Solved Issue with Gaping of first layers

Hello, and thank you for any help you can provide to a newbie. I did try a search first, but it seems like they are not really of assistance. In many cases, they describe a software process that is not in my current build of MatterControl 1.4 for MAC.

The PROBLEM:
On my prints, the first layer is always "ribbed" in the manner than the instruction book shows on Page 46 of the Troubleshooting guide. They suggest that the print head is too high and to lower the "offset".

So here is the issue. On my software, if I press those offset buttons, they don't indicate that any setting has changed. I also can't seem to see any difference on the prints. going from pressing the 0.8 to the 1.1. There is still ribbing. I did change the first layer height to .4mm and that was a marginal help.

My prints also seem to have a string of PLA that I can peel off from the first layer of the print. All of the prints I have tried are the ones that come from ROBO within the Mattercontrol library.

Please let me know if you have any idea!!! Thanks!

 

Thanks Mark! Yeah, the offset seems to be it! But the software won't allow me to change it. I am assuming that using the G code will allow me to bypass that?

 

Roger that! I am going to hit some youtube vids to see how to change the G code settings!

 

If you go to settings/printer/custom g-code, you can add line as follows
M565 Z1.0; set offset here

make sure you close mattercontrol after changes to save.
when you reopen, changes should be saved.

 

One more change you may want to make, change slice engine in matter control from matterslice to cura engine.
Seems to make a much nicer first layer.

Go to Options/Applications settings/Slice Engine and select CuraEngine from drop down menu.

 

Thank you Blu, I'm going to give it a try tomorrow morning and will report back! The only thing is that the MAC version is a lot different than those screen shots. On MAC, there is no option of slicing engines that I can find...I'm not sure why they had to make the interfaces different for the 2 platforms, but it sure makes it hard to use the Windows instruction sets I'm finding on the internet!

EDIT: I stand corrected...

I just needed to configure the GUI to allow for not opening the option in tile format....

Now, it is much easier to follow!!
Thanks again!

 

Thanks Guys! Advice was right on the money. I selected the CURA engine, and used the G-code and all worked well. These printers are more complicated than I thought, but I see there is amazing flexibility in their design..I learned much today!!