[KwartzLab] improving the 3D Printer toolchain

[doug moen]

This message describes some next steps towards improving the 3D
printer toolchain, for easier and more reliable printing.  If anyone
wants to get involved in this work, let me know.  Volunteers are
always welcome, and it's good to have more people who understand how
the printer works.  You can email me, or talk to me on Tuesday at TON.
 You don't have to be a member to help get the 3d printer working.

For the record, here's my todo list:

First, we update the firmware to include patches provided by TechZone
(our vendor).  The TechZone firmware source code is already on the
Ubuntu workstation.  We need to patch this code so that the M108 gcode
command is a no-op, then compile and install it.  This should fix some
of the printing problems that we've seen.

Next, I'd like to be able to use SkeinForge to generate gcode.  To do
this successfully, you need to use the correct SkeinForge settings,
and you need software to filter and transform the gcode output. I
talked to Lambert Andrus from TechZone about this.  His first
suggestion was to use 3dtoolchain.com (a TechZone web interface to
SkeinForge) to generate the gcode, but this has limitations -- I can't
print the MakerGear bracelet using this web interface, because I can't
turn off "fill".  So Lambert has provided us with information on how
to configure SkeinForge and transform the gcode.  The two attachments
to this email come from him.  Here are his comments:

--- begin Andrus ---
The skeinforge settings are available on the web, and I can include a
set of skeinforge settings files that have the settings we use. I do
not remember if those settings are for .25mm or .5mm nozzles, you will
also find that although the settings there are OK, there are
definately better settings available out there - provided by other
people

The things we do with that code were garnered from information
provided by Wade (don't know his last name, but he designed the
"Wade's Extruder") and by spacexula on the reprap forums. The credit
for transforming gcode does not belong to me, we simply took our
transformations and attached them to a website to share them. You may
find better or more useful information about transforming gcode on the
forums from those and other people
--- end ---

Finally, Lambert recommends that we use RepSnapper to print models.
RepSnapper will print a gcode file directly, hopefully with a better
UI than the mendel host software provides for this task.  The latest
version only runs on Linux, and must be compiled from source.  I
upgraded to an Ubuntu workstation to make this work possible.

Doug Moen.
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