v1.45
Welcome to printer software v1.45. This release includes the following improvements to your print process:
- Improved EPU printing
- Reduction in print time variability for rigid resins on M3 and M3 Max
- Protection against print failures due to cold temperatures for DPR 10 and UMA 20 aligner model prints (L1)
- Support improvements
- Changes to Print Profile options for Dental Labs
- More sensitive Debris Detection for M3 and M3 Max printers
- Workflow improvements for the AO Backpack
- Proactive notification of hardware that must be returned to Carbon
- Resin Level Detection protects hardware and reduces print failures for Gen2 Aligner Model Production Solution (L1)
- Minor changes
- Miscellaneous bugfixes
- v1.45.0 released to select printers on or after 01/14/2025
Installation for M3 Printers with AO Backpacks
Whenever an M3 printer with an AO Backpack is restarted/power cycled (including during and after the installation of a software update), the printer screen will display a “Backpack needs recovery” screen. This is expected behavior, and is not an indication of a problem with the printer, the Backpack, the power cycle, or the software update. Simply press the “Recover Backpack” button on the screen to return the machine to normal operation.
Version Availability Note: Hardware Configuration
Select M3 Max printers contain an outdated Light Engine component and must receive a no-cost replacement from Carbon’s Service and Support team before they can receive this software update.
Carbon has contacted or will contact affected customers directly, but please reach out to [email protected] with any questions about the hardware configurations for your fleet of printers.
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 (January 2025):
- v1.45 (current version)
- v1.44.1 (for AO Backpacks only; supported until February 2025)
- v1.44 (most recent version; supported until May 2025)
- v1.39 (supported until April 2026 if your printer is enrolled in Version Lock)
Any feature marked as “BETA” in the user interface and/or release notes is considered by Carbon to be an Early-Access Technology. Early-Access Technologies may not be at the level of performance typical of a final product or feature offering, and such features may be altered or withdrawn by Carbon at any time and without warning.
Certain parts printed in elastomeric resins (EPUs) on L1, M3, and M3 Max printers will experience improved print outcomes and/or faster print speeds.
Improved print outcomes may be evident for certain geometries with wide variation in size/dimension within a part or across a build (eg, a part that includes a lattice joined with a solid skin, parts with substantial supports, or a variety of different parts printed within a single build). Actual impacts will vary widely according to the specifics of your print, but in general, parts that were previously difficult or impossible to print successfully may now print more easily and/or with fewer defects.
Faster print times are possible for taller parts (generally >100mm in height), with the largest decrease expected for parts that contain similar geometry throughout the part (eg, a latticed seat cushion). The height and geometry of the part will impact the amount of time saved, with taller parts netting greater print time reductions. Importantly, print time improvements based on this change will not be evident in the print time estimate generated prior to printing. This is because estimated print times for L1, M3, and M3 Max printers rely on data about past prints; as such, print time estimates will eventually align with expected outcomes in a future release, once more print data has been generated. For taller elastomeric prints, the print time may be significantly overestimated by 10-20% (or, in some cases, as much as 50%) until the print time estimator is updated in a future release.
Other less-common print time impacts are possible:
- The mechanism that improves print outcomes may slow prints in some cases. In most instances, this is expected to be welcome: a modest increase in print time (generally <5 minutes) will trade for meaningfully improved print outcomes.
- Experienced print times for the same project may vary based on the resin fill level. For example, running a print with 3x the required resin fill level may take longer than the same print with only 1x the required resin fill level. Printing without excess resin in the cassette is likely to net the fastest print.
For concerns about any specific project impacts, contact [email protected].
On the M3 and M3 Max printers, this change will apply to all EPU prints, regardless of any Print Profile or print script used.
On the L1 printer, this change will apply to EPU prints that use the Default print plan, custom print scripts in the .py format, and certain newer print scripts in the .lua format. Certain older print scripts in the .lua format will not be affected. To confirm whether or not this change applies to a specific project, click View Details on the Print Plan, and look for “Enhanced EPU Force Feedback Enabled.”
This printing improvement is expected to benefit the majority of projects. However, if a specific older project might benefit from a return to the previous style of printing, a new “Enhanced EPU Force Feedback Enabled” global parameter in Print Plan Adjustments (an optional software feature), or a direct print script edit for those trained on print scripting, can be used to disable this feature.
Note that disabling this feature without making additional print plan adjustments may cause poor print outcomes. Reach out to [email protected] for assistance.
