I don’t know if Cura has something similar, but one nice trick in Simplify3D is that you can set a different “process” for multipule models. So you can do a print with 6 copies of a model, all a different extrusion rate. It doesn’t work as well for temperature, unless you can use the one at a time mode. I use that along with a small test model to dial in new filament types. It saves a lot of time.
The trick is to make sure you know which one is which. 
kcchen_00: “Learn your printer (and environment)”
I’m actively in the process of doing this.
“understand why a setting or adjustment helps”
I still have no clue about this for the most part.
ttabbal: “…one nice trick in Simplify3D is that you can set a different ‘process’ for multiple models. So you can do a print with 6 copies of a model, all a different extrusion rate.”
That is pretty much the functionality I am looking for! If I could do this and watch what happens from one model to the next, I would definitely gain a better understanding of just what effect each setting has and how much to adjust it. The current process of waiting through the nozzle cleaning, bed leveling, printing one thing at a time, and trying to pry the model off the bed without breaking it is just so time consuming that I’m unwilling to print anything that takes more than half an hour.
Good to hear, it gets easier… but the learning never stops. 
“understand why a setting or adjustment helps”
I still have no clue about this for the most part.
Hopefully the recommendations come with a reason or the suggestion is in the context of the issue… just don’t be a lemming and follow everything on the Internet. Evaluate against your printing environment.
ttabbal: > “…one nice trick in Simplify3D is that you can set a different ‘process’ for multiple models. So you can do a print with 6 copies of a model, all a different extrusion rate.”
That is pretty much the functionality I am looking for! If I could do this and watch what happens from one model to the next, I would definitely gain a better understanding of just what effect each setting has and how much to adjust it.
In Cura, use the plugin “Tweak at Z”. Its similar to the S3D function, but maybe not as thorough (I don’t think you can adjust speed).
Best thing is just to print the 20x20x5 cube. Takes 10min, but easy to determine differences in slicer changes.
As for the startup process, create a slicing profile that bypasses the wipe process. It will involve removing lines from the start script… and I’m not sure you can bypass the autolevel process, it will depend on how it stores the print plane information and whether its deleted from memory.
I’ll have to read up on the “Tweak at Z” plugin, thanks for the info.
Does the cube you mentioned have an open top to facilitate the measurement of wall thicknesses?
Good to know that I can bypass those time consuming procedures. The semicolon is G-code’s comment marker right? I’m hesitant to modify anything that I can’t easily undo if it leads to problems.
I use the attached 20x20x10 calibration cube. It has no top, but that was really for time savings… and I can’t recall what I used for wall thickness… possibly 2mm.
For dimensional accuracy, I print the attached thumbwheel which snaps onto a M5 socket cap screw (commonly found all over the TAZ 5, but not sure about the Mini). It should snap on pretty tightly, make sure to align the allen head.
Yep, semicolon comments out the g-code line. Always good to keep a copy of the original. 
M5 Thumbcap.SingleColor.v8.stl (285 KB)
-Calib_20x20x10.v1.stl (25.3 KB)
Wow, 5 minutes after I come home from work and I already have a reply! 
Thank you, this will help me a lot!
I’m so excited! I finally found my magic numbers for Colorfabb nGen! (at least for this model)
I started with the default nGen profile, dropped the flow rate to 90%, cranked the infill to 100% (previous attempts had the consistency of potato chips - crumbled in my hand) and for the model itself I printed it at 1.5x scale. Here are the results:
That looks nice!!
Glad to see your patience worked out
All the Best
Frank