How is the Move command in Cura 2.6.64 supposed to work?

General LulzBot Mini
1

I find centring a model that will just fit on the plate very tricky.

I don’t understand how the Move command works.

For example, I have rotated a model to -45 degrees, where I know it can fit on the plate. But it overlaps at one or two sides until I get it centred.

The Move dialogue shows some arbitrary values - say X = 3, Y = 2, Z=-2. Why not [0,0,0]? And why -2 for Z? I’ve just loaded the model. Shouldn’t it be Z=0? The model is below the plate in the view window when Z=-2, and it’s bottom layer won’t print while that is the case.

I want to move it (say) 5mm right and to Z= 0.

What inputs should I make, and when are they applied?

My experience is very confusing. For example…

I type in 5 in the X value and press Return or Enter. The model may or may not move 5mm right, but the display jumps - say, to -8 in the X value.

Then if I click on the model it moves again.

What do the X, Y , Z values mean for a Move, and when are they applied? I find it confusing and never know what is going to happen.

Then when I DO get the model centred, and click anywhere, it jumps again.

Are the values absolute or relative? When are they applied? If I press Return? If I click on the model? If I click anywhere outside the model but on the viewing space?

I simply find this totally unpredictable and counter-intuitive.

I can’t find any documentation for this latest version of Cura - the printed manual, and (the last time I looked, a few days ago) the online manual still refer to the previous v1.x version.

2

The move command should be pretty straight forward. Oftentimes a .STL file will have a orientation value saved into it that will cause it to not be centered when it is initially loaded into Cura which explains the values you referenced of X = 3, Y = 2, Z=-2 but simply zeroing out the values in the move command box should center it in the platform. Alternatively you can right click on the object and choose “center selected model” which will automatically center the model along all 3 axis at once. As far as entering a value and having the model move the correct increment of space do you mean that when you move it -5 in the software and actually print the model it is not -5mm from center of build plate? I was kind of confused by your description of that issue. The x axis movement control the movement of the model left and right on the build plate, the y axis controls movement back and forth on the build plate, and the z axis controls the height the print is above or below the build plate and is really only used if you want to cut off the bottom of a print by dropping the bottom of the model below the bottom of the build plate.