In addition to the general EPU printing improvements detailed above, additional changes specifically aim to improve outcomes for prints in EPU 46:
- The Default print plan now promotes stronger adhesion to the platform
- Supports are automatically generated with wider tips and necks to promote better adhesion between the part and supports
Notes on base adhesion: Prints may experience a modest increase in print time (<2 minutes) to accommodate the increased platform adhesion. If increased base adhesion results in flashing/excess material for a print, use Print Plan Adjustments (an optional software feature) or a print script to adjust the print plan (alter the Base Exposure Multiplier). Contact [email protected] for assistance if needed.
Notes on support dimensions: If larger default support dimensions are inappropriate for a project, use existing support generation tools to reduce the tip and/or neck dimension prior to generating supports.
Which prints are impacted? All EPU 46 projects (old and new) on all printers are impacted by this change. Note that for existing projects, previously generated supports will not update to new default dimensions (though any new supports generated for that project will use new default dimensions).
The L1B1 EPU Default Print Profile was retired as a selectable option as of v1.43 (May/June 2024), after the Default print plan was updated to directly achieve the same printing behavior in v1.41 (October/November 2023). As of v1.45, any remaining projects created prior to v1.43 with the L1B1 EPU Default Print Profile selected will fully use the Default print plan. With the exception of EPU 46 (see next paragraph), no changes to print outcomes are expected; contact [email protected] if you require assistance with any specific project(s) that previously used this Print Profile.
Older projects that have the L1B1 EPU Default Print Profile selected and that use EPU 46 will adopt the EPU 46 printing improvements mentioned above, rather than EPU 46 print settings in place via the L1B1 EPU Default Print Profile. If reverting to previous printing behavior is required, use Print Plan Adjustments or a custom print script to adjust the print plan; contact [email protected] for assistance if needed.
On M3 and M3 Max printers, rigid materials have occasionally shown unpredictable variations in print time. This has typically manifested as outlier prints that take 1.5-3x longer than similar prints for no obvious reason. These longer prints have been more likely to occur with particularly viscous third-party dental resins and/or prints with only a few parts on the platform.
Carbon has made small adjustments to the way the printer responds to print forces to better handle these scenarios so that incidence of unexpectedly long prints should be meaningfully reduced or eliminated. While all rigid prints on M3 and M3 Max printers are affected by this change, the majority of prints will experience no visible or functional impact. There is no impact to print accuracy.
Protection against print failures due to cold temperatures for DPR 10 and UMA 20 aligner model prints (L1)
L1 aligner model prints in DPR 10 and UMA 20 will now respect a minimum temperature threshold to protect against print failures.
When temperatures in the production environment drop below a specific level, parts can suffer from adhesion failures. To avoid such failures, L1 aligner model prints in both DPR 10 and UMA 20 will now target 25°C (77°F) for all prints. No negative print impacts are expected, as print data indicates that the vast majority of prints naturally reach a temperature of over 25°C, while outliers at colder temperatures have been observed to fail. Users should note that when a print is started and the resin/printer are colder than the temperature setpoint (typically the first print after a period of inactivity, but not immediate subsequent prints), there may be a delay and a “heating” message displayed until the printer reaches the desired temperature. This heating process should last for <1 minute in most cases.
A new option is available when generating patch supports: the “Base Raft” toggle automatically places supports closer together with large bases that connect many (or all) supports together as 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. Experiment with your parts/builds for the best results.
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.
Two Print Profiles for use with DPR 10 are now available to all customers to provide Dental Labs with more control over print outcomes:
- DPR 10 Loosen Fit → Use this Print Profile for DPR 10 prints if, on previous prints, the fit of mating parts (e.g. dies) is too tight
- DPR 10 Tighten Fit → Use this Print Profile for DPR 10 prints if, on previous prints, the fit of mating parts (e.g. dies) is too loose
This change is independent from printer software v1.45, but the release will be timed so that Print Profiles become available when most printers receive v1.45. For any questions about the specific timing of Print Profile availability, reach out to [email protected].
Note that these Print Profiles were previously available to select customers on an as-needed basis, and were known by different names (see below). If you previously used “DPR 10 Low Exposure,” use “DPR 10 Loosen Fit” for the same results. If you previously used “DPR 10 High Exposure,” use “DPR 10 Tighten Fit” for the same results. The contents of the Print Profile are not changing (only the name), so print results will not be impacted. Existing projects that reference the previous names of these Print Profiles will continue to function as expected, and do not need to be explicitly updated to reference the new Print Profile name (though such projects and subsequent prints will display the new name).
