Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Not sure if this topic is best suited here or whether I should have put it in the Prusa Slicer sub forum.............
I've just spent considerable time (many hours) creating the bgcode files for this print from Maker World.
I had to export components to Prusa Slicer and then manually paint the MMU colour requirements and then slice to get a Core One + MMU3 bgcode file.
I was going to print on my Core One+ MMU3 setup, but given some components have very high numbers of filament changes, I thought I'd place the project on hold for a few months until I receive and install the 8 tool INDX system that I have on pre order, given the print time and filament savings that can be expected.
Does anyone know much about the future capabilities of Prusa Slicer and INDX? I believe a complete new version of the slicer will be released but am interested as to whether there will be a conversion path to INDX for existing bgcode files or whether I will have to abondon these & start again from scratch.
RE:
The approach I would suggest taking for that particular model is to load it up into OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio - and then look at each plate and objects on each plate to work out which STLs each part consists of.
Then look at the stl's and probably drag all of the stls for a particular part into a separate sub folder.
Then in prusaslicer - just re-create each part individually by importing the correct STLs from the appropriate sub folder., then just select the correct colours for each of the STLs - by selecting the appropriate colour number from the object view (and pressing a number key) - rather than doing painting.
This is a fairly similar operation to the one I did to create a similar model for PrusaSlicer as my first INDX test print - this one - https://www.printables.com/model/1720783-c1-indx-11-colour-test-print-po-cruises-aurora-150
and it only took probably took less than an hour to in my case re-export every stl from fusion and then import them into Prusa Slicer.
I guess ultimately it would be nice if PrusaSlicer3 could read BambuStudio multi plate 3mfs a bit better - like Orca does - so that re-colouring objects is easier.
The alternative would be to use OrcaSlicer for CoreOne INDX - although I imagine it will be a while before the new off-bed pellet priming is ported over.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
[...] am interested as to whether there will be a conversion path to INDX for existing bgcode files or whether I will have to abondon these & start again from scratch.
I would be highly surprised if a conversion on the Gcode level is supported. The whole filament change sequence is quite different, including the new priming approach. Was that ever a thing, porting models to a new printer architecture when you have the Gcode only? I would expect that you need to re-slice.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Thanks David.
I did try Orca Slicer but got a lot of gcode errors and other messages that I didn't understand so eventually gave up.
I ended up doing what you suggested by exporting from BambuStudio and opening in Prusa Slicer.
In relation to the painting that I did in Prusa Slicer, I couldn't just assign a colour number as you suggest. The files reflected parts with different coloured components so I couldnt see any other way of colouring apart from the painting option in Prusa Slicer. For example, the ships funnel was 2 colour with a third colour for the logos on each side.
The approach I would suggest taking for that particular model is to load it up into OrcaSlicer or Bambu Studio - and then look at each plate and objects on each plate to work out which STLs each part consists of.
Then look at the stl's and probably drag all of the stls for a particular part into a separate sub folder.
Then in prusaslicer - just re-create each part individually by importing the correct STLs from the appropriate sub folder., then just select the correct colours for each of the STLs - by selecting the appropriate colour number from the object view (and pressing a number key) - rather than doing painting.
This is a fairly similar operation to the one I did to create a similar model for PrusaSlicer as my first INDX test print - this one - https://www.printables.com/model/1720783-c1-indx-11-colour-test-print-po-cruises-aurora-150
and it only took probably took less than an hour to in my case re-export every stl from fusion and then import them into Prusa Slicer.I guess ultimately it would be nice if PrusaSlicer3 could read BambuStudio multi plate 3mfs a bit better - like Orca does - so that re-colouring objects is easier.
The alternative would be to use OrcaSlicer for CoreOne INDX - although I imagine it will be a while before the new off-bed pellet priming is ported over.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Thanks Jürgen,
I think the way I described my question may have been misleading.
What I was wondering, is will the new release of Prusa Slicer for INDX, allow a 3mf file captured under a previous version, to be re-opened and re-sliced with a new printer selection of, for example, "Core One + INDX". This would provide new bgcode for use with an INDX printer setup.
Obviously, filament colours would need to be reassigned given 8 tools under INDX and I would be hoping that any MMU painting done previoulsy would somehow be retained and resliced.
[...] am interested as to whether there will be a conversion path to INDX for existing bgcode files or whether I will have to abondon these & start again from scratch.
I would be highly surprised if a conversion on the Gcode level is supported. The whole filament change sequence is quite different, including the new priming approach. Was that ever a thing, porting models to a new printer architecture when you have the Gcode only? I would expect that you need to re-slice.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
My colours are assigned rather than painted - but I just switched my profile over from a CoreOneMMU to XL 5 tool and the colours were maintained ok - so I presume the CoreOne MMU to CoreOne INDX will work in a similar way.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Thanks David. Let's hope so.
My colours are assigned rather than painted - but I just switched my profile over from a CoreOneMMU to XL 5 tool and the colours were maintained ok - so I presume the CoreOne MMU to CoreOne INDX will work in a similar way.
RE:
Hi again David,
Given your comments about assigning colours when you did the Aurora model and not MMU painting, would you mind reviewing what I have done with one of my ship plates please? The funnel has logos and the only way I could get into Prusa Slicer was to export from Bambu Slicer, import into Prusa Slicer and then use the smart fill feature of multimaterial painting to place the colours. The logos have numerous facets and these took some time to get the colours placed. I can't see any other method of doing this and would appreciate your review and confirmation.
My Prusa Slicer 3mf file for this plate is attached.
My colours are assigned rather than painted - but I just switched my profile over from a CoreOneMMU to XL 5 tool and the colours were maintained ok - so I presume the CoreOne MMU to CoreOne INDX will work in a similar way.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Based on looking at a few of the plates I had thought that there were separate STLs for each of the different colours.
But I see for the funnel that the white and black are combined in one STL, even though they are separate objects in the 3mf,
Plus the blue logo does seem to have been painted on in Bambu Studio, or maybe was imported as a pre-coloured obj file.
To get the black and white separated back out I have alternated between deleting one, exporting the funnel, undoing the delete and the deleting the other one and exporting the funnel again. Doing this is was able to recreate the funnel black and white colouring (with a slight tweak to the position of the black as shown in the attached photo).
However the logo is more tricky - personally I think I would do it in CAD, or by creating an object within the slicer the shape of the logo and using boolean operations to cut out the logo. However your method of freehand painting it in the slicer would work too.
For my models I always have every colour as a separate body in Fusion and exported one STL per colour for each object - including things like logs and text - so I don't have this issue.
I wonder whether PRUSA INDX is going to suffer a bit from lack of pre-created multi coloured files due to its use of PrusaSlicer - when compared to the U1 for example - which is using Orca Slicer (or a fork of it) - which I imagine imports BambuLab models which are fairly numerous directly in.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
Thanks for your review David. I wish I could use Fusion or CAD. I did try to learn Fusion a while back but found it difficult.
I almost exclusively use Tinkercad for when I need to do basic designs.
I might try and print the funnel with my Core One MMU3 and see how the multimaterial painting turns out.
Thanks again.
RE: Gcode files - will they convert for INDX via new version of Prusa Slicer?
For a test I saved a Core One MMU3 project with painted objects then opened it for an XL. The painted attributes of the objects were preserved. It'll need the extruder/colors assigned and to be re-sliced, but not re-painted.