Click 'Finish' and start Cura 15.04.6. DO NOT UPDATE the software for any reason. Imaging open source. Upon install or startup of the Cura software, you will see the window pictured below, which prompts you to update your Cura software – always click 'No.' Cura Tutorial - Step2: Configuration Wizard. 1.Select your language, then click 'Next'. Read our easy-to-follow in-depth Cura tutorial to explore the hidden features and settings of the Cura slicer software - that's where the fun really starts!
With New Matter now closed and the New Matter Store website offline as of August 2018, we suggest using Cura (an easy-to-understand 'slicing' program) and the MOD-t Printer Tool (our desktop software application) to continue printing with your MOD-t. 'Slicers' such as Cura break down 3D designs into a set of instructions that tell the MOD-t how to create a print. Using Cura, you can rotate, flip, scale, and multiply designs with ease. You can even make your Cura display mimic the size and characteristics of a MOD-t to help increase your print success.
Here are the instructions for downloading, configuring, and using Cura to print with your MOD-t:
1. Begin by downloading the Cura software. You can do so by visiting the Cura website and downloading the program for free. Before you do that however, keep in mind that there is a specific version of the software that you will want to install. The version of Cura that works best with the MOD-t is 15.04.6. Visit the link below and scroll through the available versions until you find 15.04.6 for your operating system (Mac OS or Windows). Once downloaded, it should install like any other web-sourced program.
**IMPORTANT** Keep in mind that there are newer versions of the Cura software available at this time, but THIS SPECIFIC VERSION (version 15.04.6) is the one that works best with your MOD-t. Even though the program may pester you to update to the latest version each time you start it up, resist the urge to do so and stick with this version, version 15.04.6.
2. Once Cura has been installed and opened, you will want to start by telling it a bit about the MOD-t. Do this by selecting the Machine option from the toolbar. Select 'Add Machine.' A wizard should appear. Capturing screen shot. You'll select 'Other' on the first page and 'Custom…' on the second page.
3. Then, the wizard will ask you to name your machine. We named all of our machines 'MOD-t', but feel free to name your machine whatever you'd like.
4. Next, you'll have to tell Cura what kind of build envelope your machine has. You can cheat off of us by filling in the information provided in the screengrab below.
5. Even though you've told Cura some basic information about the MOD-t, the program still doesn't know how the MOD-t behaves. Cura uses 'Profiles' to understand printer behavior. The MOD-t has its own profile, which you'll need to download. We've provided the link to it below. Save this file as a .ini file by right clicking the link, selecting 'Save link as…', naming it, and changing the file type to 'All Files.' Basically, this:
You must load the profile information before using Cura with the MOD-t. Do so by clicking 'File' in the Cura toolbar and selecting 'Open Profile…'. Browse for the MOD-t Cura Profile you just downloaded. Select it, load, and you're ready to go!
6. Upload design files by clicking 'File' in the toolbar and selecting 'Load Model File…'. We've selected this cheerful and festive homemade Valentine's Day tag as an example.
7. Edit the size and orientation of your design using the three buttons on the bottom left corner.
Each of these options has a sub-options, though you'll rarely use those. We'll get into those when we discuss altering your design.
Rotating Designs
When you select 'Rotate,' three rings will appear around your design. You can manipulate each of these rings to shift the orientation by a factor of 15 degrees. The green ring will rotate your design forward and backward, the yellow will rotate the design side to side, and the flat, red ring will spin your design.
You can use the 'Lay Flat' sub-option to cheat your rotation. If you can't quite get your design to lay flat, click this button and Cura will do it for you.
Scaling Designs
Scaling in Cura works by percentages. Your original design will register as '1.0', or 100%. Scale a design down by 20% by changing the value to 0.8. Scale a design up 20% by changing the value to 1.2. If you change the X, Y, or Z scale, the other two scales will adjust to match this alteration. Cura will give you estimates of your design's measurements (in millimeters) above the design as you alter it.
Mirroring Designs
This might be the least utilized alteration in Cura. Mirroring simply flips the design. There are options to mirror on each axis. Should you accidentally export a design file with backwards text, this is a useful function to fix it! (We've all been there.)
View Options
Use the icon in the top right corner of your screen to switch views of your design. There are lots of views to play with, but we think the most useful view is Layer View. Use this view to check your bottom layer, to scrutinize angles, and to just generally view the way the print will build. You can slide the white square along the gray bar on the right side of the screen to select which layer you'd like to view.
