V-Core 4.0 - IDEX

Operation & Slicer

00. Obtaining a slicer

There are many slicers freely available for download, but Rat Rig recommends using one of the following three, as they are widely adopted and have large, active communities:

PrusaSlicer (recommended: free and open-source, available here.
SuperSlicer: free and open-source, available directly from its GitHub repository
OrcaSlicer: free and open-source, available directly from its GitHub repository

A slicer converts 3D models (STL, OBJ, 3MF) into G-code instructions for your 3D printer.

For the V-Core 4.0, Rat Rig now provides official and regularly updated profiles for PrusaSlicer, ensuring a more consistent and reliable starting point. These profiles are designed to get you printing quickly and with high quality. While they are not fully tuned to extract the absolute maximum performance from your printer, they provide a solid foundation to build upon.

You can also check our latest YouTube walkthrough video, where we explain the newest Rat Rig updates for PrusaSlicer with the V-Core 4.0.

01. Slicer Configuration

  • Simply select the appropriate V-Core 4 profile for your machine variant and size.
    1.1. In PrusaSlicer, the V-Core 4 profiles are located under “Other Vendors” > “RatRig”.
    1.2. In SuperSlicer and OrcaSlicer, the profiles are listed directly under “RatRig”.
  • You can also add filament profiles. Rat Rig includes pre-tuned PunkFil profiles! Even if you are using other filament brands, we recommend using these profiles for the same material types. Many parameters, such as cooling, extrusion multiplier, and pressure advance, are already optimized. While they may not perform identically with different brands, they provide a solid starting point for fine-tuning.

02. Add your machine (Optional)

You can connect your machine directly to the slicer, allowing for a smoother workflow by sending the print job directly from the slicer software.
  • Select your machine and click on the gear next to it.
  • Click "add physical printer".
  • Define a machine name.
  • Select "Klipper (via moonraker)" and insert your machine url, created during the RatOS configuration.
  • Click "Test" to ensure your machine is connected to the Slicer, you should see a "Sucess!" window, otherwise check if your machine is connected to the same wifi network as your computer.
  • Click "OK".

03. Downloading a Test Model

After completing this guide, there is still one more step ahead: How to Slice. Once you’ve gone through it, you’ll be ready to run your first test print.
For testing, you can choose between the Punkfil Mascot, our fun benchmark model, or the Rat Rig Cube Calibration Model, which is designed for functional evaluation and dimensional accuracy, or simply any test model of your preference.

04. how to slice

Rat Rig provides predefined slicer profiles for all V-Core 4 models, delivering optimal results in most scenarios. However, due to the inherent variability of 3D printing, parts with complex geometries may still require fine-tuning of slicer settings to achieve the best possible print quality.
  • Open PrusaSlicer and import the selected STL file by dragging it into the slicer (1).
  • Next, select the print settings (2), which define parameters such as part strength, surface finish, resolution, and other relevant factors.
  • Choose the filament type (3), which sets material-specific parameters such as printing temperature and cooling power.
  • Select the machine size, variant, and nozzle size (4). Finally, click "Slice Now" (5) to generate the print file.
  • After slicing, the slicer will generate a layer-by-layer preview of the printed part. You can use the vertical toggle (6) to inspect each layer individually.
    This feature helps identify potential geometric constraints that may require adjustments to the print settings. Drag the layer preview slider up and down to review the sliced layers. While this step is not mandatory, it is a useful practice as you become more familiar with slicer configuration. Once satisfied, click Export G-code (7) to generate the print file, then upload it to Mainsail to begin printing.
At this stage, no further tuning is required! You should already achieve very good results. Additional adjustments may be needed later to meet specific goals, but unnecessary changes beyond what’s covered here can actually worsen print quality instead of improving it.

