I've watched many videos regarding the setup of the Chameleon and a few of the machines were a direct drive configuration. I also saw in the site forum some users were having challenges w/ the stock extruder configuration for the Ender 3 Pro. As long as I am going to configure my machine for a Chameleon, is there any advantage for the Chameleon configuration and operation moving to a Direct Drive setup?
Another question I have is in regards to adding a second Chameleon to the set-up. If you have documentation or a video I can reference, please point me in that direction. Does the second unit operate from the original trigger switch or does each unit need its own switch? If it is the latter, where does the second switch get mounted and how does that configure into the slicer setup?
The direct drive setup is a lot harder to install and set up... it requires some additional software (python and post processor) to be installed. It does have a major benefit, and that is speed... you're no longer limited by the speed of the 3DChameleon's 1" per second. I have a Prusa Mini that changes colors in 7 seconds. However, if this is your first, I highly recommend using a BMG clone on the Ender... $15 and you'll get a very reliable printer with it. As for two units... it totally depends on how you want it configured... we have a firmware that allows for the two units to communicate... you can also use GPIO pins to replace the switches... or one of each... a single GPIO and a single switch. Or, as you mentioned, two switches... I have a cool hack that allows for two switches to be triggered in the same location... knowing that 8 and 9 pulses do nothing, you can actually move to one location to trigger one switch, and then move farther to the second location to trigger the second one.
Bill