USER MANUAL
Quick Start Guide
1. Printer Components
The Gizmo 3D Printers come in 3 different sizes with different add-ons and accessories.
The illustration below indicates the basic components that each printer has:
Please note: This manual is constantly being improved, please check back in for regular updates.
2. Prepare your workspace
Your workspace should have the following ready to access when you need it:
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Scalpel for removing parts from the build plate
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Plastic gloves (never work with resin without your gloves)
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The pump
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Your resin
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Lots of paper towels
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A bin
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Alcohol to rinse your finished parts
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A size 3mm hex/Allen key for lifting and securing your projectors when you need to.
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Laptop/PC - You will need a PC with at least 4GB of memory. More memory is better, especially when printing big objects. If you want to start using the big build plate and place many objects on the build plate you will most likely need to upgrade to 16GB or even 32GB of memory. Imagine 500 rings each with 500 000 faces. That is a lot of faces and will need tons of memory to slice.
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Your mixer (a cake mixer can be used, as well as a fork/spoon if you don’t have an auto mixer add-on installed.)
3. Install Java & Gizmetor
1. Install Java 8 64-bit from https://jdk8.java.net/download.html
After installing Java, open a command prompt (To open command prompt on a Windows PC, press the Windows button and type "cmd") and execute the command java -version
If you have a version of Java installed already, the new installation will override the old with the
You should see something like the text in blue below. Make sure it says 64-bit
Java version "1.8.0_102-ea" or higher.
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_76-ea-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.76-b04, mixed mode)
2. Download the latest version of Gizmetor software. If you have not received a link to download the software, please contact us.
Updates to the software happen regularly - ensure you have the latest version!
Note: There are 2 parts to the Gizmo 3D Printers software (both are downloaded at once):
1. GizMetor - Used to slice the 3D object that you import into layers and stores them in a .gizmo format.
2. GiziPrint - Once your object has been saved as a .gizmo file using GizMetor, the .gizmo file is imported into GiziPrint and printed.
4. Unpacking your printer
Packaging:
Resin is shipped separately and often projectors are posted separately too.
The printer itself will arrive in a wooden box.
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Place the printer box on a stable surface. Placing it centrally on the floor will provide the best accessible position for unpacking
Inside the box you will find:
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Your new printer
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Hand pump
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Universal cables
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DC power supply
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Resin
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Printer feet
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Heater power cable
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Any extras you ordered
The following steps are based on this video: https://youtu.be/Gn6lBjlhkW4 (Please watch the video)
Note: Your printer should be OFF at this stage.
Front of the printer:
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Insert the USB cable into the middle input in the front panel of the printer and the other end of the cable into a USB input of your PC or laptop.
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Insert the HDMI cable into the bottom input in the front panel of the printer and the other insert the other end of the cable into the HDMI input of your PC or laptop.
Back of the printer:
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Insert the projector power cable into the left input - the other end of this cable is plugged into your wall socket/power entry module. (You can plug any country adapter into this end). You have 2 of these cables in your kit. The second cable goes into the right input and is for your thermostat.
Danger! Never plug this cable in if the heat pad (inside the vat) is not covered with resin as it could cause a fire. For safety reasons - if you don’t have a heat pad or thermostat - do not insert this cable.
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The right input is the 12 volt power supply for your controller.
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If your printer has the super speed add-on installed, you will have an electronic device that will have its own power cable (please note: this device only comes with an American plug).
Place your Gizmo 3D Printer in an area that doesn’t have sunlight as it will slowly cure the resin.
5. Filling the vat with resin
1. Ensure that your vat is free of dust.
2. Put on your gloves!
3. While holding the projector bar, loosen the screws of the left projector stopper just enough so that the stopper can slide upwards. If you loosen it too much the nuts that support the stopper will get lost in your printer! Slide the projector and the loosened stopper all the way up, then tighten the stopper screws just enough to keep the projectors in place.
4. Using the pump that comes with your printer, place the straight pipe of the pump inside your resin bottle and the bendable pipe inside your vat, squeeze the top of the pump to pump the resin into your vat until it is so full that some of the resin starts pouring into the overflow.
Next switch on the projector/s using the remote controls. And press the on/off button of the printer.
6. Finding a model to print
You don’t have to create your own 3D models from scratch. Instead you can obtain models in any of the following ways:
1. Scanning
2. Downloading an existing model from Thingiverse.com
Should you want to create your own model - here’s some suggestions for software:
Software for beginners: 123D Catch, Tinkercad, 3DTin, sculpting apps such as 123D Sculpt, forger.
