Zortrax said : "Quality is the Key" and "Speaking of the quality, we have also improved the one of the surfaces in the models which top parts contain any additional parts like holes or protruding elements. "
example 1 :
Left, a printed 50mm diameter disc with Z-suite V1,5
Right, the same print file with Z-suite V1,6
Where is the improvement?
Printing is not better
There is no improvement here
It is even worse
example 2 :
Other file: mold 50mm x 40mm: horizontal surfaces are not well printed
can you get me used settings here?
Here are Z.code and STL files : it would be interesting if zortrax could print and show the disc and the mold
I have tried many different designs by modifying the forms and measures but without success
Same here.
To be honest I've never seen better prints than I got from the earlier beta versions of software/firmware.
But I have seen stronger parts with the newer versions.
I saw the same with PP3DP, so there must be reasons for what they do.
Zortrax is pretty serious about their software, even if they are an absolute PITA with their warranty/spare parts, so we can only hope they are homing in on their "sweet spot" software settings.
It seems (from the sideline) that retraction/globbing seems to be the main issue.
To be honest I've never seen better prints than I got from the earlier beta versions of software/firmware.
But I have seen stronger parts with the newer versions.
I saw the same with PP3DP, so there must be reasons for what they do.
Zortrax is pretty serious about their software, even if they are an absolute PITA with their warranty/spare parts, so we can only hope they are homing in on their "sweet spot" software settings.
It seems (from the sideline) that retraction/globbing seems to be the main issue.
Truth be told...... I look briefly at every version that's released (1.3.1, 1.4.1, 1.50, 1.6.0) but still use .96 religiously. I have too many "print on demand" parts (200+) and I can't take the time to update each and every one of them when a new version is released especially if the results aren't certifiably better. I got stung the first time when I thought the upgrade would be better and it wasn't. Had to take all of them back a version and I have simply watched the new versions coming out ever since. At some point the vast majority of people will agree the new version is "great" and at that time I'll test once again and then move my library of parts forward.
Truth be told...... I look briefly at every version that's released (1.3.1, 1.4.1, 1.50, 1.6.0) but still use .96 religiously. I have too many "print on demand" parts (200+) and I can't take the time to update each and every one of them when a new version is released especially if the results aren't certifiably better. I got stung the first time when I thought the upgrade would be better and it wasn't. Had to take all of them back a version and I have simply watched the new versions coming out ever since. At some point the vast majority of people will agree the new version is "great" and at that time I'll test once again and then move my library of parts forward.
Same here... 0.96 for ABS since 2014 and 1.1 to Ultra..
Tried the new versions and no improvements…
where can i obtain the installers for 0.96 and 1.1 ?
Look at my footnote/signature ;)
Look at my footnote/signature ;)
Use google drive link, db is blocked (probably non business account)
Truth be told...... I look briefly at every version that's released (1.3.1, 1.4.1, 1.50, 1.6.0) but still use .96 religiously. I have too many "print on demand" parts (200+) and I can't take the time to update each and every one of them when a new version is released especially if the results aren't certifiably better. I got stung the first time when I thought the upgrade would be better and it wasn't. Had to take all of them back a version and I have simply watched the new versions coming out ever since. At some point the vast majority of people will agree the new version is "great" and at that time I'll test once again and then move my library of parts forward.
If it is like that and you don't need the features of newer firmware, then give 0.0.5 a try and you will find that your rotary button works better again.
Most of the button issues are caused by firmware. Newest Z-Suite versions of course need actual firmware version.
Thought I'd see if Z-Suite v 1.6.1.1 was better for my parts than v .96 (which I use religiously for ABS). Results are:
Wow. Glad to know it's not just me. I wonder at what point did this happen - 1.0? 1.4?
I told it long before and was banned from the forum for telling the truth: Their SW and FW development circles around it's own center, things change every version to one direction and to the opposite in the next. There is almost no step further in this development except new material profiles. Z employed or contracted the wrong people to do this job, development stuck since 2+ years finally.
BTW, firmware is related to this also. I personally think the best combination is still 0.0.5 and Z-Suite 0.96, actually I use 0.0.8 now for added comfort.
Hold on tight because this is a long one, but I promise this is the last.
Well do we expect much? Read the older posts and I am sure you will find this same group (minus the new guys) complaining about the same stuff. Every new patch we get is another randomly assorted box of "improvements" that seem to give us a little bit of what we want and undermine what we already have. I said it before and here I am going to say it again with no expectation of change.
Zortrax uses a small sample size to improve upon. They use their own printers sitting on their desks to improve upon thinking that the upgrades they use will affect every printer in the same way. Even though these are machines using the same parts, for the most part (unintended pun), their environments are not the same and the users do not treat the machines the same. The engineer's Zortrax markets to will tinker with the machine and try to improve it. The hobbyist will follow the engineer and attempt to make a difference in their print production. The school's will leave the machine stock and make feign attempts to trouble shoot when there are issues only to find out it is something they cannot solve.
Every single one of those groups at some point asks for help and assistance or at the very least the development team to listen to the issues at hand and try to fix them. I only remember one time when Zortrax asked for the community's assistance before a new software was launched. Was anyone given the software to test and give feedback on, because I honestly have not heard anyone speak about it or mention it.
