v1.39

overview welcome to printer software v1 39 in this release, we’ve included the following improvements to your print process v1 39 docid\ oxy9qayf9b9bsjawyh82b improved default print plans for elastomeric resins on l1, m3, and m3 max printers better automatic part scaling to drive improved dimensional accuracy improved accuracy for select resin & hardware combinations v1 39 docid\ oxy9qayf9b9bsjawyh82b improved tools & capabilities for adjusting print plans select a resin during project creation more accurate print time estimates for m3 printers v1 39 docid\ oxy9qayf9b9bsjawyh82b various bugfixes new printer software version lock option updated resin pot life recommendations (not governed by software) version details v1 39 0 1383 108 released to select printers on or after 04/27/2023 v1 39 0 1383 122 released to select printers on or after 06/08/2023 ^ v1 39 0 1383 124 released to select printers on or after 07/10/2023 v1 39 0 1383 125 released to select printers on or after 07/26/2023 v1 39 0 1383 128 available to release to select printers on an as needed basis as of 08/21/2023 v1 39 0 1383 136 available to release to select printers on or after 12/07/2023 ^ v1 39 0 1383 150 released to select printers on or after 5/8/2025 v1 39 0 1383 151 released to select printers on or after 5/15/2025 ^ ^ available for version lock; 122 is only supported for printers that joined the version lock program prior to 8/21/2023; for l1 printers, 136 or higher is required to use the new l1b1 hv (high volume) cassette version support note carbon requires that customers update software regularly with the exception of specified version lockable older version(s), carbon does not support non current software versions if you require support but are running an unsupported software version, the first troubleshooting step is to move to a supported software version the following are supported printer software versions as of the publication of these release notes (march 2023) v1 39 (current version) v1 38 (supported until june 2023) v1 31 (former version lock offering; supported until late 2023, after which printers requiring version lock must transition to v1 39) changes in how we print improved default print plans for elastomeric resins on l1, m3, and m3 max printers the default print plans for printing elastomeric resins on l1, m3, and m3 max printers have been improved to deliver significantly faster print times without hindering print success elastomeric prints on l1 printers that use the default print plan are now 20 30% faster on the m3 and m3 max, elastomeric prints that use the default print plan are now 30 50% faster if you have struggled to achieve print time goals or target part costs for elastomeric parts, consider re printing after updating to v1 39, as improved print times may alter production economics note that estimated print times (pre print) may not reflect experienced print time improvements print time estimates are based on fleet wide data about past prints, and may over or under estimate elastomeric print times on the default print plan until our next software release additional notes the dynamic print profile will experience the same benefits in print time as the default print plan print times using the default and dynamic print profiles will be similar prints using a customized print profile are unlikely to be impacted by this change the l1 b1 epu default print profile is not impacted by this change only general purpose l1 printers used with type c cassettes are impacted by this change l1 printers configured for aligner manufacturers or l1 prints with other cassette types are not affected better automatic part scaling to drive improved dimensional accuracy various factors of carbon’s dls printing process and associated post processing can result in part shrinkage due to mass loss the outcome can be final parts that are different than the nominal dimensions in your 3d model carbon has historically applied a scaling algorithm to parts to counteract the effects of mass loss with the v1 39 software update, carbon has updated our approach to scaling parts printed on the carbon platform this change applies to new projects; keep reading to learn more about options for handling existing projects this change includes two elements a change to the mechanism by which parts are scaled (which impacts all resins), and new dynamic, geometry specific scaling (which impacts only select resins) scaling mechanism in printer software ≤ v1 38, a scale factor is applied to each build at the time of printing by subtly adjusting the slices used to produce the print scaling applies equally to all parts within a build in printer software v1 39, individual models are scaled prior to printing no changes are made to slices at the time of printing this change to the scaling mechanism applies to all resins printed on carbon printers scale factors in printer software ≤ v1 38, each resin is assigned a pre calculated scale factor based on mass loss observed in representative test builds the same scale factor is used for all builds printed in a specified resin, regardless of part geometry in printer software v1 39, resins are classified into two groups those highly impacted by mass loss, and those that are less impacted for resins highly impacted by mass loss, scale factors applied to models are customized based on individual geometries a build with many different parts may thus have many different scale factors applied (one per part) the following resins are highly impacted by mass loss and now individually scale parts based on geometry epu 41 black rpu 70 rpu 130 epx 82 epx 86fr sil 30 fpu 50 note that for any given part printed in one of the above resins, the scale factor applied in software v1 39 will likely be different than the scale factor that was applied in software v1 38 the degree of difference will depend on part geometry, with the greatest differences observed when printing parts with relatively thin walls (<2mm) all resins not listed above are less susceptible to the effects of mass loss for these resins, a single static scale factor is applied to all parts within the build, regardless of individual part geometries scale factors applied are the same as those used in software ≤ v1 38 while the method of scaling has changed between software releases (see “scaling mechanism,” above), the actual scaling factor has not changed prints using resins not listed above will have substantially similar print outcomes when printed on v1 38 and v1 39 when a user uploads one or more model files to the print prep ui and selects the desired resin, carbon automatically analyzes the file(s) and applies an appropriate scale factor based on part geometry and resin if you wish to view and/or edit the scale factors that have been applied to your part(s), you can do so within the “scale” section of the print prep ui example correction scale factors shown within the scale tab in the print prep ui note that the allowable range for these new correction scale factors is purposely narrow (from 0 95 to 1 1) if you wish to make significant scale changes to your part (eg, 2x), please use the original “scale” controls above when should i use “scale” vs “correction scale”? carbon’s original scale tool is intended to help you make wholesale adjustments to part size (for example, “i want this part to be twice as big”), without returning to cad software scale factors (in x, y, and z) are applied in relation to the part’s original orientation at the time of upload changing the scale factor of a part will remove any supports and/or labels that were previously applied the new correction scale tool is designed to allow you to make minor tweaks to adapt in situations when final part dimensions deviate from intended dimensions due to the impacts of printing and post processing correction scale factors (in x, y, and z) are applied according to the part’s current orientation in relation to the build platform changes to correction scale factors can be made without deleting supports and/or labels that were previously applied while this feature will generally drive improved print outcomes for a wide variety of parts, there are some important considerations if you are working with projects created on older versions of software if, after updating to v1 39, you open a project created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), duplicate a project created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), or upload a carbon file created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), the part scaling method will not be automatically updated to the new method in the top bar of the print prep ui, you will see a yellow alert on the scale tool you can then click to view the scale interface, where you will be given the option to update the method used for part scaling this action is voluntary; you are not required to accept the new scaling algorithm example outdated correction scaling alert shown within the scale tab in the print prep ui generally speaking, if you are working with an existing/older project that currently meets your needs for dimensional accuracy (or if you have adjusted your part design independently to achieve the desired accuracy), we recommend that you do not update your correction scale however, if you are working with a project that is still in development (particularly if the part is not yet meeting your needs for dimensional accuracy), we recommend that you click “correct project scale” to apply the new scaling algorithm note that this action cannot be undone; you may wish to save an alternate version of your project before proceeding if you do opt to update the scale factors used on an older project, note that depending on part geometry, the newly scaled part may be slightly larger or smaller than it was previously this may result in some or all of the following behaviors the part volume may be different (the printed part may use slightly more or less resin than it did prior to this new part scaling approach) print time may be different (the project may print slightly faster or slower than it did before due to changes in the part dimensions being printed) parts that are located close to the edge of the platform area may no longer fit on the platform as laid out (eg, if the newly scaled part is slightly larger); you may need to adjust the layout of your build care should also be taken in situations when a project prepared on printer software v1 39 is cross queued to a printer on older software (≤ v1 38) in such cases new correction scale factors will not be applied at the time of print (including any user edited scale factors), which may lead to unexpected print outcomes a part that is close to the edge of the build platform may be analyzed as out of bounds at the time of printing, leading to a print error if you create a project on v1 39 and then open that project on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38) (eg, by exporting a carbon file and loading it onto a printer with older software), bounding boxes may be larger (or, rarely, smaller) than the actual part size, as bounding boxes may not resize with new part scaling this could lead to the auto layout tool providing unexpected results to avoid such outcomes, carbon recommends updating your fleet of printers evenly if you expect to share projects across printers, cross queue from printer to printer, or print projects stored in the cloud based build catalog if you use non carbon software to prepare full build plates and then upload an entire build to the carbon print prep ui as a single stl, note that scaling functionality may not work as expected, as carbon will interpret your build as a single part rather than as multiple separate parts if you are unsure whether carbon is interpreting an uploaded file as one part or many parts, check the part list on the left hand side of the print prep ui example parts list on the left hand side of the ui shows four individual parts to learn more about how carbon scales parts for accurate print outcomes, visit scale improved accuracy for select resin & hardware combinations in order to help customers achieve high accuracy in printed parts, carbon routinely re examines the print settings used for various resin and hardware combinations via controlled print studies as a result of recent validation activities, carbon has subtly altered print settings for select resins on certain hardware combinations these changes will impact printed part dimensions in the xy plane while changes will have a positive impact on overall part accuracy across a range of geometries and applications, customers