Update: Cura 4.5 has been released and I will install it as soon as it is available in the Arch Linux Repository.
I use the following profile settings for my Artillery Sidewinder X1 when slicing with Cura 4.4 under Linux. But before Cura sees my printer, a few steps have to be taken which I will outline now.
Cura 4.4 has no profile for the Artillery Sidewinder X1.
Before I can print, I must first add the printer and then import the Artillery factory profile. To add the 3D printer, I click the drop-down icon and selected “Add printer”. This opens a big list of available printers but there is no Sidewinder X1. That’s OK because I can add it manually. Here is how.
Adding the Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printer to Cura 4.4
First, I add a “non networked printer” and select “Custom“. To be specific, I click on Add Custom FFF Printer and then I click the Add button. So far so good. I can now name my printer in the text field. I called “Artillery Sidewinder X1“.
Download the Cura profile from the artillery website
Update! The artillery website seems to be down which is not unusual considering what is happening with the Corona virus. If you can’t find one online, then go to the “Downloads” section of my website, read the red text and click links to download.
To do so, I pointed Firefox to this web address: http://www.artillery3d.com/
The Support tab has two options of which one is the Download option.
I find the line that says “Sidewinder X1 profile for Cura 4” and click on it to start the download. Once downloaded, I extract the zip file which will give me the two needed files.
- Cura 4.0 Profile Pdf
- SWX1 Fine.curaprofile
After I’ve read the PDF, I loaded Cura 4.4 and selected the Preferences settings from the top menu. Again, clicking “Configure Cura” opens a pop-up window.
The Profiles entry is in the left hand table and once Profiles is highlighted, I select “Import” from the top menu options. I then navigate to the SWX1 Fine.curaprofile which I just downloaded and load it. Once loaded, I click “Activate” and I’m done.
I now have my 3D printer configured to work with Ultimaker Cura which is a fantastic slicer.
The image below shows a sample setting that I just used to print a very small part that is maybe 60 millimeters (about 2 inches) by 20 millimeters (less than 1 inch) and very thin.
If you are new to Cura then take a good look at the very top portion of the above image. The profile section is where I needed to select my printer. Once selected, all the settings will be adjusted for the Artillery Sidewinder X1.
Cura 4.4 most important settings
There are two kinds of parts. Solid ones and hollow ones. If a part needs to be solid, then we don’t have to worry about the “Infill” setting. If I don’t need a very strong part, and have a model that is big (more than one cubic inch or 25 by 25 millimeters) then I use infill.
Cura is complex and 3D printing is a complex process but after a few tries, it’s very manageable. To learn all I could, I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos which helped me to understand each of the settings I wanted to learn about. The above image is meant to provide a starting point as well as the proper terms such as Combing Mode or Generate Support. Knowing those terms makes searching a lot more efficient
I don’t think that there is a one size fits all profile. Think of a car and a truck. They both function the same way but one is more useful if one boughta washing machine and needs to bring it home while the other is great to zip around town. In time, you will become very familiar with tweaking Cura and to be honest, there are only a few settings that really matter. Besides the heat which is tied into the filament type, there is wall thickness and infill patterns which depend mostly on how strong a part needs to be.
Don’t be afraid of using just 10% infill for larger parts. 3D printed parts are surprisingly strong. The other day I printed a smartphone holder and during printing, the part became lose because I didn’t chose an ideal build plate temperature. While a new one was printing, I tried to break that half-finished part but could not.
What you should know about infill
Infill creates a waffle-like pattern on the inside of a model. This saves a lot of filament and speeds up the print time considerably. There are many different infill patterns available. Most of the time, I use the default one and only adjust the density depending on how big the part is.
We all learn by doing so don’t be afraid to experiment. I recommend that you start by downloading small models from thingiverse.com unless you know how to design your own models and parts.
SolidWorks or FreeCAD
If you work in an professional environment, then you surely heard of and maybe even use SolidWorks. If SolidWorks is out of reach then I highly recommend FreeCAD because it gives me all the tools I need. There are plenty of YouTube videos that teach the basics of designing with FreeCAD.
What is the best help page for new users?
If you are new to 3D printing and have bought the amazing Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printer then I recommend that you join the Artillery Sidewinder X1 Facebook Group
There are many users helping each other out and the information found on their Facebook page is genuine. Enjoy your Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printer and have fun learning and creating.
Thank you for reading.
I love how your enthusiasm for 3D printing seeps through your article. I especially liked this post because it felt very personal and is very helpful since it is from a user perspective. Thanks!
It appears the Acura profile is now a rare file type, and is not recognised by Cura. So it’s currently unusable. If you know of any other method please please share it. Thanks, Ben
So the .rar file just needs to be extracted. Download 7zip and then you can right click and extract the cura profile.