05. IDEX Modes

On the Mainsail dashboard, you will find an IDEX Macros section, this is where the magic is made:
  • IDEX SINGLE - Single toolhead or Dual material:
    To print with only one toolhead or dual material, just hit the Single IDEX button in the IDEX Macros section, this mode is selected by default when you turn on the machine. We advice to always run a VAOC calibration before each print.
  • IDEX COPY:
    To print in copy mode, just hit the COPY button in the IDEX Macro section, the toolheads will do a copy mode move to show you the machine is ready.
  • IDEX MIRROR:
    To print in mirror mode, just hit the MIRROR button in the IDEX Macro section, the toolheads will do a mirror mode move to show you the machine is ready.
  • TOOLSHIFT© CONFIGURATION:
    The toolshift configuration has all the settings you may need to tune for multi-material printing. It’s mostly meant for advanced users who are interested in fine tunning toolshifts, this can be useful for all sorts of different materials, as many parameters like speed, acceleration, Z-hop, restactions, purge length, purge time can be tuned to suit your specific needs.
  • REMAP TOOLHEADS:
    Toolhead remap allows you to change the designation of the toolhead, meaning you can tell klipper T1 is T0 or T0 is T1, this can be useful if you incorrectly set the colors/material in the slicer for a dual material print, instead of re slicing the object you can just remap the toolheads. Or imagine you need to print the same g-code with the inverted colors, just remap the toolheads, no need to tinker in the slicer.

06. Slice dual material

Printing a dual material part is coposed of two stages:
1. VAOC Preparation
2. Slice

VAOC Preparation

The VAOC system is designed to facilitate quick and easy alignment of both nozzles. While, in theory, the nozzle offset for an IDEX machine only needs to be calibrated once, various factors can affect the offset over time. These factors include differences in hotend temperatures, nozzle types, chamber temperatures, and more. Printing a dual material part is coposed of two stages:
Given its convenience, Rat Rig recommends performing an VAOC calibration before every multi-material print to ensure the highest level of accuracy and reliability.
  • Always perform VAOC calibrations under the same conditions you plan to use for printing. For example, if you intend to print in an enclosed environment, ensure the machine has fully heat-soaked before starting the VAOC calibration process.
  • Click on the VAOC option on the right.
  • Click on the "Start Calibration" button.
  • T0 is always selected by default, drag the nozzle to the crosser center. Once aligned, select tool T1 (by clicking on the square at the top left corner) and repeat the process. If necessary, adjust the Z position for optimal focus using the "Z Focus" option located on the right.
  • Switch between tools T0 and T1 2-3 times, fine-tuning the alignment position during each change. It is normal for the nozzles to deviate slightly when swapping toolheads initially. After 2–3 iterations of switching and aligning, the nozzles should maintain their positions consistently.
  • Click on the square at the top left corner of the VAOC menu to end the calibration.
  • The machine is ready to print dual color parts accurately! Let's slice the part.

Slice

  • To print a dual material part, open the model in the slicer along with the respectives parts. Please note that the slicers needs to know how to distinguish the part sections, where to use one toolhead and the other, for this reason, mostly multi part files are used for the idex, import them to the slicer as shown below. Click here to download a dual color benchy and try for yourself.
    In this example we will use a charmander model off printables, it comes in two STL files, open one of them. Click here to download and try yourself.
  • Right click on top ofthe model and select "Add part" -> "Load..." then select the other STL. The two models should align perfectly.
  • On the right menu, you can select the two materials you want to print with. Then, on the lower right, you can select which body is printed with which material.
  • Click "Slice Now" to process the model, then export the G-code file. Once exported, upload it to the machine and start printing!

07. copy & mirror modes

  • To use copy or mirror mode, place the parts in the slicer and center them on the build plate, ensure to stay in the midle of the print area. Hit slice and upload to the machine. The machine will automaticly duplicate the sliced g-code.
  • Although you have only sliced a single part, the Mirror Mode will automatically duplicate the G-code as described above.
  • Ensure that you select the desired Mirror or Copy mode before printing. This setting can be found in the "IDEX" window within Mainsail.

Previous

03. Calibration