Hello,
a few days ago i got a new Halot Mage S, my previous resin printer was the Creality LD006.
I have installed Halot Box v4.6.0.3917, the Windows x64 version, running in Linux using Wine64.
For the LD006 i use the free version ChituBox.
My main use for for the printers is to produce technical, functional parts. Therefore, dimensional accuracy is pretty important for me.
However, there is at least one crucial option missing in HalotBox: Spearate compensation for the bottom layers. Since the bottom layers have a much longer exposure time, this inevitably leads to a massive elephants-foot on these layers.
The software should have options similar to what ChituBox has, “Tolerance compensation” and “Bottom Tolerance Compensation” that allows to specify a compenstaion value in mm for the outside contours and the inside contours/holes separately.
Without such an option the software is not that usable for technical parts that can not be printed using supports.
Another nice feature would be a calibration option/procedure that makes it easier to get good dimensional accuracy. For example, print a semi-cube (that is, a cube that only has the bottom and the side walls, but is open at the top) of known dimensions, like 5cm x 5cm x 5cm and 5mm wall thickness. After printing and curing, the actual meassured dimensions are entered into the calibration procedure, and it will then automatically calculate the correct compensation values.
Similarily for the normal and bottom tolerance compensatoins, meassure the dimensions of the elephants-foot and the software automatically sets these parameters.
Compared to the LD006, it seems that the Halot Mage S has a very reduced set of lift & retraction speeds and distances that can be set. I know that the cxdlpv4 file format used allows to have many more parameters, similar to what the LD006’s ctb file format uses. However, those are not available in the software, and the printer itself also ignores them. It would be great to have some form of “expert mode” that allows to use these parameters, and have the printer follow them as well.
It would also be a nice feature if Halot Box could create ctb files for the LD006, although i guess that supporting rather old models is not really a priority.
Finally, it would be very good if there is a Linux version of Halot Box available. While i could use the free ChituBox Basic software, which has a dedicated LInux version, it appears that the files it generates are not exactly right. Like, no matter what config i use (normal or dynax), the speeds and lift distances are always the same, etc. I can’t try the Pro version either, the official one on their site is 1.4, which does not have the Halot Mage S, and on the USB stick that came with the printer, the 1.5 versions are only for Windows and Mac (plus, for some reason my printer came without that card for the 3 month trial).
Since i am using Linux, and i am actively programming applications on Linux using Qt, i could help with porting the Halot Box software, if that is of interrest for you.
Greetings,
Chris