v0.7-alpha

[ratdoux]

v0.7-alpha Pre-release

EXPERIMENTAL BUILD - NOT TESTED
Based on Snapmaker Orca v2.2.4

v0.7 full spectrum alpha focuses on Local Z reliability, better mixed-filament control, and a cleaner custom Gradient/Pattern workflow.

This has had limited testing on the Snapmaker U1 via the community.

What's New in v0.7

Local Z Dithering Reliability (v0.7)

• Improved handling for overlapping mixed-painted zones on the same XY plane.
• Fixed cases where layer-height modulation could flatten or become equal when a second zone starts.
• Fixed stale first-zone behavior where editing one gradient did not correctly update resulting layer heights.
• Reduced repeated same-color layer runs in complex multi-zone transitions.
• Mixed passes and base passes are separated more cleanly in perimeter clipping paths.

Manual Pattern Mixed Filaments (v0.6, refined in v0.7)

• Pattern add button in Mixed Filaments UI (alongside Gradient add).
• Custom repeating layer patterns (for example 11112222 for a 4:4 ratio).
• Pattern parser accepts 1/2 or A/B with separators (/, -, _, |, etc.).
• Manual pattern takes precedence; blend percentage is auto-derived from the pattern.
• Backward-compatible parsing for older custom mixed-row formats.

Local Z Dithering Mode (v0.4, refined in v0.7)

• Local Z dithering mode in Process -> Others (dithering_local_z_mode).
• Mixed-painted zones are split into local sub-passes with pass-specific flow height.
• Runtime guard remains active when wipe tower or wiping overrides are enabled.

Selective Expansion/Contraction (v0.7)

• Added selective expansion/contraction controls for mixed-color behavior tuning in challenging transition regions.
• Intended to help with edge consistency where mixed passes interact with neighboring toolpaths.

Mixed Filaments UI Refresh (v0.7)

• More modern and compact layout for custom Gradient and Pattern mixed filaments.
• Reduced spacing and tighter row cards for better readability with many mixed rows.
• Cleaner preview area with summary inline for faster scanning.

Config/Save/Load Reliability (v0.5 + v0.7 hardening)

• Config comparison checks type and value.
• Improved dirty-state detection, diffing, and unsaved-changes behavior.
• Mixed filament project settings load more consistently.
• Stronger logging for mixed-row parsing and config application.

Same-layer Pointillisme (new in v0.7, experimental)

• What it is: a same-layer color interleaving mode that tries to distribute multiple filaments inside a single layer instead of alternating by layer.
• Goal: test whether very small in-layer color "dots" can produce smoother visual blends than normal layer cycling.
• Status: extremely experimental and may produce unusable results.
• Reality check: this is likely a dead end for production use on current hardware and may be removed or replaced in a future release.

Installation

1. Download Snapmaker_Orca.zip.
2. Extract to a folder.
3. Run the executable.

Warning

• Use at your own risk.
• May produce incorrect G-code.
• Local Z behavior is still experimental.
• Seeking testers with U1 printers.

Features Not Yet Tested

1. Local Z height dithering
2. Patterns
3. Selective expansion/contraction
4. Advanced dithering
5. Height-weight cadence

Known Issues

• Untested on real hardware.
• Local Z mode still needs validation with real prints.
• Advanced dithering output may require calibration.
• Pointillisme is research-grade only right now and is likely not viable for stable, repeatable prints.
• Startup crash may still occur in some setups and needs further debugging.

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This discussion was created from the release v0.7-alpha.

[Groo70]

If i run this, i get a "fatal error" and not able to run it!

[Groo70]

Yes. tried all versions from 0.6 up to 0.9

[ratdoux]

seems to be an encoding issue because of the umlaut lol, im trying to see what i can do about it

[ratdoux]

try the new v0.91

[Groo70]

Now it starts! I will run tests in the next days!

[ratdoux]

neat, have fun!

[arekm]

Suggestion to add visual information on what this project does in README.md (many people don't read descriptions)