Software for experienced users: Industrial CAD (Solidworks, AutoCad etc) or professional 3D modelling (Cinema4D, Maya, Blender, etc.)
3. Preparing and assessing your model:
3.1 Important! Ensure your 3D model is suitable for 3D printing:
Your 3D model needs to be a solid, watertight (manifold) 3D model, saved in the STL firl format.
3.2 Does your model need supports?
If there are any overhangs in your model, supports will need to be created for them so that they don’t droop. We use Autodesk Meshmixer to add supports to our models. Here’s a link to a video to get you up to speed with adding supports to your model.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFTyTV3wwsE
7. Import your model into Gizmetor Software
Run Gizmetor
If you choose to execute GizmetorNoUpdate it will not try to connect to the internet to check for updates.
All the bat files that run Gizmetor are located in C:\Gizmo3DPrinters\bat. If Gizmetor doesn't start and it has the error that you don't have enough memory on your PC, you can edit the correct bat file and change the memory required.
Select a printer and material
When Gizmetor starts it will display a dialog box containing a list of printers and materials that you can choose from. If your printer or material is not in the list you will be able to manually add it by following a future tutorial.
For now select one of the printers in the drop down and a material. It doesn't really matter which one you choose in this tutorial.
When Gizmetor starts it will display a dialog box containing a list of printers and materials that you can choose from. If your printer or material is not in the list you will be able to manually add it by following a future tutorial.
For now select one of the printers in the drop down and a material. It doesn't really matter which one you choose in this tutorial.
Add From File System
Select an STL file from the file system by clicking on the "Add From File System" label at the top left of the screen.
Go to a directory that contains STL files and open one.
Gizmetor will load the STL and create the object in the 3D world.
Start the slicing workflow by clicking on the "Slice All" label at the top right of the screen. The Print Settings screen will open.
Print Settings
The Print Settings screen will populate the Filename field with the names of the objects in the 3D world. It has a limit of 200 characters for the name. You can change the name yourself if you want to.
> Print Quality
Changing the print quality will change the Z layer height. Medium is set to 50 micron and is a good default layer height to print with. Many resins can print at 50 micron Z.
Different resins will have different maximum and minimum layer height. For instance, the jewellery resin from Vitang prints well between 10 micron and 30 micron. The Deep Black resin from FunToDo prints well at 50 micron. 50 is a good average if you are unsure what value to type in.
> Profile
The list of profiles in the drop down is read from the profiles associated with the material. You can add more profiles by going to the Profile manager tab on the left side of Gizmetor. The profile will give you defaults values to print with. These values can then be changed in the Override manager.
> Layer height
When you change the Print Quality drop down this value will also change. You can also enter your own value in the field.
Solid (checkbox)
Checking the checkbox will display the Solid settings. Unchecking the checkbox will display the Hollow settings.
> Solid (checked)
Solid wall thickness
We normally don't change the value from 0.05. This will make the line around layers thicker. It can be used to close gaps.
Wall margin
This is mostly used when printing jewellery. This will create a red line around a layer. It opens up gaps. This can be used to compensate for bleed.
> Solid (unchecked)
Hollow wall thickness
This will make the lines thicker or thinner of the layer. 0.3 is a good starting value.
Infill width
The default width for the honeycomb infill. Smaller will use more memory and cause more surface tension and more blow-out. Between 4 and 8 seems to be a good value.
Infill height
The default height for the honeycomb infill. Smaller will use more memory and cause more surface tension and more blow-out. Between 4 and 8 seems to be a good value.
Infill wall thickness
The thickness of the honeycomb. The default value of 0.08 seems to work well. Bigger values will make the honeycomb thicker and stronger, but it will cause problems with continuous printing and blow-out. If the honeycomb is thicker than the outer walls the resin will rather go through the outer wall than through the honeycomb
Click on Next to show the Preview Manager
Preview Manager
Features of the Preview Manager includes the Override Manager and the Support Manager.
Override Manager
The override manager allows you to override many settings that are related to the print. For this tutorial delete all overrides if there are any in the list.
Support Manager
Still a work in progress. When it works you will be able to add supports in the 2D view.
True View
When clicking True View it will display the layer as if it was being displayed via the projector using the same scaling and same infill pattern.
You can slide through the bar at the top of the screen to see the different layers of your object.
Click Next go to to the Slicing screen
Slicing
The slicing screen is used to create slices of the 3D objects.