Hey Zach,
I just downloaded the latest file just to be sure that what I am saying is correct. After unpacking the .rar file, I got a PDF plus the SWX1 Fine.curaprofile
It is the .curaprofile which you can “import from within Cura” and then set as the default.
Also, you can make any changes to that profile as far as speed, combing, extruder setting etc.
Received my Sidewinder X1 last week and this helped get the initial settings done. Got a few prints that were clean and tweaking things to scale up. Thanks for the tutorial!
Most community colleges offer courses in AutoCAD Fusion and Solidworks.
I you are a military veteran you can get a Solidworks license for free or close.
You will have to renew it each year.
I have used Solidworks for the past dozen years and love it. It will take a semester
or two to become good with this software and I presume Fusion is the same.
There are less expensive programs that are easier to learn.
Same here. Took SolidWorks, AutoCAD and Inventor courses but now I use FreeCAD because I switched to Linux. FreeCAD is very similar to SolidWorks and I design all of my prints with it.
Retired Military here. How can I get solidworks for free or close?
Hi Tim,
As far as I know, SolidWorks only gives free licenses to training institutions which is where I got a one year student license. That was a few years ago and since then, I have moved my computers to Linux which is why I am using FreeCAD.
FreeCAD is very close to SolidWorks and it’s the only program I use if something needs to be 3D printed.
Will this same method work for Cura 4.5?
Thank to your post, I have just found out that a new version is available. I’m on Arch Linux and my package manager still shows Cura 4.4.x but that should change any minute. I’ll upgrade and post back. Although software makers always brag about new features, it is usually not as they say so my hunch is that it most likely will.
Finally, Manjaro updated Cura to version 4.5 and I am happy to say that the profile transferred over as I expected it would. Business as usual just a few new settings to play with.
I tried downloading the Cura profile from the Artillery3D website but the site seems to be down or gone. Is there anyplace else to get these files?
Hi Christopher,
you are correct. The URL is not working as expected. I suppose that this has something to do with the Corona / Covet19 virus. Maybe give it a few days or even better, consult the Facebook group which I lined in the post above.
They are surely aware of what is going on. – Ernst
I don’t have facebook, where else can I find that profile?
It will be available shortly from the “Downloads” top menu entry. PLEASE read and follow the instructions so that you don’t download something that was manipulated by a 3rd party.
The site doesn’t seem to be online anymore. Does anyone have the cura profile file and willing to send it?
I am uploading it in a few minutes. Will be in the “Downloads” section (see top menu). Please read the disclaimer so you understand the risk and how to check the file size before you download.
Hmmm…old duffer here & completely new to this. Instructions don’t match the Cura I have — 4.5 on Linux. Will this be updated for that version?
Hi Dan,
I will look into this in the coming days. When my Sidewinder arrived, the artillery website was still up and I grabbed their profile and installed it. Back then, Arch Linux had Cura 5.4 in their repositories and the downloaded profile installed just fine. Just a few days ago, I’ve upgraded Cura 5.4 to 5.5 and everything worked as expected. I will update the article as needed. Thanks for mentioning it. Enjoy the printer. 🙂
Thank you sir….
….one other thing—could ya point an old guy to some learning materials about this subject? Would be greatly appreciated.
Well, let’s see ….
Enjoying a 3D printer means to have found the perfect combination of:
1) A good printer (which we have with our SWX1)
2) Good filament that doesn’t ruin the print
3) The correct temperatures
4) The right bed leveling (crucial for success)
That’s on the hardware side. Then you need to have a great model that you will love having ether for display or use.
Last but not least, the right CURA settings so that you get the strength and build quality.
As a rule of thumb, for larger models, I go with 0.2 millimeter layers extrusion height. For delicate models, I go lower.
Print speed
The SWX1 is a beast. It’s fast but fast isn’t always right. For delicate models, I go up to 50% slower if needed.
Room temperature is also a factor. We had a cool winter and my bigger parts warped as one or two corners lifted off during printing because the plastic cooled too fast. Again, this is for larger pieces like 2 or more inches in height.
Maybe check out a real part I designed in FreeCAD and used to fix my shower glass. Link: http://ernstrenner.com/shower-glass-adjustment-with-3d-printed-part/
That post has photos and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have. Maybe even write a tutorial / blog post.
The most important part is to skim YouTube and watch what others are doing right or wrong. 3D printing is a huge topic, kind of like cooking. You can have all the right ingredients but if the oven temperature is off, your bread will not come out right.
Thanks for that…
…after looking around a bit I found a nifty beginner’s tutorial on Youtube. It appears the process is either download prepared files and print or use software to build yer own — cad->slicer->print.
Working with FreeCAD (Linux) & Cura (Linux).
Enjoy FreeCAD. It is an amazing program. Their forum is a great resource and lives here: https://forum.freecadweb.org/