Mac => Printer Set Up...Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus

[pblackshaw]

I’m a total newbie to 3D printing and I’m struggling to get my Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus fully set up. I can’t seem to put files get my iMac to communicate with the machine (basic printer set up?) and the images I download from the Mac (via Cura for Wahao) to the memory card simply don’t register on the printer interface. It says “Choose File” but nothing appears. Have been checking FAQs and Help menus. Anyone who solves this riddle will be my new best friend.

[dmyers7]

Communication with MAC and “images” to SD card are not being seen by the printer? Need more information. The wanhoa i3 will accept sliced 3D objects in .gcode format placed on an SD card from your MAC and plugged into the side of your i3 controller box or front of printer (depending on the version if printer you have). Your MAC can control the printer through the CURA interface when plugged in with the USB port; the printer will show up as a serial port; not as an SD card.

[DJBQuality]

Daft question, but can you see the files on the memory card when you plug it into the Imac? You could also try hooking up to the printer directly through the USB cable supplied, and see if that works but this is really inconvenience, as you need to be hooked up for the entire print. Quick edit, also realised you need to mount the SD card in the printer before it will be recognised, this caught me out first time. Go to the SD Card settings in the menu.

[pblackshaw]

Thank you. In my effort to fix the issue, I deleted or (re “initialized”) the memory card as it was not readable on the Mac. Am I totally screwed now? I have tried to connect the printer to the cable but for some reason it does not register. Is the fact that I have a Mac complicating things.

[pblackshaw]

I have tried to connect the printer to the cable but for some reason it does not register. Is the fact that I have a Mac complicating things. Do I need a special kind of printer cable for a Mac (e.g. no USB on one end). Thank in advance. Also, in my effort to download the file onto the SD card from my mac, I re-initialized the card? Was that a big mistake, and if so, how do I recover?

[dmyers7]

No, a MAC will work perfectly fine with the printer. Remember it will show up as a serial port; same on a windows or Linux computer. I run mine from an RaspPi under Linux and OctoPi. You will not see the SD Card that’s in your printer when you plug in the USB cable.

Your not hosed that you lost the files from the SD Card. They could help but are not nessesary; all the software to slice is open source; free. Most come with preconfigured settings for this very printer.

When you initialize an SD Card on your MAC make sure you format it as FAT32. It is also helpful to buy a piece of software that clears all the hidden files from the card when eject; most printers will show hidden files and this can be a pain when your looking for your gcode file.

If you want free slicer software, download CURA and learn it (youtube), it’s great for the price. In its printer control panel you should be able to connect to printer from your Mac over the USB cable. Look up how to setup the serial port.