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Software & Configuration

Congratulations! You've built a StealthChanger with at least one toolhead and dock, and you're ready for the real fun. This section will guide you through installing, configuring, and calibrating your printer to get your first multi-colored print.

Process Overview

Follow these steps in order:

  1. Install klipper-toolchanger-easy - Set up the toolchanger software
  2. Configure all your parameters for each toolhead - Set up tool files, offsets, and dock positions
  3. Calibrate Toolheads your Z offsets and toolhead XY offsets - Ensure accurate tool alignment
  4. Calibrate Docks your dock locations - Set up reliable tool changes
  5. Setup your slicer and print-start macros - Configure your slicer and print_start macro for multi-tool printing
  6. Print! - Start your first multi-color print

About klipper-toolchanger-easy

StealthChanger uses klipper-toolchanger-easy for toolchanging functionality. This is a maintained fork of the original klipper-toolchanger project, specifically designed to be easier to install and configure.

Key features:

  • Simple installation script
  • Automatic Moonraker update management
  • Comprehensive configuration examples
  • Active development and support

FAQ

Quick Links:

If using "fan0 or fan2" from slicer, need to change those back to named fans

If your slicer is using "fan0" or "fan2" for fan control, you need to change those back to named fans. klipper-toolchanger-easy uses named fans like T0_partfan, T1_partfan, etc. Update your slicer settings to use the correct fan names.

After a tool change the ooze of my toolhead gets deposited onto my print / the picked up tool drags over the print to the prime tower

By default after a tool change only the Z axis gets restored, that means whichever tool you pick up will return to center Y and X whatever your dock position of that tool is. If your print is in the path to the next move from the slicer it will not Z-hop (the slicer does not change Z) and drag over it, depositing any ooze the nozzle has on the print.

To mitigate that do the following:

  1. Enable multitool ramming in your slicer. The slicer will move to the prime tower to do so
  2. Restore not just Z but also X and Y, t_command_restore_axis: XYZ in [toolchanger]. This will return the toolhead back from where the previous tool was in all 3 axes.
  3. The pickup_gcode in [toolchanger] runs the restore path at the end. Raise the Z travel by a fixed amount, e.g. 5mm {% if 'Z' in restore_position %} #Travel with Z 5 higher to the restore position ROUNDED_G0 Z={restore_position.Z + 5} F={fast} D=150 {% endif %} After the pickup gcode has ran the toolchanging software will move the toolhead to the correct Z so no further change is necessary.

Can I skip a number in the tool numbering?

No, Klipper requires sequential numbering starting from 0. Skipping a number will make it complain.

The wrong tool heats up

Make sure all of your extruder references are correct per tool and you didn't forget to change one. Use extruder for T0, extruder1 for T1 and so on. E.g. [tmc2209 extruder] becomes [tmc2209 extruder1] for T1 and so on. Unfortunately the different naming scheme of extruders for T0 makes it easy to gloss over extruder references.

I'm getting some weird behaviour where the wrong tool gets selected, heated, part cooling fan is wrong, etc.

Make sure you don't accidentally have overridden any macros. If you copy T0 cfg to T1 and forget to change any reference to T0 you'll run into weird behavior. Read through T1 cfg closely and make sure you don't have anything still referencing T0. Gcode macro definitions will override the previously defined one (in T0 cfg). If you've forgotten to change the name of the gcode macro but have changed all references to T1 inside that macro then when that macro is called for T0 it will do all the things it's supposed to with T1 instead of T0.

What are these T0, T1, ... macros?

The slicer uses these macros to initiate a tool change to the given tool. T1 is the equivalent of SELECT_TOOL T=1.

Can I park the active tool and not select a new one?

Yes with UNSELECT_TOOL. If the macro is not available make sure you have set require_tool_present: False in [toolchanger].

I'm getting errors about a T3, I don't even have a T3

This happens when your slicer emits a M106 P3 S0 or M106 P2 S0 (if you have a T2 not assigned error). Disable the chamber exhaust fan and auxilary cooling in your slicer, slicers use P2 as auxilary cooling fan P3 as chamber fan and it gets interpreted as T2 or T3 by the software.

My pressure advance doesn't work

Make sure to put the PA values in your filament settings in the slicer. If you have multitool ramming enabled it will set pressure advance to 0 when ramming on the wipe tower and if it's not in the filament settings it can't put it back to what it's supposed to be during the print.

My tool pickup failed and it halted klipper so the print is lost. Can I just not make it pause so it can recover and resume?

You can use the error_gcode and recover_gcode of toolchanger for this.

  1. The tool is not being detected by the VERIFY_TOOL call in the pickup gcode (assuming your path has a 'verify': 1 somewhere)
  2. It runs the error_gcode and puts the toolchanger software in an error state. Adding PAUSE_BASE in error_gcode will pause the printer. Do not use PAUSE if you have mainsail, mainsail overrides it to move the toolhead to the back and you don't want that.
  3. Fix the toolhead issue and do everything to prepare the printer to continue. Put the toolhead on the shuttle and move the gantry to a safe position. It will move in a straight line (G0) to where the toolhead is supposed to go after the pickup so be careful!
  4. Run INITIALIZE_TOOLCHANGER RECOVER=1 to return to its normal state and run the recover_gcode section. Adding RESUME_BASE will resume in recover_gcode will resure the printer. Do not use RESUME if you have mainsail for the same reason as above.
  5. The printer should now continue the print with the tool that failed to pick up.

I'm getting a Klipper error about multi_fan or fan_generic

You likely had an older install or copied the config from an older install. This was changed and a fan reference each tool section [tool] is now fan: Tx_partfan.

Can I use Kalico instead of mainline Klipper?

No, not at the moment.

I'm getting "invalid syntax"

Make sure you are using at least python 3.