Host vs. Slicer. Bowden speed advantage? Open Source?

[EL Cuajinais]

It is the eve of my receiving the Rostock V2 (Finally!!! ) and I have some more noob questions for the community:

1. It is not clear to me where the separation of host program and Slicer occurs. I ask because I already purchased Simplify 3D and want to use it. But when I see the calibration for the printer they seem to be in Matter Host. But then I see S3D also has a calibration area. Can someone explain what I need to do in Matter Host before using S3D to slice and print?

2. I've read in different places how you need to slow down the print speed in order to get good quality. So my question is: Isn't speed the only advantage of a bowden extruder? Are we not making the bowden a moot point by printing slow to get good quality? Aren't bowden extruders supposed to print with better accuracy for a given speed compared to a direct feed extruders?

3. Is the Rostock Max V2 open source? I downloaded the solid works files from the download section but they have just a few parts, not the whole thing.

[teoman]

1 hos basically means a program that can connect to your printer. Slicer is a program that takes an stl file and transforms it in to GCode.

The printer itself only understands G code. (G code is basically move here... move there commands).

So. If your software has a connect button then you do not need anything else. You just need to find the command line, box where you type g codes and send the to the printer. Then you can run the calibration in the manual.

This will probably be crystal clear to you in a week or so.

(You can also run gcode files off an sd card. So you may not even need a host program later on)


2 bowden type setup is faster because the motor is not moving. Think truck vs motorbike. It is slightly less accurate because the motor is far away from the nozzle. So with a bowden type setup your mechaniscs are lighter and can move faster.

This speed has nothing to do with the speed should be printing at. The part based speed depents on the part. If it is small overhangs you have to give the plastic time to cool. I.e you should not ride your motorbike fast in areas wjere there are children on the street. There will be places where you can go/print fast.

In a month this will become clear to you. For example you can print 2 of the same part at the same time. This will give the plastic time to cool.

3 the files are there. But as they are not machined or 3d printed they are parts for laser cutting. So they are 2d files (for the melamine).

You can use solidworks to add a 4th dimension to them if you want to print them.

[EL Cuajinais]

Thanks for the reply Teoman. I've already started my RMV2 build. Super excited!!!