After getting my new CC printer and using ELEGOO Slicer for a while, I was reviewing other slicers and decided to go with the Orca Slicer because it will give me more options and can be useful for me. Also, Elegoo Slicer has the same interface but with more limited options, so why not?

Regretting the Orca Slicer??!!!

So, I decided to use the slicer for 1 week, and I must say that yeah, it was much better for me to use the Orca, because:

It has more frequent updates
Strong community that helps solve issues
More presents and filament profiles
More tools for customising the models
More settings and options to tinker with

Also, I can be sure that I can use it in the future for other printers that I purchase. But it has a deal-breaking issue with it, and that was: “WILL NOT SHOW LAYERS PROGRESS AND NOT WORKING TIMELAPS!!!” on my ELEGOO Centauri Carbon.

Let me explain more about the issue:

I tried different options but couldn’t find the issue. I tried different ways of G-Code generation, layer setting, way of uploading files, and more. So, I started digging into the internet and finally found an answer and a conversation about it on Reddit, which I will describe more about it in detail.

What is the problem?

Mainly the problem which I faced is coming to the way that Elegoo Carbon handle layer, it need to be told when a layer is done to go for next layer with having the total number of layer this can cause not showing the layer progress on display and also not working time-laps camera in result. Because the time-laps will capture a photo at the end of each layer.

So because of that I was like it can be because of the default G-code which Elegoo Slicer is creating has some more data which the Orca Slicer will not generate.

Because of that I was searching in internet and experimenting different setting which came to this solution which I mentioned above in a conversation. You can solve the issue by the soltion which we have in following.

How solve it?

After investigating, I found that the issue comes from the default machine G-code defined in Orca for the ELEGOO CC. The problem is that some lines are missing in both the default start G-code and the layer change G-code.

One line was missing in "Machine start G-code"
One line was missing in "Machine change G-code"

Note: In the images, the left side shows the Orca default settings, and the right side shows the settings from ElegooSlicer.

Solution

To fix this problem, go to the printer settings in Orca Slicer, then open the “Machine G-Code” tab and follow the steps below.

Step 1: Add this line to the end of default "Machine start G-code":

;LAYER_COUNT:[total_layer_count]
;LAYER:0
SET_PRINT_STATS_INFO TOTAL_LAYER=[total_layer_count]

Step 2: Then go to "Machine change G-code" and add this code there:

;LAYER:{layer_num+1}
SET_PRINT_STATS_INFO CURRENT_LAYER={layer_num + 1}

This is full updated G-code file for convenience, which is working fine for me.

Machine start G-code:

;;===== date: 20240520 =====================
;printer_model:[printer_model]
;initial_filament:{filament_type[initial_extruder]}
;curr_bed_type:{curr_bed_type}
M400 ; wait for buffer to clear
M220 S100 ;Set the feed speed to 100%
M221 S100 ;Set the flow rate to 100%
M104 S140
M140 S[bed_temperature_initial_layer_single]
G90
G28 ;home
M729 ;Clean Nozzle
M190 S[bed_temperature_initial_layer_single]


;=============turn on fans to prevent PLA jamming=================
{if filament_type[initial_no_support_extruder]=="PLA"}
    {if (bed_temperature[initial_no_support_extruder] >50)||(bed_temperature_initial_layer[initial_no_support_extruder] >50)}
    M106 P3 S255
    {elsif (bed_temperature[initial_no_support_extruder] >45)||(bed_temperature_initial_layer[initial_no_support_extruder] >45)}
    M106 P3 S180
    {endif};Prevent PLA from jamming
{endif}

;enable_pressure_advance:{enable_pressure_advance[initial_extruder]}
;This value is called if pressure advance is enabled
{if enable_pressure_advance[initial_extruder] == "true"}
SET_PRESSURE_ADVANCE ADVANCE=[pressure_advance] ;
M400
{endif}
M204 S{min(20000,max(1000,outer_wall_acceleration))} ;Call exterior wall print acceleration


G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5} Y-1.2 F20000
G1 Z0.3 F900
M109 S[nozzle_temperature_initial_layer]
M83
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 F{min(6000, max(900, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X-1.2 E10.156 ;Draw the first line
G1 Y98.8 E7.934
G1 X-0.5 Y100 E0.1
G1 Y-0.3 E7.934
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5-50} E6.284
G1 F{0.2*min(12000, max(1200, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5-30} E2
G1 F{min(12000, max(1200, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5-10} E2
G1 F{0.2*min(12000, max(1200, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5+10} E2
G1 F{min(12000, max(1200, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5+30} E2
G1 F{min(12000, max(1200, filament_max_volumetric_speed[initial_no_support_extruder]/0.5/0.3*60))} 
G1 X{print_bed_max[0]*0.5+50} E2
;End PA test.


G3 I-1 J0 Z0.6 F1200.0 ;Move to side a little
G1 F20000
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
;LAYER_COUNT:[total_layer_count]
;LAYER:0
SET_PRINT_STATS_INFO TOTAL_LAYER=[total_layer_count]

Machine change G-code:

;LAYER:{layer_num+1}
SET_PRINT_STATS_INFO CURRENT_LAYER={layer_num + 1}

After updating all of these codes, layer progress bar and timelapse, all start working as intended. This allows you to keep using Orca Slicer with full functionality and flexibility, without needing to switch back to Elegoo Slicer.

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