Cura 5: Better print time estimates

oliof

Hi,
after some complaints on different forums about the massive differences in print time estimates from Cura and actual print time on an RRF board, I did some testing and found a way to get pretty good times:

a) install the Printer Settings plugin in Cura5
b) configure acceleration and jerk to reflect the actual settings from config.g

With this, I get =-1min print time estimates, plus the heating time. I did write about DWC run time starting at heat up rather than the first extrusion move, which may improve this for Cura and other slicers in the past, but I think a more or less fixed offset of a couple minutes doesn't matter much.

@resam it might be worth looking into whether the RRF plugin for Cura could retrieve printer configuration like @bot's PrusaSlicer fork does so people don't need to manually do this and get better print time estimates if they use your plugin (-:

oliof

The Printer Settings plugin also allows you to set firmware retract, which I prefer greatly to slicer based ones because I can fine tune them if the need arises without reslicing and recover a print that might otherwise turn out to be a failure or at least lose quality.

Phaedrux

Can confirm. Doing some prints yesterday with Cura 5 (and the printer settings plugin) and the estimates, simulation, and print time all matched within a minute.

rexx

can anyone confirm if the Z seam is working yet? and does the custom supports plugin work yet?
i could load some plugins but not all would work and last i used cura 5 the z seams were not changing upon selections to do so along with custom supports errors on loading

oliof

@rexx Cylindric Custom Supports plugin is available again. I don't know what your issue with Z seams is, I use "Hide Seam" setting and that seems to do a very good job.

resam

@oliof yes this should be possible - I had it on my ToDo list for a while, but so far either not enough people asking for it, or simply no time.
I wanted to start by "importing" the bed size and other parameters from the printer - and speed and accel setting would be great addon to that!

PRs are welcome and will be reviewed and merged!

Phaedrux

@resam It never occured to me that would be possible, but that would be a great addition.

rexx

@oliof
thank you for the update the seams were not moving reguardless of the setting used but sounds like its fixed and the plugins are back completly
thanks for your replys

from fusion 360 under export 3D print it opens old cura 4.13 not 5 the three cura options here are not labeled wich is wich? opening a guess to wichever it is as it simply sais cura cura or cura... does anyone know how to get 5 to open off fusion export to cura prints?

oliof

No idea about Fusion360, I am not using it. I also don't keep older versions of Cura around for long.

bot

Sounds like I should try Cura 5.0!