Cloud Prepare Release Notes
Cloud Prepare is an optional cloud-based version of the printer software.
Expanded range for Correction Scale factors
The allowed range for Correction Scale factors has been expanded to 0.7 - 1.2 (from its previous range of 0.8 - 1.1) to accommodate a greater range of workflows.
Expanded range for Correction Scale factors
The allowed range for Correction Scale factors has been expanded to 0.8 - 1.1 (from its previous range of 0.95 - 1.1) to accommodate a greater range of workflows. Note that using Correction Scale to alter a part retains existing supports and labels; when more aggressive scale factors are used (e.g., values closer to either end of the allowed range), existing labels and supports may become unusable, as labels and supports do not scale intuitively with the part itself. After any Correction Scale adjustment, inspect your build and parts carefully to ensure you have achieved the desired results.
Stronger default supports for EPU 46
For projects in EPU 46, supports are now automatically generated with wider tips and necks to promote better adhesion between the part and supports.
If larger default support dimensions are inappropriate for a project, simply use existing support generation tools to reduce the tip and/or neck dimension prior to generating supports.
When a user adds new support points or polylines to an already-supported part, then transforms the part in some way (eg scales, rotates, moves on/off-platform) and opts to regenerate existing supports, the new supports (as indicated by new support points or polylines) will also be generated. (Previously, newly indicated support points or polylines were discarded in a support regeneration request.)
Cloud Print Planner incompatibility
Due to a change to the Cloud Print Planner, some cloud-generated print plans will be incompatible with installed printer software until a future version of printer software is available (anticipated 2025). To ensure successful prints in the interim, select “Use On-Printer Print Planner” for all projects created on Cloud Prepare.
For new projects, the On-Printer Print Planner will be selected by default. If you encounter errors printing previously created projects that currently use the Cloud Print Planner, select “Use On-Printer Print Planner” before re-trying.
Auto Layout and embossed labels
Gen2 Auto Layout now properly accommodates parts with embossed labels. Previously, embossed labels (labels that protrude from the part surface) were separate from core model geometry, and were ignored when running an Auto Layout command. In certain very tight layouts, this occasionally resulted in overlapping part labels. In this release, embossed labels are included in the part geometry considered for Auto Layout, removing the risk of label overlap.
Updated support parameters for printing with EPU46
Default bar and fence support parameters for EPU46 have been widened to improve print outcomes. As a reminder, support parameters are editable (prior to generation) to allow users to meet the needs of many types of parts.
Additionally, when the Patch Supports tool is used with EPU 46, Carbon recommends that bar support spacing be set to 3mm (rather than the default of 5mm). Users must make this spacing adjustment manually, as the system does not set this automatically.
Rafted Supports
A new option is available when generating patch supports: the “Base Raft” toggle automatically adjusts support parameters to encourage the formation of supports with conjoined bases that form a “raft.” To access this setting, navigate to Patch Supports and select a patch, then toggle “Base Raft” to ON before clicking “Generate All.”
Base Raft functionality has been developed to create supports compatible with automatic part removal via the AO Backpack, part of Carbon’s Automatic Operation suite of products, and thus has primarily been tested with certain types of supported dental models printed in DPR10.
However, users are welcome to explore this BETA setting for other types of prints if/as desired. Note that selecting “Base Raft” pre-sets the Bar Spacing and Base Diameter parameters and disables the Boundary Fence. However, all parameters remain editable to provide flexibility for a wide range of use cases.
Move parts in Z
A new option in the Layout tab allows users to set the location of parts in the Z dimension (eg, to place them at a certain height above the platform). Find this tool at the bottom of the Layout panel.
Important notes for using this functionality:
- If you have adjusted the Z location of parts, do not use Auto Layout, as Auto Layout will clear Z location settings.
- Individual parts’ set Z locations will be impacted by resin- and part-specific Correction Scale factors; while such adjustments will be dimensionally small, inspect your build carefully if precision is paramount.
- Select customers may have previously been granted this functionality as an Optional Software Feature; in such cases, this functionality is unchanged with this release.
When using the Measure tool, pressing the ESC key after placing a first measurement point ends the Measure action. You will remain in Measure mode until you de-select the tool from the bottom toolbar.
Improved surface accuracy and appearance for certain geometries
Long, flat surfaces in the XY plane have sometimes suffered from print defects that present as stripes or striations on a surface that should be flat and smooth. Such defects stem from certain mesh triangulation patterns containing long triangle edges, which are sometimes negatively impacted by Carbon’s optical corrections. Carbon’s method for handling such geometries has now been improved to enable improved surface finish and accuracy on long, flat, surfaces in the XY plane.
This change impacts all projects created on Cloud Prepare as of the effective release date, unless “Use On-Printer Print Planner” is selected in the Print Controls section of the user interface prior to printing. (Note that the on-printer print planner will also adopt this change in a future installed software version later this year.)
