Ultimaker 3 - Remote Shutter Timelapse Kit

Description

PLEASE READ ELSE YOUR PRINTER WILL EXPLODE! :) Hi guys, I was inspired by the latest timelapse videos where you can see the printed object evenly growing from nothing while the printhead is fixed on the side of the printer. Normally this is done by using a script in Octoprint but I don't want to use that with this expensive Ultimaker 3. So I decided to find a way to do such cool timelapse videos my own way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TgUKrv7dU - The Principle: The key to get this awesome effect of an evenly growing object without flying printhead is to use a remote shutter to trigger a picture of each layer and stitch them together to get a video. The printhead has to physically trigger the remote shutter after every printed layer. You just have to mount the remote to the frame of your printer. Then you have to mount a rubber stick to the printhead which is pressing the button of the remote and triggers the picture. The problem is to get the printhead to move to the correct position after each layer. I will come to that later but first let's describe the components. - The Camera and App: I use the camera of my old Samsung S6 Edge but you can use what's available to you. If you want to use a mobile phone too please be sure to find a camera app that: - has a manual focus - don't go to sleep automatically - works with a Bluetooth Selfie-Stick remote - don't makes a burst of picturs when the button is pressed long - The Camera mount: I had to edit some designs from Thingivers but I got a very good 3-axis camera mount. It is very sturdy, easy to use and you have full control of your angle. You can print it without supports but you have to glue the parts together. Please see the color coded pictures to get the right parts together. You will need three M5x25 hex head screws and nuts. I use the camera of my old Samsung S6 Edge but you can use what's available to you. Just find and print a holder for it and glue it to the 3-axis mount. - The Printhead mount: I designed a very sturdy mount to the Ultimaker 3 printhead. You can print it without supports and screw it to the printhead. To soften the touch between the printhead and the remote I use a piece of a 7mm Hot-Glue stick, I call it 'Finger'. You can just cut a 22mm piece off and stick it into the printhead mount. It is very important to keep the 'Finger' removable! Please remove the 'Finger' after each print! When you use the automatic leveling of the Ultimaker 3 then the 'Finger' will collide with the remote shutter mount. Please stick the 'Finger' into the printhead mount AFTER the automatic leveling is done. - The Remote Shutter: I found a small Bluetooth Selfie-Stick remote on Amazon. It is powered by a coin cell and works for Android and Iphone. It has a little power switch on the side to save battery live when not in use. https://www.amazon.de/dp/B074XQQWV4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kChRBbEN04NCA - The Remote Shutter mount: I adapted a design from Pole_ergo to get a huge surface to press the tiny button of the remote. It fits perfect, is slightly flexible and you can print it without supports. The remote is mounted on the right, rear side of the Ultimaker 3 where the printhead is changing the printcores. This is the only reliable position where the printhead is doing the same movement every time and is not interfering with other stuff. I tried other positions but either it is interfering with other movements or you lose the possibility to print dual colors. - The Cura Settings: The principle is to get the printhead to press the button of the remote when it switches the printcores after every layer, even when you print with single color. - When printing a multi color object you have to make sure that both colors are used in every layer till the end. For example, is the first color only on the bottom of the object and the second color on the top, then you need to add two 'Dummy objects' using both colors. Add them on the side of the printbed and make sure they have the same hight (Z axis) as the original object. I use a 4x4mm cylinder as 'Dummy object'. If your object is very high you need to make the cylinder thicker, else it will get knocked over. You can activate the Prime Tower, it will not interfere with the remote shutter mount. - When printing a single color object you need a 'Dummy object' too in the same hight (Z axis) as the original object. If you don't want to see this 'Dummy object' in the final video then remove the second filament from the extruder but keep the printer thinking that there is still filament loaded. Now the printer is not able to print the 'Dummy object' and you can make it very thin (1x1mm) to save some time. But keep the same hight (Z axis) as the original object! Have fun with your timelapses! If you still have some questions then please comment.

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