3D Printing with MatterControl

3D Printing with MatterControl

by Joan Horvath, Rich Cameron
Released September 2015
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781484210550

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Book description

In 3D Printing With MatterControl, Joan Horvath and Rich Cameron, the team behind Mastering 3D Printing, explain step-by-step how to use the MatterControl program, which allows you to control many common types of 3D printers (including both cartesian and delta style machines). 3D Printing With MatterControl can stand alone, or it can be a companion to Mastering 3D Printing to show you how to install, configure, and use best practices with your printer and printing software. The book includes both step by step software walkthroughs and case studies with typical 3D printed objects.

Whether you are a "maker" or a teacher of makers, 3D Printing with MatterControl will show you how to get the most out of your printer with the new standard for open source 3D printing software.

While there are books available on 3D printers, and even a few on software to make models for printers, there are few good sources covering the software that actually controls these printers. MatterControl is emerging as the leading open source software for 3D printers, and 3D Printing With MatterControl covers this new standard in this brief book.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents at a Glance
  6. Contents
  7. About the Authors
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Introduction
  10. Part I: The 3D-Printing Ecosystem
    1. Chapter 1: The Desktop 3D Printer
      1. What Is 3D Printing?
        1. Commercial 3D Printers
        2. Desktop 3D Printers
      2. Desktop 3D-Printer Hardware
        1. Types of Filament-Based 3D Printers
        2. Cartesian Printers
        3. Non-Cartesian Printers
      3. 3D Printer Options
        1. Heated Beds
        2. Multiple Extruders
        3. Electronics Options
      4. Open Source
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 2: What Is MatterControl?
      1. The 3D-Printing Workflow
        1. Step 1. Obtain a 3D Model
        2. Step 2. Slice the 3D Model
        3. Step 3. Reviewing the Sliced File and Printing
      2. MatterControl’s Capabilities
        1. Using an SD Card
        2. The MatterControl Touch Tablet
        3. A Note about 3D Print Durations
      3. Summary
    3. Chapter 3: Downloading and Configuring MatterControl
      1. Getting Started Using MatterControl
        1. MatterControl Home Screen
      2. OPTIONS Menus
        1. Hardware Settings
        2. Cloud Settings
        3. Application Settings
      3. The MatterControl Touch Tablet
      4. Summary
  11. Part II: The 3D-Printing Process
    1. Chapter 4: Making a 3D Model
      1. Where to Get 3D Models
        1. Scanning a Model
        2. Downloading and Modifying Existing Models
        3. Creating a 3D Model from Scratch
      2. Using a 3D-Modeling Program
        1. Types of 3D-Modeling Software
        2. Options for Getting Started Quickly
        3. Programs for Specific Applications
      3. Design Considerations
        1. Complexity Is Free (but Simplicity May Not Be)
        2. Speed vs. Customization
      4. Summary
    2. Chapter 5: Slicing a 3D Model
      1. What Is “Slicing”?
        1. 3D Printing as Cooking
        2. The Physicality of 3D Printing
        3. 3D Printing Design Rules
      2. Slicing a Model Using MatterControl
        1. Picking One of the Slice Engines
        2. Running the Program
        3. Changing the Slice Engine Settings
        4. Layer-by-Layer Preview
        5. Saving a File to Be Printed
      3. Slice Engine Settings and What They Mean
        1. Starting a Print and Getting a Model to Stick to the Platform
        2. Supporting and Orienting a Model
        3. Bridging
        4. Tolerances
        5. Speed
        6. Managing Internal Open Space
        7. Details, Details: Retraction
        8. Learning More
      4. Summary
    3. Chapter 6: Controlling Your 3D Printer
      1. G-code and Firmware
        1. Understanding G-code
        2. M (Machine) Codes
      2. Using MatterControl to Control Your Printer
