Changing color while printing

thingiverse

-This thing is not about the .STL file, this thing contains instructions of how to change filaments while printing with your 3D printer- This method is for single extruder printer and works for all printer that uses .gcode file to print and can print from a SD card To change filaments while printing, you need to enter a few lines of codes in the .gcode file of any part you wishes to print, print the part, wait for the printer to pause, change the filament and enter M24. It’s relatively simple. You’ll be able to choose at exactly which layer the color will change. Look for instructions in the instructions tab Because it is not about downloading the .STL file, if you use my method or simply find it useful, make sure to like and/or reference this page! Instructions 1- Slice your .STL and save .gcode in SD card2- Find, in your host, (I’m using Repetier) exactly at which layer the color needs to change. Let it be N. ( In my example, layer 8 is first layer with letters instead of being the rectangle base, thus N=8)3- Find the height of that layer with this formula : (N-1) layer thickness + 1first layer thickness = answer (My first layer thickness is 0.3 mm, subsequents are 0.15 mm. 7.15+1.3 = 1.35 mm)4- Find the exact height in .gcode file. I suggest to open it with Notepad and press Ctrl+F, then enter G1 Z… where … is your height (My line reads : G1 Z1.350 F7800.000)5- Right after G1 Z… F…, paste this: G91 ; use relative coordinates G1 Z15 ; extruder up 15 mm M25 ; pause sd card reading, now is the time to change filament! G91 ; use relative coordinates G1 Z-15 ; extruder down 15 mm G90 ; use absolute coordinates G92 X… Y… Z… E0 ; set all axes in right position Replace all … with right value. After X and Y, write last coordinates that were sent before G1 Z… (step 4). Generally, you’ll find them 3 lines before G1 Z… . After Z, write your height calculated at step 3. (For me, I had these lines of code. In bold are lines I added) … G1 X76.794 Y15.456 E62.94156G1 X33.206 Y15.456 E64.22251 G1 F1800.000 E63.22251 G92 E0 G1 Z1.350 F7800.000G91 ; use relative coordinates G1 Z15 ; extruder up 15 mm M25 ; pause sd card reading, now is the time to change filament G91 ; use realative coordinates G1 Z-15 ; extruder down 15 mm G90 ; use absolute coordinates G92 X33.206 Y15.456 Z1.350 E0 ; set all axes in right position G1 X56.345 Y24.970 F7800.000 G1 E1.00000 F1800.000 G1 X55.764 Y25.861 E1.01990 F1890.000 … Note where I found X33.206 and Y15.456 that a wrote on command G92 6- Save and print with SD card7- Wait for the printer to stop and the change the filament by retracting (manual control). Purge the remaining plastic of the wrong color by extruding (manual control). When color coming out of nozzle is the right one, clean up the nozzle.8- Enter M24 (resume SD printing) in your host. It should go down 15 mm and then resume printing.9- You're done!10- There is no step 10, you’re already done I told you. It may seem complicated at first, but I assure you, once you know what you’re doing it’s very simple. Hope you like it!