Other Options
If you right-click on your design, another list of editing options will appear. These options allow you to center, multiply, delete, or reset your design. There's also an option to 'Split Design Into Parts.' This will allow you to separate a multi piece design into individual pieces. From there, you can scale and re-orient specific pieces, or you could delete extraneous pieces should you no longer need them. Laptop screenshot shortcut. This is a great tool to use if you'd like to break up a design into pieces to print in different filament colors or with different settings.
There are also options on the side bar, under 'Quality,' 'Fill,' 'Speed and Temperature,' 'Support,' and 'Filament.'
We suggest you leave most of these categories alone, but fiddling with the 'Fill' and 'Support' settings can prove quite useful. The 'Fill' option will adjust your print's fill density. This is the cross-hatching gridwork that fills the inside of your print. The default 'Better' setting on our store uses 25% fill density. To increase the weight and internal support of a design, increase the fill density. 100% fill density will print a completely solid object. (It will also, probably, take several days to print.) Decrease your design's weight and print time by decreasing the print density. If you feel that your designs are structurally stable, 10-15% fill density will usually cut it, though you may find an increase in print failures.
The 'Support' category is very important when modifying designs in Cura. This is where you set parameters for supports, tell Cura what kind of supports you like, and set platform adhesion guidelines to improve your print success rate.
On the sidebar, you can select one of the three support types, listed in ascending intensity: none, touching buildplate, or everywhere. By clicking on the '…', you can alter the supports even more.
Cura 15.04.6 For Linux
You can toggle between 'None,' 'Brim,' and 'Raft' in the 'Platform adhesion type' menu. If your design has a particularly thin lip as the first layer, we suggest adding a removable brim. If your first layer has very little contact with the print surface, we suggest using the raft option. This will put tiny supports on the first layer so the following layers stick better.
Saving Your GCode
If you'd like to print your design with any of the adjustments discussed above, you'll need to save it into the GCode format! You can do so by selecting the Save icon in the top left corner of the screen. You can then print this GCode using the MOD-t Desktop App.
One More Thing!
You might have noticed a time and weight underneath the Save icon. Those are estimations of your print time and completed print weight. You should remember that these are just estimates. There's no exact way to guess a print's weight (though it could be a fun contest or classroom activity!) and the MOD-t tends to take a tiny bit longer than these estimates. Still, these estimates are great for giving a ballpark idea of time and filament needed. It's great to know that you shouldn't start a .5 kg print if you have less than half of a .5kg roll of filament left! Likewise, don't start a 12 hour print and expect it to finish in three!
**REMINDER** Keep in mind that there are newer versions of the Cura software available at this time, but THIS SPECIFIC VERSION (version 15.04.6) is the one that works best with your MOD-t. Even though the program may pester you to update to the latest version each time you start it up, resist the urge to do so and stick with this version, version 15.04.6.
And… Print!
Cura 15.04.6 Setup
It's super easy to print saved GCode using New Matter's desktop application.
If you are using version 0.15.2 (Windows) or 0.15.3 (MacOS) of the MOD-t Printer Tool application, you'll want to follow these instructions:
Cura 15.04.6 Free Download
1. Power on your MOD-t, connect it to your computer with the USB cable, and open the MOD-t printer Tool software (our desktop application, NOT our website).
Cura 15.04.2 Download Monoprice
2. In the MOD-t printer Tool, click *Settings*, then *Advanced Mode*, then *Print File*. From there a search window will open up allowing you to locate the GCode file we just generated with Cura. Click the file once to select it, then choose *Open* to send the file to your MOD-t.
Cura 15.04.6
3. Allow the file to transfer to your MOD-t (keep an eye on the status bar filling up), then once the file has fully transferred to the MOD-t, press the front panel button on the MOD-t to begin printing.
If you are using the latest (final) version of the MOD-t Printer Tool software, follow these instructions:
1. Power on your MOD-t, connect it to your computer with the USB cable, and open the MOD-t printer Tool software (our desktop application, NOT our website).
2. Click *Print GCode File*. From there a search window will open up allowing you to locate the GCode file we just generated with Cura. Click the file once to select it, then choose *Open* to send the file to your MOD-t.
3. Allow the file to transfer to your MOD-t (keep an eye on the status bar filling up), then once the file has fully transferred to the MOD-t, press the front panel button on the MOD-t to begin printing.
