QIDI Plus4 - 3D Printer

[GreenBar0n]

This was using the 0.2mm layer height, or the fastest setting. Very little supports to clean on this.









Have more filament coming tomorrow, and then I'll print the dune buggy body.


Should have enough filament left to finish the 1.5" beadlock VW style 5-lug rims tonight.


Need to finish cleaning the motor for the Sand Scorcher, and glue and paint it.

[GreenBar0n]

It turns out the QIDI Studio software, and their Normal (Auto) Support setting, may need a bug fixed. I couldn't get the clean and tight prints with the QIDI Studio, with what I believe they're using is Orca Slicer.

Had good results with Prusa Slicer earlier, so I printed the beadlock wheels with Prusa Slicer again, instead of QIDI Studio.

The results are so much better with Prusa Slicer, and Auto supports, the supports were not excessive, and could be pulled out much easier.






So stoked! The support material cleanup with QIDI Studio was a nightmare, Prusa Slicer is a dream come true.

I'll have this conversation with QIDI's tech support, to see if they can fix their software, everything else about the QIDI Studio is excellent.

I'll get the new filament roll tomorrow, and get the body printed. May try the motors again too, to see if they also print better in PS.

[silvertriple]

Nothing I could find, would load those Knight Customs Prusa G-codes that were provided.

Personnally, I would not load a G-Code made by someone else into my machine, and this even if it was designed for my machine. There is some aspects you can't anticipate, because they are filament dependent and each roll of filament needs to be properly calibrated, further a g-code may change some settings into the machine...
At the end, it's more work to slice a part properly, but once you master this, it's much better, because you could print anything and make your own choices balancing quality vs printing time vs material waste...

[GreenBar0n]

Nothing I could find, would load those Knight Customs Prusa G-codes that were provided.

Personnally, I would not load a G-Code made by someone else into my machine, and this even if it was designed for my machine. There is some aspects you can't anticipate, because they are filament dependent and each roll of filament needs to be properly calibrated, further a g-code may change some settings into the machine...
At the end, it's more work to slice a part properly, but once you master this, it's much better, because you could print anything and make your own choices balancing quality vs printing time vs material waste...

Thanks! I do understand about G-code from another machine now. I did go through the Prusa G-code to make sure it was PLA, 210°C, and wasn't going to drive the Z axis too far, or make drastic changes; most of the possibly damaging codes are in the beginning and end of the file, as far as I can tell.

Prusa Slicer has demonstrated to me how a 3d print with Auto Supports can be done successfully, and how efficiency and function actually works within the Support design and print. I should be able to find a workable method for this going forward now.

Really glad this Dune Buggy project suggested I try Prusa Slicer, was beginning to worry I had made the wrong choice with the QIDI printer; very happy this was not the case, the printer itself has exceeded my expectations.

I may be able to correct the problem with QIDI Studio/Orca Slicer too, now that Prusa Slicer has shown me how it should be.

Thanks again!

[GoMachV]

I run Bambu machines and run Orcaslicer. Even though they are brothers, I much prefer orcaslicer. Just throwing it out there, you might want to try it as well and see what you think. Even though they are related they are still different and my results with default orca was better than with bambu

[GreenBar0n]

I run Bambu machines and run Orcaslicer. Even though they are brothers, I much prefer orcaslicer. Just throwing it out there, you might want to try it as well and see what you think. Even though they are related they are still different and my results with default orca was better than with bambu

I had been reading that Orca Slicer was the way to go, or the most up to date feature set. I'll do a couple more prints with Prusa, and try to figure out what I was doing wrong with Orca. Thanks!

[GreenBar0n]

Went back to using QIDI Studio (Orca Slicer), and am getting really good results now, better than Prusa Slicer.

The best results I've gotten so far, are using the 0.12mm layer height, instead of 0.20mm, or the finer 0.08mm. It may be the particular projects I'm using this for, but with the standard 0.20mm layer height, the dune buggy hood I printed was knocked off the supports during the print job. The 0.20mm also leaves obvious layer lines.

With 0.12mm layers, the hood stuck to the supports, and the lines are pretty nice.








Here's a 0.12mm, better print on the left, with a 0.20mm standard print on the right. Might try these smaller parts at the 0.08mm setting, to see how tight the lines can get.


The body did not turn out too well at the 0.20mm layer height. The parts don't fit together well.


Bad layer lines at 0.20mm.


Currently printing the body again at 0.12mm, and it looks a lot better, I'll have to wait until it's completed to know for certain, will be a 17 hour job when complete, at 4pm PST today.

[GreenBar0n]

QIDI Studio/Orca Slicer, and the 0.12mm layer height, made the difference in this print.








Going to clean up the body joints, and get them ready for the chassis.

The chassis is required to be printed in Nylon for strength, might try the PPS-CF carbon fiber filament instead.

[GoMachV]

Just for clarity, are you saying you are slicing with orca or qidi? I'm not sure what you mean with saying both.

[GreenBar0n]

Just for clarity, are you saying you are slicing with orca or qidi? I'm not sure what you mean with saying both.

Every step of the 3D print process for this Plus4, is contained in QIDI Studio, the built-in slicer uses OrcaSlicer:

[GoMachV]

Ah ok, so your not using actual Orca Slicer, it's just a close relative of Orca. You may still want to try just plain old Orca and see what you think of it. I tried several on my Bambu and ended up on Orca, it's just all about what you like the feel of and have good results with. Orca on my creality machines never worked well. Even though they all share the same blood, they are all vastly different as well.

The family is set up with slic3r being the base, of which PrusaSlicer is a fork. Bambu is then a fork of PrusaSlicer, and so is Orcaslicer. Qidi studio is a fork of Bambu studio, and Qidi slicer is a fork of PrusaSlicer. It's crazy weird, I saw a diagram once with all the forks like super slicer etc and how some features are linked between them but can't find it now that I'm looking for it

[GreenBar0n]

I went and downloaded the latest OrcaSlicer, here is Orca next to QIDI:


I'm pretty sure QIDI is Orca. I heard that from Youtube, and they look identical in so many ways.

[GoMachV]

Yes the GUI looks identical, but from what I have experienced you will find different features between the two, and they will have different ways of doing things as well. Even the start and end g-code, which are easily changed by the user, can have a dramatic effect on the prints. Since all these software are free, I simply recommend trying all of them and see which you prefer. I landed on orca but you may well prefer a different one- some people use different slicers depending on the parts they are printing.

[GreenBar0n]

When I go look at the QIDI Studio download, at github, they thank OrcaSlicer.
https://github.com/QIDITECH/QIDIStudio

QIDIStudio is based on BambuStudio by Bambu Lab, Bambu Studio is based on PrusaSlicer by Prusa Research, which is from Slic3r by Alessandro Ranellucci and the RepRap community. Thanks to Bambulab, PrusaSlicer and OrcaSlicer for their contributions to the 3D printing community.

Not sure why they would thank OrcaSlicer, if they're not using it.

I ran a slice side by side, newest Orca left, newest QIDI right.


That G-code OrcaSlicer generated, is shown on the Device screen in QIDI Studio. I certainly could be wrong, but I keep seeing and hearing QIDI Studio has Orca built in.

[GreenBar0n]

Almost done with the large prints.