sodaJust started using the Beta (code named: Soda) of Tiertime’s UP Studio 3 (UPS3) software.  It is a slicer and machine control program for the Tiertime Printers. Presumably, it can also be configured for other brands of FDM printers.

I am using it with the three Cetus printers I own. A MK1 and two MK3 (one with the heated bed.)

Tiertime offered a slicer/control software they called Catfish. UPS3 is a direct outcome from the Catfish code. I have been “playing” with Catfish since it was released.  It was not perfect, but it did work. One fault was it crashed the MK3 with the heated bed. Not ready for prime-time users.

UPS3 has fixed all the issues and runs all my printers just fine. The slicer is very fast (not a high priority on my list).

Every variable is adjustable. UP Studio prior to Catfish gave the user very limited variable control. Now the user can get into very serious trouble if they don’t understand all the functions that are now adjustable.

UPS3 is still in BETA and the documentation is far from existence. Reading Catfish information will be a big help.  I think the look and feel of the UI will be adjusted before it leaves BETA.  It’s not bad, but in my opinion lacks some of the “polish” of the earlier UP Studio releases.

Catfish and UPS3 both use a two step process for slicing and then machine control. The machine control is named “Wand” and is a definite separate program from the slicer. The slicer creates a task (.tsk) binary file that is used in Wand. Probably a binary gcode not editable by the user. The slicer will also create a text gcode that is NOT used for Wand.

I am liking what I see far better than the older UP Studio and fixes the issues in Catfish.  It is now my choice for running my Cetus printers.

There is one "bug" I discovered and sent a discription to Tiertime. Large models create quite large  task (gcode) files. My MK3 Cetus with the high powered print platform will heat the platform without temperature limit control when uploading a print file. Large (10MB) files can take 4-5 minutes to upload. The platform will exceed desired setpoint (60C) by 130 to 150% during large file upload. No problem with small files, But I create and print some big files.

Explore UP Studio 3 Beta: Soda for yourself. Find it here: https://www.tiertime.com/software/ .

UPDATE (11/9/2020)  --  Jason Wu from the Tiertime help desk just informed me there is an internal high temp limit in Cetus. Here is his statement:

Since the file transfer is not completed, the machine did not know what platform temp it should go.  So it will heat up base on an internal default temperature, which we set as 90C.  The temperature control is still on.