As some of you know I occasionally have a lot of time on my hands to do ridiculously long prints on the Zortrax and other machines. Im sure some of you have seen my post about the large Sky Blue Cube I printed for work a year ago, and if not: http://forum.zortrax.com/index.php?/topic/1333-truncated-dodecahedron/Post #6 is the full build area print. That print came off the plate without a single overhang, filament hair, burn mark, filament glob or any defects whatsoever. It was a testament to the Zortrax's power and precision. I had thousands of people at Makerfaire scanning it for defects or anything they could see to disprove that I had no cleanup on it. I reprinted that same object with the new firmware and software 2 weeks ago. 3 days 14 hours 15 mins was the new print time. Attached is the new cube, I have put in more then an hour of clean up and at this point I do not think it is worth my time to show this to a potential client.
The Inventure is 1 year late and is way overpriced. The M300 is just a bigger version of the M200 and it will most likely be a disaster because of the software. These promos Zortrax keeps running are a sign that Zortrax, as a company, is trying to show its new investor they can sell units. Makerbot did the same think once upon a time and look at them now. A reputation worth scrap and a name that brings anger to its customers.
This rant has gone on long enough and I think that I am just about done here. I have always told the truth about what I think and I almost always try to put some thought into what I post and say to people. At times I am harsh or even incoherent but I have always attempted to add something positive. I do not see anything positive in this company any longer and I am done yelling at walls.
I guess I figured my last post should be my longest.
-NS
sorry: I speak French and I can not translate all this : :wacko:
Malheureusement, Zortrax est en perdition et essaye maintenant de se sauver rapidement en commercialisant instamment la M300, en recherchant beaucoup d'argent frais d'un fond d'investissement et en proposant sans cesse des promotions : tout cela cache très mal leur panique !
La commercialisation de l’Inventure et de la M300 sont deux signes qui nous indiquent que nous ne serons plus les clients de Zortrax : c’est trop cher et cela ne correspond pas à nos besoins ! ils abandonnent leurs premiers clients, ceux-là mêmes qui leur ont donné tout leur succès. Inqualifiable ! Mais surtout dommage et dramatique !
L’Inventure est un échec total et ne serait pas pour nous, même si elle est réellement commercialisée un jour. Imprimante et matériau (uniquement du Z-ULTRAT) trop chers et volume d’impression trop petit : elle n’est pas pour nous !
la M300 est une copie désastreuse de la M200, n’apporte aucune amélioration attendue et sera vendue beaucoup trop chère : elle n’est pas pour nous !
Cela nous montre aussi qu’il n’y aura jamais d’autres matériaux pour la M200 et pire encore : ils abandonnent l’ABS !
Nous n’aurons jamais de NYLON, de PLA, de FLEXIBLE, de POLYCARBONATE, d’ABS avec du carbone, du Kevlar ou mélangé à d’autres additifs, du PLA avec des poudres de métal, de bois ou mélangé à d’autres additifs.
Nous n’aurons jamais d’autres couleurs pour l’ABS, pour le HIPS, pour le PETG.
Toutes ces matières existent, sont disponibles. Mais nous ne pouvons pas les utiliser sans contourner les obstacles placés inutilement par Zortrax et qui sont des barrières inutiles : il existe d’autres imprimantes performantes avec des logiciels ouverts et qui répondent mieux à ce dont nous avons besoin : nous achèterons ces imprimantes et pas d’autres Zortrax !
Dramatique !
I agree with all of the above, since purchasing my printer in January I have noticed nothing but decline in print quality with every new version of Z Firmware or software. Thank you VipeR for keeping every version released and making it available to us. I have now downgraded my M200 to v0.08 and my MacOS Z-Suite to v1.1
Never again Zortrax......
G
For the fun of it, I did a quick comparison between ZCode exported from 0.9.6 and 1.6.1 (3D Benchy, 100µm aka "90µm", Z-ABS, normal, 20° lite support, medium fill).
First surprise: the 0.9.6 Z-Code doesn’t contain any command to set the bed temperature while the 1.6.1 ZCode sets it to 80°C at the very beginning.
Extruder temperature is the same (275°C). Retraction values look identical. Feedrates for the Raft as well.
(Reported)total Z height and initial offset (0.2mm) are identical.
The raft seems to be a bit more complex in 0.9.6 (a few hundred more ZCode commands used compared to 1.6.1).
After the raft, 1.6.1 starts the 1st mode layer with feedrate 2000 while 0.9.6 starts the model with feedrate 3000.
Feedrates for the model seem to be generally lower in 1.6.1 for the first layer(s). Later on they seem to be identical to those used in 0.9.6.
Both versions set the fan to 20% (51 decimal) after a few commands (above the raft). Generally, the automatic fan control looks very similar.
1.6.1 creates 10000 additional ZCode commands compared to 0.9.6 and the expected print time is 8 minutes longer for 1.6.1.
Hope you dont go NightShift, your the one of very few people to hit the nail on the head on this forum. always enjoy reading your posts as they can be very educational