Light Painting Effector - FLSUN Q5

An effector that allows for light painting.

This works by setting a long exposure on a phone or camera and having the 3D printer trace out the shape with an LED. By connecting the LED to the fan's power output, it can be controlled with G-code, so the painting doesn't have to be one continuous line.

The pictures shown above are:

Lorenz attractor
Saddle
Hyperboloid
Tesseract

Effector and G-code designed for the FLSUN Q5.

WIRING:
The G-code needs to be able to control the LED. To do this, I wired it to the part cooling fan port in place of the fan. M106 S255 turns the LED on, and M107 turns it off. On the FLSUN Q5, the part cooling fan port is 24V, so you need resistors to limit the current, chosen for your LED's forward voltage. Mine was 2.2V and runs well at about 11 mA, so I used 2x 1 kΩ (1000 Ω) resistors in series, one on each side of the LED. The resistors drop the remaining ~21.8V. Make sure the LED's long leg (anode, +) goes toward the red wire. If it doesn't light, it's probably backwards.

INSTALLING EFFECTOR:
To install the light painting effector plate, unscrew the 6 bolts of the extruder's effector plate using a 2mm Allen key. Then push the new plate into place. The printer can't print with this effector installed, so keep the original parts to swap back.

PREPARING PHOTOGRAPHY:
I recommend adding black tape over the shiny metallic parts of the printer. This prevents reflections from creating faded copies of your painting.

You must add a pinhole for the LED. Do this by covering the entire LED in tape except for a very small dot, or by using the pinhole 3D print (it may not fit your specific LED). If you skip this, your lines will be as thick as the entire LED.

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY:
Turn off all lights and cover as many light sources and reflections as possible. I did my photography in a bathroom (fewer electronic lights), draped a dark blanket over the printer, and used tape.

Download a long exposure app like "Long Exposure Camera" and set the time to maximum. Each G-code file starts by lighting the LED in the center for 20 seconds so you can focus. Lock your focus on it, then start recording when the LED turns off, and stop when the drawing finishes. Mount your camera securely and make sure nothing vibrates, or your picture will come out blurry.

CREATING G-CODE:
If you create your own G-code, avoid patterns that are too dense, and use the entire printing area to maximize detail. My first G-code drafts only took up ~50% of the build plate, were highly detailed, and ended up as bright blobs.

I have attached G-code for various paintings. I used them with the FLSUN Q5.

FILES:
I have attached STL and STEP files of the regular light painting effector, a version with a plastic pinhole cover, and a blank effector so you can create your own.