Preserve original model positions upon upload
When a new project is created, you can now opt to preserve the original model positions (XYZ coordinates). This may be useful if you have set relative positions of parts in design software and wish to retain those positions on the print platform.
To enable this function, check “Preserve original model positions” in the project creation dialog. Leaving this box unchecked will place part(s) at the center of the platform. After uploading any part(s) with retained XYZ coordinates, inspect your build carefully to ensure it is appropriate for printing.
Regardless of what is selected at project creation, any parts uploaded later will not retain XYZ coordinates and instead will be as close as possible to the center of the build platform.
While retained X and Y positions are fairly straightforward, please be aware of the following considerations about Z positions:
- If Z coordinates are negative, part(s) will be lifted to the platform surface.
- Individual parts’ Z positions will be impacted by the resin- and part-specific Correction Scale. For example, if a part is imported at a Z location of 6 mm above zero and the part receives a correction scale of 1.0042 (based on the selected resin and part geometry), then the Z location of that part will become 6.0252 mm. You can check the Correction Scale for any part in the Scale tab. For any part assemblies for which specific Z locations are critical, carefully inspect the build before printing and adjust if needed.
This release includes various improvements to Support workflows:
- Fence Supports generated via Auto Support or Patch Support tools are now editable
- Additional tooltips and help content have been added to improve usability
Some Carbon customers have the ability to create and upload custom print scripts to control the operation of their printer during a print. This release includes the following usability improvements for customers who do not have this capability:
- Users can delete a custom print script from a project
- The filename of a project’s custom print script is visible in a print’s “Detailed Info” dialog box
Improvements to Support workflows
Bar Supports
Edit existing Bar Supports
The end points of Bar Supports (both on the part and on the platform) can now be repositioned. Select a support, press “Edit Support,” and then drag the connection point to your desired location. For existing projects that include supports, editing Bar Supports will not be available until you add a new support to the project. A quick workaround for existing projects is to add a support and then delete it, as this will enable editing capabilities. Editing Bar Supports may be slow for projects that contain large, complex models. Press Esc to cancel an in-process operation if desired.
Control the initial shape/direction for a new Bar Support
When adding an individual Bar Support, the user can now specify the desired generation path for that support. After placing a support point, press and hold the Ctrl key to see a projection of the support path. Move your mouse to visualize the desired path, then click the left mouse button to set the desired path. Click Generate to create the support.
Fence Supports
Edit existing Fence Supports
The polyline that controls Fence Support placement can now be edited after support generation. Select a Fence Support, press “Edit Support,” and then click to add new points to extend the polyline and/or hold the “E” key to drag existing polyline points to a new location. Click Generate to create the desired support. Fence polyline editing is only available for newly generated, manually created fences. Fence Supports that already exist on older projects will not be editable; Fence Supports generated via Auto Support or Patch Support tools are not editable.
More reliable venting in Fence Supports
Fence Supports are generated with embedded triangular vents to reduce resin usage and avoid creating unvented volumes. Previously, the orientation of triangular vents was randomized, and triangles might point in any direction. If vents happened to point toward the platform, the result could be a difficult-to-print overhang. All triangular vents will now orient pointing away from the platform to reduce the introduction of unintended overhangs.
New “Print Project Again” functionality
Print records for prints generated from Cloud Prepare now include a “Print Again” button in the top right-hand corner. Pressing this button will quickly queue another print of the project to the same printer where it was previously printed.
If you wish to print the project again on a different printer, return to the original Project (or click “View Revision”) to access full queuing functionality.
Scale tool improvement
In the Scale tool, if a user has previously altered any XYZ scale factors such that the aspect ratio has changed, the “Lock aspect ratio” button will no longer be selected by default the next time the Scale tool is visited.
Print Plan Adjustments improvement
In Print Plan Adjustments (an optional software feature), global parameters can now be set to a value of 0. Note that for select global parameters, a value of 0 is not allowed and an error may be displayed.
Extended Print Plan options when used with v1.42+
Projects prepared via Cloud Prepare now have the option to calculate a print plan using the cloud-based print planner (the most up-to-date version) or the print planner included in the installed printer software where the project is queued/printed. This latter option may be preferred for projects that are sensitive to validation requirements related to software versions. The on-printer print planner can only be indicated when queuing a print to a printer with v1.42+ installed; printers with older software versions installed will rely on the cloud-based print planner.