> Package Only
If you drag a .gizmo file into the 3D world the contents of the file will be extracted to the temp directory. If you then only change overrides in the Override Manager all you need to do is then click Package Only on this screen. The Package Only will create a new .gizmo file containing all the files in the temp directory. It will not slice again if slicing is required. This is a quick and easy way to change overrides.
> Slice and Package
The Slice and Package button will generate slices only if it detects that continuous printing has been enabled and it will only generate slices for those layers that need to be printed using continuous printing. The rest of the slices will be generated while printing. This could cause issues for extremely large objects that could take very long to slice per layer. In the future it will be possible to override this function by forcing the Slice and Package button to generate slices for each layer.
> Force PNG generation
We normally select Force PNG generation. This will create a PNG file for each layer. If you don't then that work will be done while printing. If the PC that is connected to the printer isn't powerful enough to slice fast enough you will run into issues. If you enabled continuous printing in the override manager then the layers that need to be printed continuously will be generated automatically, because they have to display just too fast to do it while printing.
Click on the Slice and Package button. Gizmetor should run through all the layers very quickly and then generate a .gizmo file. It will combine all the objects in the 3D world into a single STL file and include that in the .gizmo file.
Now switch on your projector/s with the remote while holding a piece of paper or your hand under the lens to block any light from the projector shining onto your resin - block the light until you are able to project any image from the projector in red (explained later in this tutorial - see Display calibration in red).
Click on Start GiziPrint to move onto the next step. (Always switch on your projector/s before starting GiziPrint!). Your PC will need a second monitor for this to work correctly or your PC will need to be connected to the printer.
9. Start Printing
Run GiziPrint
GiziPrint can be started by clicking on the Start GiziPrint label in Gizmetor after slicing has been completed or by going to C:\Gizmo3DPrinters and starting GizmetorPrinter or GizmetorPrinterNoUpdate. The same information regarding starting Gizmetor applies to GiziPrint.
If you start GiziPrint from Gizmetor it will auto populate the file name on the file selection screen.
The basic version of GiziPrint can also be accessed by using a web browser. GiziPrint displays its IP address in the title bar. Open a browser and go to the address and using port :7060. This is a work in progress
> Printer port
If the PC is connected to the printer then one of the ports in the list wil be the port of the printer. There is no way to know which port the correct port is. Try each one, other than Comm 1. If you select None GiziPrint will start the emulator internally. None is good to test a print without moving the printer. Make sure the Connect button changes to Disconnect after clicking it once. If it doesn't, it means the connection wasn't successful. Alt+tab to the black command window to look for an error. You can also see a log of what happened by clicking on the Manual Control tab.
> Printer
Select the correct printer that you are using. This is very important to choose the correct printer. If you choose a printer that is very tall, but your physical printer is very short the build plate might move too far and damage the printer. Other things that move, e.g. automated projector and wiper, could also possibly move too far and cause damage.
Click Next to go to the File Selection screen
File to be printed
If you started GiziPrint from Gizmetor the filename should already be populated. If it isn't you can find the .gizmo file by clicking on the Select file button and then browsing to the recent folder. Select the .gizmo file and click Open.
It is possible to load many .gizmo files and they will be printed one after the other. This is useful for mass production or if you want to print a huge STL that couldn't be sliced as a single STL. Split the STL using Netfabb into smaller STL files. Slice and package each one and then load them in GiziPrint to be printed one after the other.
Click Next to go to the Gizmo File Information screen.
Gizmo File Information
This screen is a work in progress. It displays information regarding the .gizmo file.
Click Next to go to the Calibration Settings screen.
Calibration Settings
This screen actually used to be used to calibrate the image, but its role changed over time. Now it is more a pre-print configure screen.
> Calibration image
Select between Layers, 30mm square or Calibration Grid.
> Layers
A layer of the .gizmo file will be displayed. It is good to check every 100 layers or so to make sure everything fits correctly and is the correct size. Really just double check to make sure the print will will succeed.
> 30mm square
Good to display the square to make sure the scaling is right. This is again just a double check. Only way to fix a scaling problem at this point would be to change the projector zoom or move the projector up or down.
> Calibration Grid
GiziPrint will actually load the STL C:\Gizmo3DPrinters\toolbox\calibrate\Calibrategrid.stl and display it. This is normally used to calibrate multiple projectors.
> Layer number
Which layer number will be displayed when clicking the calibrate buttons
> Calibration
Display calibration in white
Displays a 2D/layer on the second projector or the printer in white. White will harden the resin. It is normally used to create the base layer of the print. This can be done automatically using the Override Manager.
