RepRap
RepRap is an open-source 3D printer project. A RepRap prints objects of plastic and is intended for rapid-prototyping, the printer itself is built with small plastic parts which can be printed out and replaced. This page explains how to install RepRap host software on Arch Linux and how to print 3D models. More information is available on the RepRap homepage.
Installation
Many of the controller chips for RepRap are arduino based, or arduino derived (such as Melzi). Figure out what electronics you have from the RepRap Official Electronics page. You will also find what firmware you have on that page.
Follow the arduino wiki page if you have an arduino based controller. Do the Installation and Configuration steps.
Install the host software by following this guide Installing RepRap on your computer. There are alternative host software solutions which are easier to install and are described in the following sections.
Configuration
Connect your 3D printer to your computer and run the host software. Use the host software's user interface to send commands to the printer.
Host software alternatives
Cura
- Install cura.
Run cura
$ cura
Configure it to use RepRap in the startup configuration wizard. Select the RepRap model you are using, or select Custom RepRap.
- Install cura-aleph-binAUR or the new cura2-lulzbotAUR from AUR.
- Add user to the uucp group
$ usermod -a -G uucp username
MatterControl
MatterControl is a combined slicer/host similar to Cura. Install mattercontrolAUR from AUR, then run it.
$ mattercontrol
Printrun / Pronterface
Printrun consists of printcore, pronsole and pronterface, and a small collection of helpful scripts.
- printcore.py is a library that makes writing reprap hosts easy
- pronsole.py is an interactive command-line host software with tabcompletion goodness
- pronterface.py is a graphical host software with the same functionality as pronsole
It is pronterface and pronsole which will be most usefull to us.
Now you can run the pronterface and pronsole commands directly. Let's start pronterface, as it has a GUI.
$ pronterface.py
Use it to send commands to your 3D printer.
If you have to run it by calling a helper script like mendel.sh, it might be a good idea modify the script to use python2 instead of default python (python3).
# sed -r 's,bin/python(2)*,bin/python2,' /path/to/mendel.sh
ReplicatorG
- Install replicatorgAUR from AUR.
- Make sure you are in group users
Set write permissions in /opt/replicatorg
# chmod g+w /opt/replicatorg
On a 64-bit system, copy to following libraries into /opt/replicatorg
# cp /usr/lib/librxtxSerial-2.2pre1.so /opt/replicatorg/lib-x86_64 # cp /usr/share/java/rxtx/RXTXcomm.jar /opt/replicatorg/lib
Then simply run replicatorg
$ replicatorg
Alternatively download ReplicatorG from somewhere else. You will need java installed.
$ ./replicatorg
Repetier
Repetier is a little like pronterface.
- Install repetier-hostAUR from AUR.
Read more at http://www.repetier.com/
See Also
Calibration
http://youtu.be/wAL9d7FgInk http://calculator.josefprusa.cz/ http://reprap.org/wiki/Calibration http://reprap.org/wiki/Triffid_Hunter%27s_Calibration_Guide http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5573 https://sites.google.com/site/repraplogphase/calibration-of-your-reprap