The last step is to save your print job so that you can later transfer it to the printer. The save icon in the left toolbar allows you to both save a job (.nxa) and the scene (.nxs). Remember that the print job is the file your printer will use to create the part, whereas the scene file is a project file that lets you resume where you left off in NexaX. Saving a job file will automatically save a scene file as well.

Save Menu

Save Job

Clicking the button will pop up a text field for you to name your print file. If it is your first time saving a job, it will prompt you to select a default save folder where all your jobs will save to. NexaX will create a subdirectory within here with the name you chose with several files inside:

• Print Job (.nxa)

• Data folder

  • Scene File (.nxs)

  • Information Text file (.txt) - resin info, models included, print time and volume

  • Preview Image (.png) - picture of your scene

Change Default Save Folder

When you save your first file in NexaX, it prompts you select a default save folder where all your jobs are saved to. If you would like to change this directory, click on the small gear icon in the top right of the save menu. It will bring up a File Explorer window for you to select a new directory. 

Save Scene

As mentioned above, this is a project file that you can later import into NexaX to resume where you left off and continue making edits. You do not have to save a scene if you already saved the job. However, if you would like to just create the scene, click Save Scene. Unlike saving a job, this will pop up a File Explorer window for you to both select a save location for and name this specific file.  

Post-Saving

Preview Window

After saving a job, a preview box will appear in the bottom left corner. This box will show the image the printer will expose at a specific layer (known as a slice). You can control which layer you want to see by moving the layers slides on the right up/down. You can compare the slice to the cross section of the part in the viewfinder to see if they match up. You will especially want to do this if there are concerns about the .stl quality of the file. 

Print Time

You will have noticed that in the Details menu on the right, there was a Print Time parameter. Before saving, this field shows an estimate of the print time denoted by "~" (ex: ~00:33). After you have saved, this value will change to the actual print time.

Send Job to XiP via Local Area Network

Once the print job has been saved, you can send it to your XiP printer if it is connected via WiFi or Ethernet. Use the green “Send To Printer” button to get the process started.

In the Send to Printer dialogue box, use the Select Job button to locate the print job file on your computer

If the printer is connected via WiFi or Ethernet, the printer should be seen as available in this window. Select the connected XiP printer, and click the “Send Job” button. Follow the subsequent prompts to get the print job started.

Send Job to XiP via USB

If unable to connect via WiFi or Ethernet, a print job can also be transferred via a USB drive. The USB drive should be formatted as FAT32 for the manual transfer. To do so, use the following steps:

1. Plug USB drive into computer and ensure that the drive can be seen in a File Explorer window
2. Return to NexaX and set up your print file
3. Once model is set up with supports and orientation, click on the Save menu in the left hand toolbar of NexaX
4. From the Save Menu, choose "Save Job" and name the file (file generation can take several minutes if the model has a large amount of layers)
5. Once the file export is complete, minimize NexaX and use File Explorer to find the file and copy it over to the USB drive
6. When the file finishes copying over to the drive, navigate to the file on the USB drive and drag and drop the .nxa file out of the job folder and into the root of the USB drive (this allows the printer to see the file on the touchscreen UI)
7. Eject the USB drive and remove from the computer
8. Plug the USB drive into the port on the left hand side of the printer and wait ~30seconds to allow the printer to read the drive
9. On the touchscreen UI of the printer, choose Print > USB and choose your file from the list of print jobs available on the drive. Follow the prompts on the touchscreen to start the print

Updated July 01, 2022 18:22