This release includes the following usability improvements for the Print Plan Adjustments tool (an optional software feature):
- “Part Temperature” graphs now display Part Temperature in absolute degrees Celsius rather than as a percentage
- Keep in mind that the Part Temperature graph will be blank for force feedback-enabled prints (L1, M3, and M3 Max), as temperature is not predicted ahead of time but rather is managed live during the print
- The “Slice Thickness” parameter can now be set to 0um (values 0><25um are still disallowed)
- If Slice Thickness is set to 0, the slice(s) will be skipped (not printed)
- Keep in mind that the Slice Thickness parameter adjusts the thickness with which indicated slice groups are printed, but does not impact the original slicing of the file (which is governed by the slice thickness set during Print Preparation); plan model geometry accordingly if using this feature
- If the first slice (slice 0) is set to have a different slice thickness than the remainder of the print, any difference is corrected for in the first 1mm of print height to preserve the total STL height
This release includes the following usability improvements:
- Select one or more fence supports to view their measurement parameters
- When a supported part is scaled or rotated (without any z-direction rotation), users can opt to quickly regenerate supports using the previously selected support points and/or polylines (previously, all existing supports were deleted along with any scale or rotation action)
This release includes the following usability improvements:
- Select one or more bar supports to view their measurement parameters
- Gen2 Auto Layout is no longer considered Beta functionality, and will be displayed by default as the primary Auto Layout functionality (Gen1 Auto Layout can still be selected if/when desired)
- A new optional setting is available to limit the scene display to 20 million triangles to preserve functionality when viewing extremely large builds; contact [email protected] to enable this setting
- When a project uses a custom print script (most commonly, one provided by Carbon), that script filename will now be visible in the Print Profile field of the project interface
Improvements to Print Plan Adjustments
New global parameters are now available via Print Plan Adjustments:
- Global brightline controls (Default Brightline Enabled, Default Brightline End Height, and Default Brightline Outer Borders) allow tuning of how/where brightlining is applied to your print, and can be used in combination with existing slice-level brightlining parameters.
- Start Height Offset allows you to accommodate for situations in which a non-printed surface (e.g. a release film or fabric layer) is applied to the platform before printing.
Print Plan Adjustments is an optional software feature; contact [email protected] to request access to this functionality.
Gen2 Auto Layout: Rotation Optimization
A new “Optimize starting rotation” option is available as part of Gen2 Auto Layout. This feature adjusts each part’s starting rotation to minimize its bounding box in XY before running the Auto Layout operation. Toggling this feature on can improve total overall density. Leave this option unchecked if you want to retain parts’ initial rotations (e.g., for known printability or post-processing concerns).
.PLY files (Polygon File Format) can now be uploaded as models within the print preparation workspace
(.PLY files have been partially supported in the past, but could not be easily selected via the upload dialog box).
Introduced usability improvements and resolved minor bugs:
- Cloud Prepare (make.carbon3.com) now displays a visible “Beta” banner and provides a link to Carbon’s Software Terms of Use; this changes neither the launch status nor the terms of use for this product but is intended to provide clarity on both
- The Gen2 Slicer (formerly called the Poisson slicer) is now the default slicing option for projects; the Gen1 Slicer can still be manually selected as the “Legacy Slicer”
- Resolved an issue in which process spinners were not always present, which could cause user confusion
- Resolved an issue in which a project could be left in an inoperable state until the page was reloaded
Introduced usability improvements and resolved minor bugs:
- For prints on Force Feedback-enabled printers (M3, M3 Max, and L1), the “average speed” indicated on the print record of completed prints properly reflects the actual average speed of the print (rather than the projected estimated speed that was calculated prior to the print)
- Adjusted part labeling workflows to more effectively alert users when a token-based input has been used in a way that will result in an empty engraving (and thus a processing error)
Gen2 Auto Layout: Limit Part Rotations
By default, Gen2 Auto Layout tries four rotations of all parts (based on each model’s starting orientation). If you do not want Gen2 Auto Layout to rotate parts, you can now disallow rotation, or allow only a single 180° rotation. This behavior may be desired if you have oriented parts specifically for cleanability.
Additional Improvements
Patch Supports have been improved to avoid adding fence supports to very thin areas of model geometry (where fence removal might tear the part), and to avoid generating unwanted small disconnected fence fragments at certain feature edges
Project Details (available from the Project Analysis tab, the print record, and Print Plan Adjustments) now includes the cassette type
In Print Plan Adjustments (optional feature; contact [email protected] for access), additional slice-level parameters introduced in recent software updates are now available to all enabled customers
Introduced select usability improvements and resolved minor bugs:
- The “undo” command works properly to undo a resin selection
- Improvements to Print Plan Adjustments (optional feature; contact [email protected] for access)
- Users can run project analysis for projects they do not own
- Detailed project information on the Print Plan page (“View Details”) now includes additional information related to new parameters introduced in recent software updates
- Graphing options extended to include parameters introduced in recent software updates
- Additional guidance is provided when a user is downloading parts with supports and/or labels to avoid confusion about how these features are handled in downloaded STLs
Prints prepared on and queued from Cloud Prepare to a physical printer are properly displayed in the Fleet Prints list at print.carbon3d.com/prints.
Availability note: Cloud Prepare is currently an Early Access Product and requires an additional agreement. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in accessing Cloud Prepare.
Release notes were not published for changes to Cloud Prepare prior to October, 2023.