3D printing on the Ultimaker

Cura is the software yo ushould use. It has built in slicing, runs on macs and windows, and has pre-configured options for all Ultimaker models in the add-a-printer dialogue (instructions for adding a printer).

You will need to first export your model as an STL from OpenSCAD: First you render, not just preview, then you 3D print (the menu option just under Render in the image at right. You may need to debug your model. The result will be an STL file.

When you load an STL file into Cura, you then prepare your print. There are MANY options to consider, which are documented in detail on the ‘Mastering Cura’ webpage.  Keep an eye on predicted print time

You saw in class how to start a print. First, save to GCODE from CURA. Then bring it to the Ultimaker. The Ultimaker resources I am linking to are part of a series (look for the arrows at bottom right and left of each page) that walks you through everything you need to make that first print. I’d recommend trying this out with something really small from the essential calibration set in our drive such as the thin wall box. It should be something that prints in 20 mins or less. You can also experiment with settings such as rafts and brims in that small format.

Please see the Slides about Printer Operation (accessible to people in the class only) for more detail.