To better align the names of Print Profiles with their functions and intended uses, the following Print Profiles have been renamed:
Previous Name | New Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Small Unvented Cavities (Low ET) | DPR 10 Small Unvented Cavities (Loosen Fit) | Available only for complex DPR 10 fit issues; contact [email protected] if available Print Profiles are not sufficient |
Small Unvented Cavities (High ET) | DPR 10 Small Unvented Cavities (Tighten Fit) | Available only for complex DPR 10 fit issues; contact [email protected] if available Print Profiles are not sufficient |
M3/Max DPR 10 Low Exposure Unchamfered Die Pin | M3/Max DPR 10 Unchamfered Die Pin (Loosen Fit) | Available only for complex DPR 10 fit issues; contact [email protected] if available Print Profiles are not sufficient |
M3/Max DPR 10 High Exposure Unchamfered Die Pin | M3/Max DPR 10 Unchamfered Die Pin (Tighten Fit) | Available only for complex DPR 10 fit issues; contact [email protected] if available Print Profiles are not sufficient |
DPR 10 Low Exposure | DPR 10 Loosen Fit | See previous section |
DPR 10 High Exposure | DPR 10 Tighten Fit | See previous section |
The contents of the Print Profiles are not changing (only the names), so print results will not be impacted. Existing projects that reference the previous names of these Print Profiles will continue to function as expected, and do not need to be explicitly updated to reference the new Print Profile name (though such projects and subsequent prints will display the new name).
As of printer software v1.42 (March/April 2024), M3 and M3 Max printers will abort a print and alert the user if solid debris is detected in the resin at the start of a print. This functionality protects against hardware damage and print failures.
Based on continued analysis of print data and hardware damage, M3 and M3 Max printers running in Manual Mode will now use a more sensitive iteration of Debris Detection and abort prints in the presence of even smaller debris. Some customers will thus experience a higher rate of aborted prints if small debris is often present. When debris is detected, filter or replace resin before continuing. Remember that most debris will be too small to spot visually in the resin. This change does not impact print times.
For customers with an AO Backpack, Debris Detection now uses the same level of sensitivity for prints in both Automatic Mode and Manual Mode (previously, Debris Detection was more sensitive for prints in Automatic Mode).
All enabled resins are impacted by this change with the exception of PAC-DENT® Rodin® Sculpture, which will continue to use a higher debris size threshold due to its particularly viscous consistency.
Customers with an AO Backpack now have more options for ending Automatic Mode.
End Automatic Mode without physically visiting the printer The printer’s web-based status interface (printername.customer.print.carbon3d.com/status) now includes a button to exit Automatic Mode, meaning it’s no longer necessary to physically visit the printer and exit Automatic Mode via the touchscreen. The user must be connected to the same network as the printer to access the status interface. When a user exits Automatic Mode, the current print will complete, but any next print in the queue will not begin. (Use “Abort” if the current print should be stopped prior to completion.)
Pre-schedule the end of Automatic Mode When exiting Automatic Mode via the printer’s web-based status interface (see above), users can also pre-schedule the end of Automatic Mode as follows:
- Set a time by which Automatic Mode will end: If the next print in the queue is expected to surpass the specified time, the printer will exit Automatic Mode and not begin a new print. This feature may be useful to ensure that the printer is idle and parts are accessible at a time of day desired for post-processing turnover.
- Set a maximum number of prints to be completed in the Automatic Mode cycle: The printer will complete only the requested number of subsequent prints, then exit Automatic Mode. This feature may be useful to control the maximum number of parts in the bin to optimize sorting and post-processing labor. Note that if this setting is applied during an Automatic Mode cycle, after some prints have already been completed, the setting will only apply to subsequent prints (completed prints will not count toward the total).
Pre-scheduling options cannot be saved, and do not carry over from session to session.
Pre-scheduling options are not available at the printer frontscreen or the main printer dashboard; only the web-based status interface of a specific printer offers this functionality.
Opt whether to remove the final print’s parts, or leave them on the platform When exiting Automatic Mode (at the printer frontscreen or from the web interface, immediately or via setting a schedule [web interface only]), you can now choose whether or not to automatically scrape the last print’s parts into the bin or instead leave parts on the platform. The default setting is to remove parts.
Additional workflow improvements In addition to the primary improvements noted above, several elements of the AO Backpack have been improved for easier and more successful workflows:
- The machine can now distinguish between a parts bin that contains a basket and one that does not, and will warn the user if the basket is missing. Do not use the AO Backpack parts bin without the basket insert.
- Additional safety information is displayed for user confirmation when the blade is in cleaning mode (presented forward, with the printer door open).
- The resin refill system is more resilient in high-vibration environments.
- Clearer messaging is provided throughout many areas of the user interface.
In certain circumstances (e.g. hardware has been reported as damaged), cassettes and/or platforms must be returned to Carbon and should not continue to be used in printing. To make it easier for customers to track items that should be returned to Carbon, use of such hardware will now be blocked if a print is attempted with that cassette or platform, and a message will be displayed reminding the user to return the asset to Carbon. Contact [email protected] if you need a prepaid return shipping label.
