Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S  

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

Once you've paused a print you shouldn't be able to move any axis. The motors are still on and holding. If you've changed the position of any axis, the printer doesn't know the position anymore and you have to restart the print.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

@nikolai-r

I am from a CNC background and what you are saying is that the gcode does not remember where in paused so you cannot return to the position? What if you record the position? (Does the LCD show the position? Can you find the position in the LCD menu?) (In settings?)

Thanks for answering my question.  We are inching through (sorry  I mean mm through)  3D on the Prusa and it is exciting. 

I will also mention that there is a big red panic button on most CNC  mills in case you freak out when you turn on the start twitch and see the Z axis plunging downward into the table. Prusa's Z methods are relieving.

Regards,

Harley

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

@kelsey-harley

I'm not sure your question applies to this scenario but let me try to explain this in detail.

In mid of the print you're triggering the pause function. Printer knows the position where it happened (for example 50,50,50 (X/Y/Z) ). Printer moves the head to (0,200,100) so you can do whatever you need to do. If you move any of the axis manually with your hands, the printer will not know that. It still thinks the head is at (0,200,100). Once you unpause the printer it will try to move (+50,-150,-50) to reach the old printing position. If you head is physically not at the old parking position, it will never reach physically the old (50,50,50) but it will think it is there and will continue to print.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

I can't actually picture anyone moving the extruder with their hands while powered on.

They would use the firmware function to lift the extruder in Z to clean it or whatever.

In that case the firmware knows exactly where it is.

I always take it to Z 150 for good clearance.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

That's what I wanted to know. When you press pause the head automatically moves to Z (0.200.100).?

I was not thinking of moving the head manually but moving the XYZ using settings.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

How do you unpause the printer?

Harley

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

I think the easiest way is you just try it out. Start a small print, choose a "Pause" function from the menu. "Resume" it again, then pause it again, do some movement (whatever is available from the menu) and resume it again.

I can write a lot of things here but the actual test on the printer will tell you the truth and you will get confidence in doing it on bigger prints.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

I don't have access to the printer right now and I agree that the steps in the LCD controls are obvious, but I am amazed that the written instructions do not give you obvious detailed answers to operations listed in the LCD section of the manual. I think the manual is very poorly staged and written by an expert who does not have time to spend going into obvious details that a new purchaser has to figure out. I know I will "get it" in time.

Regards,

Harley 

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

Hi Harley,

Which manual are you referring to? I haven't seen one for the LCD controls. Here are assembly and service manuals: https://manual.prusa3d.com/c/English_manuals

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

That's the point- there is no manual on the LCD.  There should be. You cannot watch Youtube presentations,where time is a premium,  and expect to get it immediately.

Hto 

H

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

@kelsey-harley

I know this it isn't the same situation, but could be related. For my prints were I pause to insert an object I use custom g-code that I specify in the "Before Layer Change" custom g-code field that inserts my desired pause code at a specific layer. (Many of us more experienced people are familiar with using an if in the custom g-code so I won't go into much detail.)

In my desired pause code, I move the bed all the way forward, I think I might move the x-axis all the way to the left (not sure, I'm not looking at it), turn off the extruder heater, turn off the motors, beep, and then pause. That way if I don't get to it right away I'm not oozing too much filament and the stepper motors aren't getting/maintaining hot by just holding position. (I leave the heated bed temperature alone so the parts don't become loose when the bed cools.) Because of this the part of the code that recovers after I press the button I reheat the extruder and home only the x and the y. (I don't bother homing the z because I might hit my print and it is more difficult to accidentally move the z axis by hand.) After my added code re-homes x and y the print continues from where it stopped. I think because the x-y-z coordinates in the gcode are all absolute coordinates referenced by the home position, not relative movements referenced to the end of the previous move command.

I don't know if it is possible to slip a manual x-y home command (either from the front interface or over serial*) after you have paused the print from the front interface. But it might be something to try if you try any of the experimentation suggested in previous posts of this thread.

* If you aren't familiar with the serial interface, this is the interface either over the USB cable or directly to the RPi-Zero header on the Einsy board. If using USB then you would connect to it with any of OctoPrint, Pronterface, or any generic serial USB terminal program. Here you can directly type in g-code lines and see the responses.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

Posted by: @kelsey-harley

How do you unpause the printer?

Harley

Something just dawned on me... How are you pausing your print? Are you pressing the "X" button to the lower-left of the jog-wheel? Or, are you using the jog-wheel to scroll and select through the menu to the Pause Print function?

If you are pressing the "X" button, that isn't pause. That button function is "STOP NOW AND REBOOT!!!". It isn't exactly an emergency stop, but can act similar to one. And, there is no restarting a print at that point.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

Posted by: @kelsey-harley

That's the point- there is no manual on the LCD.  There should be. You cannot watch Youtube presentations,where time is a premium,  and expect to get it immediately.

Yes, it would be nice to have one. Maybe some community member will create one and share it so everybody can benefit from it.

RE: Pausing the LCD on the i3MK3S

  sembazuru

I am not pressing the reset button. The instructions do not even tell you to press the knob after selecting a move.

Someone should write a manual on the LCD operation. If there is a nitpicker on the Prusa team, he should be the one because he will pay attention to details.

Harley