Cura 2 platform definition for Mankati Full Scale XT Plus

thingiverse

Cura 2 - 3D Platform definition for the Mankati Full Scale XT Plus The newly downloadable Cura 2 slicing software offers us a 3D representation of our 3D printer's build platform underneath the build area in the graphics window. Currently such a 3D representation has been created for several 3D printers (selectable from a radio button list in the Cura Menu: PRINTER>ADD PRINTER>OTHER), and I have now added the Mankati Full Scale XT Plus 3D printer to this list. How to use the files: The STL file (Mankati_Full_scale_XT_Plus_Platform.stl) of the platform should be placed in the following directory:yourCura2Path/resources/meshes In order to make the Mankati printer show up in the radio button list you should also place the javascript object definition file (Mankati_Full_Scale_XT_Plus.json) in the following directory:yourCura2Path/resources/machines In this object definition file you might want to tweak the start-G-code settings to your own preferences (as I did). Currently I have placed the hot-end's nozzle 3 cm above the build platform whilst heating up, in order to enable you to wipe / clean the nozzle in case it might be oozing some filament, before printing starts. When printing has started, the nozzle will linearly descend and simultaneously travel towards the platform to the place where the actual printing will start. If you like this startup sequence, you can leave the .json file as it is now. After placing these files in their respective directories, the next time you will start Cura, you will be able to select the Mankati printer from the radio button list of printers (under the category "other"). Note: Corresponding to the real world situation, the actual printing surface of 26x26cm has been somewhat offset to the left of the 3D presentation of the build platform, due to the fact that the Mankati printer has two printheads. (It is the left printhead (= main extruder) where the print surface is derived from - ie. the offset = the distance between the two printheads). Special thanks go out to the people of Ultimaker that continue to provide us with such nice open source slicing software! Update 27-6-2016: The people of Cura at Ultimaker have decided to include this Mankati platform definition into their new Cura 2.2 slicer. They have made some modifications to the file in order to be compatible with Cura 2.2 and have decimated the mesh of the platform so that it complies with the polygon count of all the other meshes of platform definitions of other printers. They have posted their adaptation here on GitHub