Wilmeth Active Learning Center
Maker Space within DVELoP (Data Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue)
Library of Engineering & Science Reference Desk 765-494-0831
Available 3D Printing Hours |
Monday-Saturday |
8:00am-Midnight |
Cura LulzBot Edition is the free software that we use for all of our printing. It is already installed on all D-VELoP lab computers, and can be downloaded onto your own computer from https://www.lulzbot.com/cura.
Once you've done this basic setup, you can load your .stl file to preview the size, weight, and even time to print.
1) Select LulzBot TAZ 6 as the printer type.
2) Material Type is PLA (Village Plastics), unless you've provided your own material.
3) The Generate Support option is the biggest impact on weight. If your print has any overhangs, you'll need to toggle this on to get an accurate weight estimate.
4) This will tell you the dimensions of your print (height x width x length). STL files always load with mm as the unit, so verify that your print is the size you need. If you want to change the size of your print, you can use the resize tool from the left hand column.
5) Print Weight will tell you how much material is needed to print. The exact weight will depend on various setting, including the infill %, support y/n and support %, but size and design will make the most difference.
Extra Info: Use the Layer View option to switch from viewing the imported model to viewing a preview of how the item will actually be printed. This is very useful for revealing potential issues with high detail areas and showing where support will be needed.