¶ Preview and Evaluate G-code
Once the model is successfully sliced, you need to preview G-code results to evalute the printing process. It is a rendering of the actual toolpath data that the printer will execute. Use it to get a fully detailed view of the model and support before printing it. Any changes to the print settings cannot be made here, but going back to Prepare workspace.
¶ Features Introduction
By default, you will go to Preview workspace automatically when slicing is done. Of course you can enter this workspace at any time by clicking the ribbon→Home tab→Results command or choose it from workspaces list at top-left corner. If you have gcode file in hands, please go to Application Menu and select preview G-code, and preview works as well. When the G-code opens, you will find it is split into layers and then steps. These are the actual print paths executed by the printer when the print job is started. Here is the general workflow you can follow:
- Estimate Panel
- Check total print time, price and material consumption in length and weight.
- The currency unit for price is set in Preference dialog, and the unit price, diamater and density of the material is defined in Material Library, and can be overridden even for preset ones.
- Color Scheme Legend - The layer view contains multiple color schemes to represent the sliced model in a useful way, and it is possible to view additional information including line type, line width, layer thickness, print speed, fan speed, print temperature and extruder material color.
- Layer Slider Bar - Limit visualization of extrusions and travel by a range of layers for simulation view. It can be called as vertical slider as well.
- Step Slider Bar - Control visualization of extrusions and travel by a range of steps/head moves thus allowing simulation of the print in time. It can be called as horizontal slider as well.
- Switch between Prepare and Preview view for Browser content. It is quite useful when you need to double check what are the general print settings during G-code preview without going to Prepare workspace and back.
¶ Estimate Panel
- Check total print time, price and material consumption in length and weight.
- The currency unit for price is set in Preference dialog, and the unit price, diamater and density of the material is defined in Material Library, and can be overridden even for preset ones.
¶ Color Scheme Legend
The legend shows the feature classification (outer wall, inner wall, infill etc.) , print time and the print time fraction per feature, but also material consumption
- Color Scheme drop-down list: Click to select the type of results, and visual display of the toolpaths will be rendered in canvas.
- Visibility toggle: Enable or disable visibility in canvas of printed features to view the features you care about most.
- Select the color of rendering for the specific feature.
- Get the accurate print time and percentage per feature.
- Turn on to check more details about material consumption per feature in length(mm) and weight(gram).
¶ Layer Slider Bar
- It shows the number of total layers sliced.
- Top layer controller: Decide the upper layer shown. You can freely drag the handler in trangle shape range up and down, but also enter values in the input box, and the layer slider will jump to that layer on the slider. And end steps on Step Slider Bar and top layer controller on Layer Slider Bar are connected and interrelated.
- Current layer indicator: It is passively updated to reflect the layer where head move position is on the toolpath, and cannot be manully entered with values. It is decided by Head Move Handler on Step Slider Bar.
- Bottom layer controller: Decide the lower layer shown. You can freely drag the handler in trangle shape up and down, but also enter values in the input box, and the layer slider will jump to that layer on the slider. And start steps on Step Slider Bar and bottom layer controller on Layer Slider Bar are connected and interrelated.
- Single Layer. Display only one layer which is decided by Top layer controller when you click this button first time, and then you can get it changed.
¶ Step Slider Bar
- Start Step: It is the sequence number of the first step decided by Bottom layer controller on Layer Slider Bar.
- First step controller: Decide the first step shown in simulation view. You can freely drag the handler in trangle shape range left and right, but also enter values in the input box, and the step slider will jump to that step on the slider.
- Head Move Handler: As the slider or handler is adjusted forward and backward, its coordinates in machine coordinate system and extrusion value updates timely, but also the print head moves on the toolpath.
- Last step controller: Decide the last step shown in canvas. You can freely drag the handler in trangle shape range left and right, but also enter values in the input box, and the step slider will jump to that step on the slider.
- End Step: It is the sequence number of the last step decided by Top layer controller on Layer Slider Bar.
Note: First step controller and Last step controller on Step Slider Bar can limit visualization of extrusions and travel further for simulation view upon Top layer controller and Bottom layer controller on Layer Slider Bar. It is quite useful when there are serveral close loops or regions, and you just want to focus on one of them for details, then you can adjust these controllers and then drag Head Move Handler forward and backward (or press left and right arrow on keyboard), as below.
¶ Support for collapsing the browser and estimation panels
In the 2024.2.0730 version, we have added support for collapsing the browser and estimation panels to improve your viewing experience of the model printing results. This setting is at the software level and when you switch to the collapsed state, it will affect all documents.
¶ Display of actual nozzle position information
Above the step slider, information on the printhead position, current setup item, spit information and step information is added to the display as shown below:
The types of features currently supported are Line Width (mm)、 Layer Height (mm)、Speed (mm/s)、Fan Speed (%)、Temperature (°C)、Layer Time (s)、Flow Rate (mm3/s).