        1. Connecting to Your Printer and Starting a Print
        2. When a Print Starts
        3. During a Print
        4. When a Print Finishes Normally
        5. Restarting or Shutting Off the Printer
      3. Managing and Debugging Problems
        1. G-code Terminal
        2. Stopping a Print
        3. Changing Filament
        4. Changing Temperatures During a Print
        5. Basic Hardware Troubleshooting
      4. Running from an SD Card
      5. Summary
    4. Chapter 7: Material Considerations
      1. Filament Quality Control
      2. Filament-Related Settings in MatterControl
      3. Selecting and Using a Filament
        1. Directional Strength
        2. The Right Print Bed
        3. Temperature and Speed Settings
        4. Will My Filament Spool Run Out During My Print?
      4. Filament Materials
        1. Polylactic Acid (PLA)
        2. Filled Materials
        3. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
        4. Nylon
        5. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
        6. Polycarbonate
        7. Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs)
        8. Dissolvable Support Materials
      5. Summary
    5. Chapter 8: Special Cases
      1. Printing Hollow Objects
      2. Printing Vases
      3. Multiple Extruders
        1. Dual-Extruder Printing with Two Different Materials
        2. Using MatterControl with a Dual-Extruder Printer
      4. Summary
  12. Part III: Your Printer at Work
    1. Chapter 9: File and Settings Management, and the Touch Tablet
      1. File Management: The Queue
      2. The MatterControl Library
      3. Settings Management: Pre-sets
      4. The MatterControl Touch Tablet
        1. Creating a MatterHackers Account
        2. Running a Printer from a Touch
        3. The Camera
      5. Summary
    2. Chapter 10: Case Studies and Classroom Tips
      1. Simple Print
        1. Steps in MatterControl for the Simple Model
        2. Typical Model Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
      2. Printing with Support
      3. Printing Fine Details
        1. Text on a Print
        2. Effects of Print Orientation
      4. Unusual Slicing: The Quick-Print Gear Bearing
      5. Classroom 3D-Printing Observations
        1. Learning 3D Design
        2. When to Use a 3D Printer
        3. Overcoming Challenges
      6. Summary
    3. Chapter 11: MatterControl Plugins
      1. Existing Plugins
        1. Text Creator
        2. Image Converter
      2. Summary
    4. Chapter 12: Troubleshooting and Post-processing
      1. How to Unclog a Nozzle
        1. Cold Pull
        2. Other Unclogging Techniques
      2. How to Minimize Stringing
      3. How to Print Computationally Complex Objects
      4. How to Print Physically Big Objects
        1. Objects That Are Too Long for the Build Platform
        2. Objects That Are Too Big in More Than One Dimension
      5. Tips on Removing Support
      6. Sanding, Chemical Smoothing, Painting, and Dyeing
        1. Sanding
        2. Smoothing and Bonding ABS with Acetone
        3. Painting ABS and PLA
        4. Dyeing Nylon
      7. Some Final Thoughts
        1. Going from a 3D Print to a Metal Cast
        2. Other Printer Technologies
        3. Applications
        4. Going Forward
      8. Summary
    5. Appendix A: Supported Printer Manufacturers
    6. Appendix B: Links
      1. About the Authors
      2. Chapter 1: The Desktop 3D Printer
      3. Chapter 2: What Is MatterControl?
      4. Chapter 3: Installing and Setting Up Matter Control
      5. Chapter 4: Making a 3D Model
      6. Chapter 5: Slicing a 3D Model – no links
      7. Chapter 6: Controlling Your 3D Printer
      8. Chapter 7: Material Considerations
      9. Chapter 8: Special Cases & Chapter 9: File and Settings Management and the Touch Table - no links
      10. Chapter 10: Case Studies and Classroom Tips
      11. Chapter 11: MatterControl Plugins
      12. Chapter 12: Troubleshooting and Post-Processing
  13. Index

Product information

  • Title: 3D Printing with MatterControl
  • Author(s): Joan Horvath, Rich Cameron
  • Release date: September 2015
  • Publisher(s): Apress
  • ISBN: 9781484210550