should be aware of these changes and potential impacts on existing applications resin printer/cassette printing changes? epu 40 m1 or m2 printer / c2 or c5 cassette yes m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no m3 or m3 max printer / any cassette no l1 printer / any cassette no mpu 100 m1 or m2 printer / c2 or c5 cassette yes m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no m3 or m3 max printer / any cassette no l1 printer / c2 cassette yes l1 printer / b1 cassette no fotodent ibt m1 or m2 printer / c2 or c5 cassette yes m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no m3 or m3 max printer / any cassette no l1 printer / c2 cassette yes l1 printer / b1 cassette no epu 41 black m1 or m2 printer / c2 or c5 cassette yes m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no m3 or m3 max printer / any cassette no l1 printer / c2 cassette yes l1 printer / b1 cassette no lucitone digital ipn m1 or m2 printer / c2 or c5 cassette yes m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no m3 or m3 max printer / any cassette no l1 printer / any cassette yes rpu 130 m1 or m2 printer / any cassette no m1 or m2 printer / c4 cassette no l1 printer / c2 cassette yes l1 printer / b1 cassette no all other resins not named above any no if you have questions about the impact of these changes on any specific applications (especially if you have a validated application and want help understanding how to navigate this change), please reach out to support\@carbon3d com for assistance a note about support structures carbon generated supports will not be impacted by this change if you regularly use non carbon supports that are imported into the carbon print prep ui already connected to your part, note that thin support structures may be visibly and/or functionally impacted by this change reach out to support\@carbon3d com for application specific assistance if needed a note about slicing the gen2 slicer may yield unexpected results for parts with multiple shells (including lattices) that are impacted by this change use the gen1 slicer if you are printing a part with multiple shells under any of the printing conditions detailed above print preparation improvements improved tools and capabilities for adjusting print plans while carbon printers are optimized to offer baseline printing capabilities that serve as many applications as possible, many users find that customizing a print plan (the instructions a printer follows during a print) can lead to improved outcomes historically, users have had access to only limited functionality for altering a print plan, and have relied on carbon to provide custom print plans for key applications in order to enable customers to be more independent in optimizing applications, carbon is pleased to introduce additional functionality for adjusting print plans for all carbon printers this feature is not automatically enabled for all customers at this time; to access this feature, please contact support\@carbon3d com with this feature enabled, users can easily adjust print settings across a range of impactful parameters by clicking “adjust print plan” from the print controls interface within the print prep ui example access the “print controls” section of the print prep ui, then click “adjust print plan” simple ui tools allow users to edit key print parameters for specific slice groups example print parameters can be easily altered for specific slice groups click “analyze print plan” to view graphs that help you visualize and validate what the printer will do during the print add or remove graphs as needed example print graphs are displayed for an analyzed print if, after updating to v1 39, you open a project created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), duplicate a project created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), or upload a carbon file created on a prior version of software (≤ v1 38), your previous print plan adjustments will be automatically migrated to this new format there will be no change in printing behavior between software versions example notification that existing print plan adjustments have been migrated to the new format print plan adjustments are a powerful tool a thorough understanding of print dynamics and printer functionality are required to use this feature successfully if you wish to alter print plans, please complete the relevant training on print plan adjustments (login required) select a resin during project creation to streamline common workflows, you can now select a resin when creating a project if you have a default resin selected via your user settings, this default resin will be pre populated this new workflow is optional; you may still opt to select a resin within the print preparation ui after project creation additionally, you can still change your resin selection after project creation more accurate print time estimates for m3 printers to improve customers’ ability to accurately estimate the cost of projects and effectively plan production schedules, time estimates for m3 printers have been improved using predictions from machine learning models while m3 print time estimates can never be perfect due to the impact of using force feedback technology to adjust the print plan in real time in response to in situ print forces, the time estimates are now more accurate additional improvements while the features described above are the most noticeable and impactful changes in this software release, there are a few more minor changes you might want to be aware of certain hardware parameters previously accessed from cloud databases at the time of printing are now part of installed printer code; this lessens the chance of unintended printing changes outside of software updates dialog boxes that prompt users to update software are re designed for clarity reduced the incidence of unnecessary air supply alerts on l1 and m3 printers print time estimates displayed during force feedback influenced prints are more accurate throughout the duration of the print (rather than only prior to the print) miscellaneous bugfixes the following issues have been resolved with this release various improvements to the gen2 auto layout tool (currently in beta release) note we have observed that gen2 auto layout may present errors when used for parts with many