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Creating a Print Job

  • By Polar Cloud Academy
  • Published: Mar 22, 2023
  • Duration 7m
  • Difficulty Beginner
  • Rating
    Average rating: 5.0 1 review

Outline

This activity assumes that you have direct access to a 3D printer, and permission to create a print. If you're looking to submit a Job Request, start here instead!

If you're trying to answer the question, "How Do I Print?" start here.

  1. Object
  2. Build Plate
  3. Printer Queue
  4. Click START

These are the simple steps to printing from the Polar Cloud to your 3D printer. Steps 1 & 2 can be reversed, if you'd like to start in a blank BUILD PLATE environment, and then import an object. See below.

From Object

Click 3D PRINT, then choose OPEN SLICER. Again, if you don't have direct access to a printer, you should be submitting a job request instead.

From Printer

Go to your printer's page, then click BUILD PLATE in the top right. If you don't see this as an option, you don't have direct access to the printer, and are "View Only".

Clicking "Build Plate" pulls up a slicing environment made for your printer type.

Build Plate

Object Setup

  1. Select the printer you'd like to print to from the dropdown. If you see DEFAULT, you do not have access to a printer.
  2. This section lets you work with the object. From left to right;
    1. Delete
    2. Duplicate
    3. Upload from Hard Drive
    4. Load from Your Cloud Objects
    5. Load Object from Printer's Queue
  3. Move your object, Change the Size (Scale), or Rotate the object under the PLACEMENT tab, shown here.

Need to make a design change? Head back to the CAD program you designed the file in and make changes to the original design. Re-export when you're ready, and try again!

Build Plate Controls

  1. Screen Control (iPad & Smartphone): Using your mouse wheel and click-to-drag should work if you are on a computer. The blue arrow in the center drops the current object to the bed, if it is floating!
  2. Object Gizmo: use the Red/Blue/Green gizmo to adjust size, rotation, or position, based on whichever adjustment you have selected in the PLACEMENT tab.
  3. Estimator Tool: Click the magic wand to get a quick report on how long your object will take to print, how much filament it will use, and how much that will cost!
  4. Bounding Box: This light blue box will show the outermost dimensions of your object. If it turns red, that means your object is too large or is off the safe-printing distance of the printer bed!
  5. Object Dimensions: These boxes show the dimensions of your object, in millimeters.

  1. The Print Settings tab

  2. Configuration: Tuned presets provided by the manufacturer for your specific printer.

  3. Job Name: Defaults to the filename of your STL. Change this to change how your job appears in the printer's queue, and on the printer's screen! If you're printing on a public printer, you can make this your Name for easier identification.

  4. Slicer Settings: Choose an Infill Amount, Shell Thickness (perimeters), Resolution, Adhesion Type, and Support type. Not sure what these are? Use the defaults, or hover over the question mark (tooltip) for more information!

Send it! 🚀

When you're ready, click the PRINT button. Don't worry, you can always edit the job later while it's in your queue, without having to start from scratch.

What's Next?

So you've created a print, what's next?

  • If you have printer permission to do so, move it to the front of the queue (if there are multiple jobs) and click START to send the job to the printer.
  • Create another print job!
  • Turn on your Notifications (Account Dropdown > Settings > Notifications) so you'll be alerted when your print finishes. Don't forget to add a phone number, if you're a Polar+ member or apart of a licensed school.