Frequently Asked Questions

• I can't jog my motors.

  M Series: Please check your 6-pin power connector and make sure it is fully seated. If it is askew, you will be able to connect and even heat up your hotend and bed, but not jog the motors.
  If you can home your axes, but can't jog the motors, check the temperatures. If one of them is reading 0°C, make sure the wire is plugged in all the way. If it is, you will need to replace it. A bad thermistor will keep you from jogging the motors.
  Ultra One: Try homing all axes prior to jogging them. If you are receiving an error please open a ticket on our support page.

• Print Quality troubleshooting.

  Check out the Simplify3D Print Troubleshooting Guide.

• How do I install/uninstall the hotend?

  Check out our Knowledge Base article on V4 hotend removal and installation.

• How do properly shutdown the printer?

  Check out this article on How to shutdown the printer.

• How do I change a V4 nozzle?

  Check out our Knowledge Base article on Removing and Installing the V4 Nozzle.

• How do I clear or prevent a clog?

  For clog prevention and clearing, we suggest trying a Cold Pull.
  The idea is to get old filament buildup and/or debris to stick to the filament so it can be extracted out of the hotend assembly. Check our our article on how to perform a Cold Pull. If you find that you still have a clog, we suggest unistalling the hotend and then removing the nozzle. At this point soaking the nozzle in acetone overnight to loosen the clogged filament, or using a blowtorch is recommended.

• How should I take care of my build surface?

  We suggest cleaning your bed, in between prints, with 99% isopropyl alcohol. If you need to replace the polyimide film, check out our article on Bed Prep and Maintenance.

• The computer can't find the printer.

  M3 printers:
  Does the onboard computer on the bottom left have a red and green light?
  If not, check your power cable. If so, check your wifi connections.
  Is your printer showing up as an access point? If so, repeat the setup process at setup.makergear.com.
  If it is not showing up try the Find My Printer Tool.
  
  Ultra One:
  Try the Find My Printer Tool
  Try connecting to the IP address that is displayed on the LCD.
  Try connecting to the printers wireless access point.

• How do I pause and resume an active print?

  There are times when you may want to pause a print. (eg. Not enough filament left on the roll). It's relatively painless to pause the print, replace the roll and resume. Check out this article on "Manually pausing an active print."

• Is there a way to print two colors with one extruder?

  While it takes a little planning, it is possible to print with more than one filament on a single extruder machine. Check out this article on "Multi-Color prints with a single extruder."

• How do I know my start height is correct?

  You want your first layer to look a little flattened, not rounded. A good test is to look at the bottom of your prints. The farther away you get, the more stringy and defined the bottom will look. Closer, and you will start to get a mirror finish. Too far, and it will look underextruded or the base will be larger that it should be, "elephant foot". Check out this forum post on "The perfect first layer."

• What is Simplify3D?

  Simplify3D is a software program used in combination with the MakerGear 3D printers for slicing your 3D models in to Gcode. Click on this link to learn more. What is Simplify3D?

• Where do I get the S3D profiles for MakerGear printers?

  Simplify3D profiles for your MakerGear printer are available on our MakerGear Knowledge Base.
  Simplify3D profiles for your MakerGear printer.

• How do I setup a single extruder print with a Dual extruder printer?

  You can set of a single extruder print in Simplify3d by selecting Single Mode
  in the Auto-Configure Extruders section of your FFF settings. Check out the article
  here. Single Extrusion prints with MakerGear Dual extruder printers.

• How do I setup a Dual color print with my MakerGear printer?

  Dual color prints can be set up by setting up separate processess for your extruders. Check out our article and video on how to set it up.
  Dual color printing with MakerGear.

• How do I use Duplication Mode?

  Duplication mode requires two steps. First, you physically need to calibrate the hotends for duplication mode prints. Second, you need to slice your project for Dual extruders with Simplify3D
  Duplication Mode Setup
  Duplication Mode in Simplify3D

• How do I use Simplify3D with my MakerGear printer?

  We suggest downloading our Simplify3D profiles for MakerGear and getting familiar with the Simplify3d workflow.
  Simplify3D Profiles and Factory Files.
  Simplify3D work flow.

• What is the OctoPrint login information?

  The default username for you printer is: printer
  The password is your serial number as it appears on your printer.

• What is OctoPrint?

  Similar to the way that a car's dashboard offers access to the vehicle's controls, OctoPrint is the interface through which users access and control the MakerGear M3.
  What is OctoPrint?

• Can I slice my files with OctoPrint?

  While we suggest you use Simplify3D, OctoPrint has a rudimentary onboard slicer.
  Slicing Models with OctoPrint
  
  The onboard slicer in OctoPrint is not compatible with the Ultra One.

• How do I view my models before printing?

  Your MakerGear M3 shipped with an additional plugin called Slicer, which adds the plating function to OctoPrint for MakerGear.
  Slicing 3D models with OctoPrint.

• How do I set up a static IP?

  Depending on the demands of your work or home network configuration,
  it may become necessary for you to set up a static IP address for your printer.
  To do this you will need to SSH (remotely connect to the printer).
  Static IP instructions

• How do I set up a webcam in OctoPrint?

  Check out this article on Enabling a Webcam in OctoPrint.