small holes (including latticed parts), depending on part geometry and selected layout settings if you encounter this behavior, please use gen1 auto layout for your parts we expect to improve this functionality in a later release certain cavities are no longer incorrectly identified as unvented on l1 printers, leading to more successful prints resolved an issue that blocked a user with the operator role from uploading certain carbon files (rare) improved the quality of hex textures (note that textures are early access functionality; not all customers have this tool) expanded the number of unique print ids available clarified the print information displayed on m3 and m3 max printers by replacing an unhelpful “queue id” with the more helpful “project id” very large carbon files can be downloaded without an unexpected page refresh queuing a reprint no longer causes print time and resin volume information to be missing in the queue view shaded red islands shown by the “islands” tool in the print analysis panel are restored updates update for v1 39 0 1383 92 resolved an issue that caused the gen2 slicer to perform poorly for parts with multiple shells (including lattices) on certain resin/hardware combinations update for v1 39 0 1383 108 this update includes the following improvements updated default tip dimensions for support structures applied to parts printed in loctite 3843 hdt60 resin, which was recently added to carbon’s validated resin portfolio various updates to manual supports functionality resolved an error that could occur when selecting patches for patch supports under certain circumstances resolved a bug that prevented the selection and deletion of supports when a part has a very large number (30k+) of supports improved the performance of patch and fence supports on parts with sub optimal triangulation resolved a bug that caused slow processing for certain edits and print analysis on parts with many supports ensured that the gen2 slicer correctly applies expected xy accuracy adjustments resolved an issue affecting the display dimensions of the m3 max touchscreen update for v1 39 0 1383 122 this update includes the following improvements added “gentle” and “extreme” wash profiles for the smart part washer to the drop down menu in the print controls section of the print preparation ui so that these wash types can be specified during project set up resolved an issue that could cause m3 max printers to temporarily freeze during normal operation resolved an issue that prevented traveler generation in some situations ensured that if advanced supports are generated that extend beyond the printable platform area, the part will properly be indicated as out of bounds in the print preparation ui update for v1 39 0 1383 124 this limited release update includes functionality required for select aligner manufacturers to begin validating carbon’s gen2 aligner production process update for v1 39 0 1383 125 this limited release update includes a fix to reduce the incidence of oxygen related subsystem failures at power up/initialization on m3 and m3 max printers update for v1 39 0 1383 128 this update includes a bugfix to avoid unnecessarily aborted prints due to an erroneous oxygen sensor alert it will be deployed to select printers only on an as needed basis update for v1 39 0 1383 136 this limited release update includes the following improvements for l1 printers, enables use of the new l1b1 hv (high volume) cassette type enables specific workflow improvements for select customers update for v1 39 0 1383 150 this limited release update includes select improvements for certain customer workflows update for v1 39 0 1383 151 this limited release update includes select improvements for certain customer workflows update as of october 16, 2024 the following features originally included in v1 39 are no longer supported advanced autosupports textures no change has been made to installed printer software v1 39; this change in functionality reflects the removal of an external cloud based service that previously powered these features advanced autosupports remains visible in the v1 39 print preparation user interface, but no longer functions attempting to use advanced autosupports will result in a failure message with a 404 error textures are an optional feature not offered to all customers; printers that did have textures available will find that attempting to texture a part will result in a failure message with a 404 error because textures was an optional feature that can be enabled/disabled via a cloud based setting, carbon can remove the option from the user interface upon request, without a change to locked, installed printer software contact support\@carbon3d com to receive this change if needed version lock while carbon encourages customers to stay current with software updates to access the latest features and printing improvements, we recognize that some production applications have stringent validation rules, and may be better served by a stable software version for this reason, carbon offers a version lock program that allows customers to stay on a single, specified version of software for up to three years, with full support v1 39 is available for version lock if you are interested in placing your printer(s) on version lock, contact support\@carbon3d com if you currently have one or more printers on version lock v1 31, you will be required to update to v1 39 a carbon representative will reach out to you to schedule this transition worth mentioning resin pot life updates the following is not related to a software update, but is exciting news for users carbon has completed a study re examining resin pot life guidelines for our resins, and is happy to formally extend the recommended pot life of certain resins as follows epx 82 old pot life 12 hours → new pot life 16 hours epx 86 fr old pot life 12 hours → new pot life 16 hours rpu 70 old pot life 8 hours → new pot life 12 hours note that resin formulations have not changed; this is simply a new guideline for how long dispensed resins may be used for printing resin pot life recommendations can be accessed in full on materials overviwe feedback we love hearing from you about your workflow, your parts, and how we can improve you can reach out to the carbon support team at support\@carbon3d com