Resin Level Detection protects hardware and reduces print failures for Gen2 Aligner Model Production Solution (L1)
L1 printers using the Gen2 Aligner Model Production Solution (hollow models with UMA20 resin, using an appropriate Print Profile per Carbon’s instruction) will now abort a print and alert the user if there is too little resin in the cassette for the print, or if there is too much resin to proceed safely.
Too little resin can lead to a failed print or a completed print with visible print defects. Too much resin in the cassette may overflow into the printer when the platform descends, damaging the printer.
When an inappropriate amount of resin is detected, add or remove resin before continuing. Select “Resin Corrected” to resume printing; the project that was previously disrupted will still be at the top of the print queue. An override option is available if needed; use this option with caution, as overriding the warning increases the risk of poor print results and/or hardware damage.
Resin Level Detection is tuned specifically for use with the Gen2 Aligner Model Production Solution (designated hardware, hollowing software, Print Profile, and resin) available as of the publication of these release notes. Should any elements of the system be changed, Resin Level Detection may require re-tuning for accurate results.
Resin Level Detection is not available for other resins/workflows on the L1 printer at this time.
Additional information:
- I observe that Resin Level Detection seems to require more resin than is estimated as required by the print planner. Why? → Accurate, defect-free printing of vented hollow models produced by Carbon’s hollowing software requires additional resin depth to properly manage resin flow during the print process for dental models. Printing with less resin than recommended by the system (eg, overriding a “not enough resin” warning) may result in a successful print that has a visible print defect.
- I observe that Resin Level Detection tells me I have overfilled my cassette at times when overflow doesn’t seem imminent. Why? → Resin Level Detection takes a conservative approach to preventing resin overflow, and accounts for situations in which a printer may not be properly leveled. While a “too much resin” can be overridden when the user is confident that an overflow will not occur, Carbon recommends removing resin from the cassette in such cases.
While the features described above are the most noticeable and impactful changes in this software release, there are some additional minor changes you might want to be aware of.
- For Aligner manufacturers, print plans are now restricted to work with either DPR 10 or UMA 20 – not both. An error will be displayed if there is a mismatch between the print plan and resin. This change protects print outcomes by ensuring that an operator cannot accidentally print using an incorrect print plan.
- If the next queued print requires a release film, this detail will now be displayed on the printer frontscreen. This provides more information to the printer operator about how to properly prepare for the upcoming print.
- For all prints in PAC-DENT® Rodin® Sculpture, the recommended amount of resin is uniformly increased by 200 mL to more accurately account for the amount of resin required to properly cover the cassette window and reduce the incidence of print failures and defects.
- The robustness of the M3 Max Light Engine has been improved to more effectively handle “stuck print” errors and improve serviceability.
- A small section of the print planner has been optimized for efficiency; as a result, for prints completed on a prior software version (v1.44 or lower), some rarely-used information in the Print Details dialog may be incorrect. Contact [email protected] for help interpreting any print results as needed.
- Embedded links to Carbon Academy now route to a new location, as Carbon Academy is transitioning to a new format in 2025. The same or similar content will remain available in the new location.
The following issues have been resolved with this release.
- 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. Embossed labels are now included in the part geometry considered for Auto Layout, removing the risk of label overlap.
- An occasional print defect that presents as horizontal lines or thin “webbing” connecting all or part of a print has been resolved.
- Support bases generate as expected when supports are regenerated after a part is transformed in some way (e.g. scaled, rotated, moved on/off-platform)
- In certain rare situations, a user could be spammed by multiple repeating email notifications about completed prints; this situation has been resolved.
- A variety of minor bugs impacting the AO Backpack have been resolved.
In mid-2025 (not as of v1.45), Carbon plans to retire a print setting known as “Legacy Edge Variation.” When enabled for a project, Legacy Edge Variation alters the way the printer handles LED intensity when printing the project. Legacy Edge Variation was introduced as part of v1.27 in 2020 to ease transitions as Carbon made changes to printers’ optical systems across several releases. It is no longer a useful part of the printing system, but the setting does persist across certain projects created ~2020-2022, or newer projects based off of such older projects.
Most customers will be unaffected by this retirement; customers with potentially impacted projects have been or will be contacted directly by a Carbon representative to prepare for this transition. Contact [email protected] with any questions about Legacy Edge Variation.
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, with full support through April 2026. Carbon expects to designate a new Version Lock offering in 2025 (with long-term support offered until 2028). If you are interested in placing your printer(s) on Version Lock, contact [email protected].
We love hearing from you about your workflow, your parts, and how we can improve. Reach out to the Carbon Support Team at [email protected] to share feedback.
Interested in receiving early access to new features and functionality? Contact [email protected] to be added to our Early Access user group.