Display calibration in red
Red will not harden the resin. You might want to show the layer to see if it falls through the build plate or is fully inside the projection area.
Hide calibration image
Hide the currently displayed image.
Dip Test
Make the build plate go down and come back up the distance that was configured in the profile. This is good to coat the build plate and also to see if the build plate will actually dip far enough to coat the part fully.
Build plate
The buttons will move the build plate up and down and home it. Normally home is not required. The printer should always move the build plate back to the position before the print started.
Do a dip test to make sure the build plate is coated with resin.
Move the build plate up to just above the overflow. Fill the vat with resin until it over flows. Move the build so the the resin just almost reaches the top surface of the build plate. You should see little sparkles from the holes in the build plate. If you don't see sparkles it means the build plate is too low. Make sure you have a little bit of resin on the surface of the build plate.
Display the first layer using the "Display calibration in white" button. You might need to display for 30 seconds to a minute to make sure the part sticks well to the build plate and bridges all holes. Test that the first layer was created correctly. We use a scalpel and do random tests by pushing against the layer on the build plate. Please note: Don't cut the layer off the build plate. Just push against it to make sure it is stuck.
> X Offset
Move the image up or down using these buttons. The part might be falling through holes in the build plate. Move it to a better position.
> Y Offset
Move the image left or right using these buttons. The part might be falling through holes in the build plate. Move it to a better position.
Click next when you are ready to start your first print
Printing
The screen will give all the details regarding the print and you can even override some settings. Please note: You can only override settings here if the settings are not being overwritten in the Override manager. Say that fast 3 times :)
> Recalculate print time
When changing the settings in the Display section. Click this button to see the print duration change.
> Start
Starts the print
> Stop
Stops the print
> Repackage gizmo file
If you changed the settings of the print and the print worked out well, click this button. It will repackage the .gizmo and create a new .gizmo file and store it in the recent folder. You can then reuse that file in the future and reproduce the print easily.
> Display settings
Dip depth
How deep the build plate will dip to coat the previous layer. Currently the software doesn't calculate this time. So it won't increase the print time. But if your pause times are wrong things will fail badly.
Pause after build plate down
How long to pause after the command was sent to move the build plate down. The system doesn't know how long it takes for the build plate to move down or when it reaches the bottom position. So the counter starts as soon as the command is sent to the controller.
Longer means the resin will have time to coat the full build plate. If are learning how to print with a new resin it is best to make this number bigger.
Pause after build plate up
How long to pause after the command was sent to move the build plate up. The system doesn't know how long it takes for the build plate to move up or when it reaches the top position. So the counter starts as soon as the command is sent to the controller.
Longer means the resin will have more time to stabilize. If are learning how to print with a new resin it is best to make this number bigger.
Display time
Too long and you cook the resin and cause a failure. Too short and nothing displays. This is how long the image will be displayed for to harden the resin. Few pixels in an image needs a longer display time. More pixels need less display time. If you print a solid square you will need less display time vs displaying the outline of a square that would need a longer display time.
Pause after display
The resin takes some milliseconds to cure after it was hit by UV. If are learning how to print with a new resin it is best to make this number bigger.
Save settings to config file
If you change settings it is always a good idea to save the config file. Everytime you click the back button to go back to the calibration screen and come back to the print screen the settings of the print will be loaded. Saving the settings means you won't lose anything.
Click the start button to start the print.
What to look out for when printing
Always keep your finger close to the on/off switch when the printer starts moving. We have had cases were users didn't have the build plate inside the vat and they moved the build plate manually. The build plate hit the vat and bent the whole machine.
If you notice the dip isn't deep enough for the print, stop the print. Change the setting and start again.
If you are printing with a new resin stop the print after 20 or 30 minutes and see if it actually printed. If nothing formed, the display time is too low, increase the display time. If it looks like bubbles formed on the part the display time is too long and you are cooking the resin. Smoke will also normally come out of the vat. Reduce the display time. Remove the previously printed part and start again. If you stopped it at the point of creating supports you don't need to remove the supports. Just print over them.
If the resin still moves while the image is being displayed increase the pause times. It is easy to see the resin move if the printer is in a dark room. Just look at the roof of the room.
When the print is done and there is gunk around the print or on the build plate the brightness/contrast/gamma setting of the projector is too high. Reduce one setting and print again.
Flat surfaces need to be angled to be printed or you will need to hollow the part and only close the last 2 layers using the override manager.