Can I do Timelapse by using EasyPrint 3D?

[Nasir13]

Hello,

Actually I'm thinking to do time lapse video recording for printing 3d model and i didn't find anyone try with EasyPrint or its relay hard to find anyone try with Geeetech printer and play with time lapse.

So my question here is can i do that delay time or there is function within EasyPrint to set the settings to stop the bed for 4 - 6 seconds after each layer? , So I can take pictures and follow up the work.

Thanks for anyone have any advice

[William]

Hi, Nasir13, a very good idea but I am afraid not.

[Nasir13]

Hi, Nasir13, a very good idea but I am afraid not.

Thanks Mr.william, I will try my best

[_kaktus_]

Hello.


This will be possible if you add a pause instruction (G4 + relevant parameter) to the model code after each layer is completed.

[GAQ]

Hi Nasir,

I have produced quite a few timelapse videos - though I confess I've never taken one of my 3D printer...
Not a bad call, it may be interesting.

Let's say I was making a timelapse of my printer making a 'Benchy' boat.
(Chosen as just about everyone has seen and has access to this model)

Now I print in PETG, which I print quite slowly on my Pro B, so it would take about 100 minutes to complete the 239 layers...
(0.2mm layers, 0.3mm initial layer).

My first question would be "Do you really want a single photo at each layer ? "

I live in the UK, so 'Native' video would be 25fps, maybe 30fps if you're in USA or have 60Hz mains...

One shot per layer would result in a video only 9.5 seconds in length, I might want one a bit longer.
(You might think that's great - Or maybe print at 0.15mm layers, so this is now around 13 seconds for the video...)

I quite like the idea of capturing the nozzle in different places as it would whizz around the timelapse making the benchy...

So I would look at the time - 100 mins, and I would consider how long I want the final video to be.
Let's say I'd like to 'See' the Benchy print in 30 seconds...
Then I know that I would need to capture 750 photo's (30 seconds at 25fps).
I know that I could position my camera on a tripod and set it to automatically take a photo every 8 seconds...
(That's the 100 minute print time in seconds, divided by the 750 photos required)

Now, I would light the print bed, and alter my camera settings so that I was shooting with a shutter speed of 1/50th of a second.
This is because my video would be viewed at 25fps, and the shutter speed should be twice the frame rate, or as close as I could get it.
(Timelapse just looks better when you do this). If you were to be making a video at 50 fps to be 'Smoother', for 30 seconds length, you'd need to take 1500 photos, at an interval of 4 seconds and set the shutter speed to be about 1/100 of a second)

This would all mean that I could set the printer running, my camera taking the photos and I could do something more interesting for the next 100 minutes rather than sit there watching it happen.

Naturally - I'm going to see the printer head moving all over the place quite randomly as it prints the Benchy - you may want it out of the way and just photographing the model layer by layer...

Now just to compound the issue a little... There is a further problem with timelapse using a Pro B printer, in that the model moves with the Y axis movement of the bed relative to the camera position on its tripod... You may not like to see this in your final video...
I haven't played with the lens of a GoPro - or other similar small camera, but there may be a way of making this focus closely enough to have it mounted on an arm connected to the printer bed itself, rigid enough to not move relative to the print bed as the printer makes the model.

Maybe timelapse should be taken using a printer where the printer nozzle moves in the Y axis and the bed stays where it is. Even a printer where the bed lowers as the print is made would be fine as the movement of the building model would be only in one direction - down, slowly, constant in just one layer at a time...

You could reduce the effect of the model moving in the Y axis by choice of camera lens and position - also choose the model orientation on the printer bed such that it offers the least movement along the Y axis...

All these questions to get over, just to make a short video !

Naturally, using gcode at every layer change, to move the bed to a fixed position and pause, then trigger the camera's remote shutter release manually gets away from this issue. It results in the 'Short' video length of only 9.5 seconds, though it does free up other constraints... You could be a little more relaxed on the shutter speed - as long as you keep it constant and the bed constantly lit... The model would now always be in exactly in the same position, it would not be moving and you would not see the nozzle moving, it would be fixed in its 'parked and paused' position. - Hence the component just 'Grows' on the video and the printer head just smoothly rises in the shot.

If you play with layer height, you could extend the time of the video further, say printing at layers of 0.1mm so you film a slower/smoother growth.

Another thought that you may need to consider... If you move the head away from the model and pause for a few seconds before returning to the printing, I know that with using PETG I'd have to consider some filament retraction and then re-feed so as to not get a stringy mess off the side of my component and yet print it correctly - You want to film the printer making a good component afterall ! Not difficult to achieve as it's just another couple of lines in the gcode inserted at each layer change.

I'd try both methods (Automatic constant time interval and Manual once per layer) and see which one I preferred.

Have fun with the timelapses...

Gerry

[GAQ]

Hi Nasir,

Just one brief follow up observation...
I've never used 'EasyPrint 3D', but I do use 'Slic3r PE'
This is the version as shipped with Prusa printers - it's available for download FREE !
With this software, it's VERY easy to put in a couple of lines of code that WILL be inserted automatically before the start of every new layer.
It would be easy to set the printer to retract say 3mm filament, move the nozzle to a fixed point, pause, then re-fill the nozzle and return to the existing gcode program...
I use this to just mark each layer and show the layer number and z height...
Useful if I'm going to play with temperatures or see where the fan will start/stop...
It just makes the editing easier.
For example - I use these lines inserted into the 'Change Layer' 'custom gcode' areas within the printer settings.
(In Slic3r they're found just below the 'start' and 'finish' gcode boxes)

In the 'Before Layer Change gcode' box, I've inserted a simple " ;END_OF_LAYER "
In the 'After Layer Change gcode' box, I've inserted...
;NEW LAYER
;Layer number {(layer_num+1)}
;z height now = [layer_z]

(I have to add 1 to every layer_num variable as it starts at zero... I prefer to start at 1 ! )

A typical layer change in my gcode files would look as below...

Code: Select all

...
G1 X84.557 Y97.396 E0.01545
G1 X87.179 Y100.018 E0.11178
;END_OF_LAYER
G1 Z2.100 F3600.000
;NEW LAYER
;Layer number 10
;z height now = 2.1
;
G1 E-3.00000 F2400.00000
G1 X96.724 Y101.359 F3600.000
...

These lines appear within EVERY layer change...
They do not affect the workings of the print as they are all behind semi-colons...

Your custom gcode would be very easy to insert and get the effect you're looking for.

Gerry