Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?  

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

Just copy the .gcode file to your SD card and then print it.  No reprocessing needed.  Just make sure the gcode is for your model of printer.

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

@3delight

Ok; thank you.

I'm not familiar with SD cards. Would one have been shipped with my printer, or do I need to buy one from Amazon? Where is it inserted in my computer and on the printer? What are any other logistics?

I have a cable plugged into my USB slot on my computer on one end, and the printer on another end, which I was assuming would handle communication between the computer and the printer. If this mental model is wrong or incomplete, could you correct me?

Thanks,

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

One should have come with your printer. Mine was a little blue 16 GB card. To insert it into the computer, assuming you don't just already have a slot on your computer (somewhat common on laptops), you'll need an SD Card reader. They're pretty cheap and you should be able to pick one up at anywhere that sells electronics such as SD Card reader on Amazon. As for on the printer the SD Card goes into the side of the LCD screen.

There are ways to print via pronterface, but it requires you to have your computer on the whole time. I haven't tried that myself personally. Other than that it's just: put SD Card in reader, connect reader to PC, from prusa slicer export your gcode to the SD card, take SD Card slot out, put SD Card into printer, Select Print From SD on printer, select file you exported, and the print will start.
Make sure though when you slice your model via the slicer you have selected the settings appropriate for the material AND printer you're using. If you're not certain, I would make sure to watch a few videos on slicing at least to familiarize yourself with the interface before you start making your own gcode.

Hope this helps!

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

@milazzone

Ok; thank you; I'd like to have my computer on the whole time.

How can I print a gcode test pattern via pronterface?

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

They are the same cards that most digital cameras use. Any camera shop or department will have them. Also most will have the plug in card reader if your computer doesn't already have a slot for them. 

RE: Nuts and bolts: How do I print a .gcode file?

Posted by: @cjshayward

I posted https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-mk3-assembly-and-first-prints-troubleshooting/help-identifying-calibration-diagrams/ and the upshot of the reply was that I would be better off making a test print from https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-mk3-assembly-and-first-prints-troubleshooting/life-adjust-z-my-way/, which gave a link to a zipfile of three .gcode test patterns.

I've played around with PrusaSlicer and do not immediately see how to print a .gcode file.

Could you point me to instructions to that?

CS - you really need to dump this notion you can print from your PC.  It was something that I would have preferred early on, too; but it was quickly very obvious after I started printing that a PC simply gets in the way of printing: it does not help at all. There is no print progress, no pictures of what's going on, nothing useful what-so-ever.

Octoprint on a Raspberry Pi has those features, so going that route might be useful for you.

As an aside -- the SD card that came with your printer has a ton of sample stl files and gcodes to play with.