Display the time remains for the next color change?  

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

devs don't watch the forums -- but a great idea to post over at github. 

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

I believe this functionality is in Mk3S firmware 3.10.0, but needs support from PrusaSlicer (2.4.0?).  From the release notes:

Until now, the firmware was only able to display how much time remains until the print is finished. There were multiple suggestions from the community on further improvements. Starting this release, the developers have implemented the first stage. However, to make the function work correctly, the PrusaSlicer dev team also needs to publish a new release because the G-code instructions must be updated.

Once both firmware and PrusaSlicer are updated, the "remaining time" will work the following way. The printer will switch every 5 seconds between "remaining-printing-time" and "time-to-next-color-change." Therefore the user will be informed in advance when the next filament change is expected.

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

@sca

That is very useful for MMU users.  I wonder if will work with the Mk3S alone.  

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

Posted by: @cwbullet

@sca

That is very useful for MMU users.  I wonder if will work with the Mk3S alone.  

From the way they've implemented it (a new parameter added to the M73 gcode) I don't see a reason why it shouldn't work without an MMU. 

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

I wonder if will work with the Mk3S alone.

It should do, here's the relevant gcode:

M73 - Set/get print progress M73: Set/Get build percentage
Usage

M73 [ P | R | Q | S | C | D ]

Parameters

P - Percent in normal mode
R - Time remaining in normal mode
Q - Percent in silent mode
S - Time in silent mode
C - Time to change/pause/user interaction in normal mode
D - Time to change/pause/user interaction in silent mode

M73 C   doesn't seem to be used right now but it's there...

M73 Pnn Rnn  is present all through the code and it's fairly simple to use it to extract a close approximation but as the only opportunity to postprocess is attached to the print, not the printer; it gets to be a chore to set up every time.

Cheerio,

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

@fuchsr

Thanks.  I can see how this would be useful.  

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

I was printing a thingy, and the display showed the normal R for time remaining.  It switched back and forth to a C, which led me to this thread.  The C is for time remaining, and prusaslicer on the MK3S w/MMU2 shows the time remaining.  I searched through the gcode for that one print, and there are periodic updates for both R and C values throughout the code.

I know this is an old thread, and you all have probably figured that out by now, but just in case someone arrives here like me, I hope it helps. 

RE:

Do you have to enable this setting somewhere? I am now using Prusaslicer 2.6.0 alpha 6 and it does not generate M73 C/D. According to the change log, this feature was introduced in 2.4.0.

I have tried both with a simple color change on a certain layer and a virtual multi-extruder setup for manual filament change (I have no mmu).

RE: Display the time remains for the next color change?

Sorry, I didn't look right. When doing a 'simple color change on a certain layer' the M73 C/D code is in there.  But not when doing a multicolor print.

RE:

Trying to Bump this back up.  My MK4S + MMU3 still doesn't show a time for Next Color Change.  Does the Code not have that information so it knows to Talk to the MMU3 and change filaments?  This seems to me like a fairly simple code fix.  Maybe not?  This would be super helpful to me knowing when the Printer is going to swap out filiaments...for many different reasons.  Doesn't it show you that information if you don't have an MMU enabled?