Unexpected pause in print; problem with Cura rotation; etc

Hi all,

We just began printing with our TAZ4. We have dual extruders (green ABS on E0, natural HIPS on E1), with the firmware 2014Q1 for dual. The Cura configuration is the one from the Lulzbot website. Here are some issues that I would like fellow members to opine on:

  1. Yesterday night, I loaded up the Rocktopus.stl into Cura, and made the gcode file. I then put the file onto an SD card and ran the print off of that. The print job did not complete fully, before pausing. It needed me to press the control knob and restart the project from where it had left off. It ended up making the part look vertically “partitioned”. I don’t understand this.

  2. The extruder in general tends to inconsistently “scrape” the existing material as it brings out the next layer. Any ideas to eliminate this issue?

  3. Some Cura issues:
    3.1 When I manipulate a model, the “control” button disappears
    3.2 The manipulated model stays grey instead of reverting to green color
    3.3 Can I rotate the model by any desired angle (via entry field)?
    3.4 The possible print time and filament use information disappear when I manipulate the model
    3.5 Last but not least, the gcode that was saved after model manipulation was the unmanipulated default orientation.

Thanks all

  1. Have you been able to duplicate this?

  2. You may be slightly over extruding, or your Z axis homing height is too low, or your bed may be a little bit uneven.

  3. Some Cura issues:

3.1 When I manipulate a model, the “control” button disappears
It will reslice your model after every move, and will only show when the gcode is ready.

3.2 The manipulated model stays grey instead of reverting to green color
If your model is not printable (due to print area/positioning) the model will be displayed as grey, not green.

3.3 Can I rotate the model by any desired angle (via entry field)?
Yes! Just press the rotate button. More info on that button can be found in the Cura Manual.

3.4 The possible print time and filament use information disappear when I manipulate the model
It will reslice your model after every move, and will only show when the gcode is ready.

3.5 Last but not least, the gcode that was saved after model manipulation was the unmanipulated default orientation.
If you don’t save the gcode, the current gcode only exists in ram or a temp file somewhere. In general, if you do something, save the gcode!



Cura manual: http://devel.lulzbot.com/mini/software/cura/documentation/Manual.pdf

I had a similar problem. It was caused by minor power fluctuations. It would stop the printer but wouldn’t shut it down or kill the heat. I put a UPS on mine and it seems to have resolved the issue. REF: https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/brief-power-outage-uninterrupted-power-supply-ups/1100/1