell me your making a video about the one with the cutter. I would love to see that installed on a mini so I could do it to mine also.