@Olias I want to calibrate some Overture PETG on my A1 mini, but I am not sure exactly how to do this. Should I download Orca Slicer to do this? Thanks in advance.
Edit: I ask because I want to know if I should still download Orca Slicer, because of the “auth system”
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Let me address the second question first regarding downloading Orca Slicer.
Bambu has announced that the Bambu Connector will be phased in over time. The X1 is the first to be affected. No announcement for the A1 but one would assume they would go in order of original product release date, but this is Bambu Labs and therefore logic does not play into their thinking.
- Bambu has stated that one does not have to install Bambu Connector if one refrains from upgrading their firmware. Generally, unless there is a specific feature or bug that is being addressed, it is considered best electronic industry practice to hold off on upgrading any firmware for any reason. In this case, there is a definite incentive to never upgrade the firmware as essentially, one looses functionality. Welcome to bizzaroland that is Bambu.
- Download Orca Slicer now. There is no downside in using both Orca and Bambu Studio until Bambu implements their draconian measures. Both slicers can peacefully coexist on the same machine. As with firmware, do not upgrade BS anymore for the same reasons.
Calibration
And finally, to answer your question.
- BS baked-in calibration is hit or miss with the X1 based on the volume of troubleshooting requests posted here.
- With the P1 series, there is no LIDAR feature so the calibration steps are manual.
- BS manual calibration in my experience is a half-baked effort. It’s like they never finished it.
- Fortunately, Orca Slicer has a dedicated suite of baked-in calibration tools that modify the GCODE which is what is behind their secret sauce.
The top three videos that I always consult for my own usage and that I recommend are these three. They are by far not the only ones but I feel that this YouTuber does a very effective job of demystifying the whole process. Although this tutorial was over a year old now, it still holds up.
Example of false confidence when using models off the web.
I’ll just take one example of a temp tower. This is what it looks like when downloaded from let’s say Printables or Thingiverse after being sliced and turning on temperature in the slicer.
You might be fooled into thinking you have a great tower.
That is until you turn on the temperature scale. If you failed to also download the the correct GCODE, then this is what you get. One temperature.
Now with Orca, the Gcode is modified automatically to change the nozzle temp at each level.
The missing menu that you won’t find in Bambu Studio
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i think that is not possible on the a1m
@Olias Thank you so much.
I will download Orca Slicer.
@Olias Should I just do the calibrations he does in the video?
It’s been a while since I looked at his videos but as I recall, the three top calibrations that I always follow with new filament is as follows:
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Temp tower. Technically you can do this last but I like to confirm what the box says. Most of the time, the box temp recommendation on the spool are off by 10-20C in my experience. But if you want to save time, this can be done at a later date.
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Max flow rate. This is probably the most critical as a first step.
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Pressure advance–is the next. There are three methods.
- Line method is just a repeat of Bambu Studio and in my view is a waste of time and filament. Even with a magnifying glass, it’s hard to judge.
- Pattern Method–Quick but it does take some practice to learn how to read the pattern correctly. Consult the Orca Calibration tutorial and the YouTube videos I mention above.
* PA Tower–Definitely the most accurate but it takes 20-30 minutes to print.
- This last one is only important if you want to maximize your filament flow speed. Generally I only use this once to determine the maximum flow that the filament can perform at and then back off by 10%. If you are getting under extrusion, this is a good test to do. It also calls out the Bullshit claims that many filament companies make when saying their filaments are “High Flow”. The only two filaments I found was Elegoo’s Rapid PETG and Bambu PETG HF. Both performed close to their claims.
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@Olias Thanks again! (Post must be at least 25 characters)