Actually, TylerR is right. This monkey bought a $500 Creality last year a month ago (now $425), and I've printed 2 bullet feeders and a case feeder just fine without Java. I've been designing homes and buildings (even a grocery store) on Autocad for 40 years...built my first cad computer with a soldering iron (Heath Kit) because I couldn't buy one powerful enough for Cad back then. (I was the first Cad designer in my area....see how old I am?;)) I tell you that because that's ancient history....I'm much dumber now. Not only Java challenged, but Git challenged as well. But I get by so far, and when TylerR doesn't make what I want to print, I make my own .stl's with Autocad.
I would like to learn Java and the little app on TylerR's downloads....but somebody will have to show me how. But I don't HAVE to have that.
But Dverna, the thing about buying a 3D printer is you can print many things for that $425. You buy the commercial bullet feeder and you spend more than that and it's just one. Then spend another bunch of money for a case feeder.
A roll of plastic is 20 to 25 dollars, and you can print a whole collator and plate with one roll. Buy a motor and a switch and you're on your way. Want to add a caliber? Another caliber plate will cost you 5 hours and 5 dollars worth of plastic....add a caliber with the DAA and get ready to cringe.....expensive, want another caliber.....repeat cringe. I know ...... my MD doctor brother has a DAA, and now he wants me to design and 3d print some plates for him ... that purchase keeps on soaking him. Great product, but expensive as hell.
So look what I have for the one big purchase, my printer, and a few little easy ones:
https://youtu.be/uvBFV1FeZz8
bullet feeder above has a clutch. Notice the one bullet hangs (redesigned the ramp to stop that) but TylerR's clutch saves the day, this is the real world....hangs can happen....the clutch keeps the motor from binding.
Case feeder below (works every bit as good as Dillon's):
https://youtu.be/OEnDlvP7HeM
Once you get the printer and print those, then you can branch out and make parts for other things, like I did for my Pro 2000 when I made a lights and camera add on:
https://youtu.be/nkFjaRr1kvo
It keeps on giving......not soaking. :)
So once you get a printer and get past that short learning curve, ask lots of questions. (I first printed a T Rex for my grandson) then decide what
you want first. If a Bullet Feeder......
1. Print a Collator body. Ask TylerR or one of us which file to print .....
2. Decide what you want to collate first, Rifle? or Pistol? and what caliber...
3. Print a bullet plate, a clutch and a slide for that caliber .... questions on which .stls to print? Just ask here.
4. Order electrical parts, and Print a Switch box.
5. Decide how you want to mount the collator and we will help you with that. (there's more than one way to mount it)
6. Buy a power supply or use a 12V wall wart you already have.
Like I said, I only started a year ago.....doesn't take long to get pretty good at it. Not nearly as good as TylerR, but he's had a lot more years under his belt. ;)
Once you have a printer ordered,
download one of the free slicers, like Cura or my personal favorite, IdeaMaker. Slicer choice is a personal thing.......for me and the way I think and process behind the eyes, Idea Maker was easier to learn....for me just organized better. But Cura probably has lot's more users......perhaps I'm sort of a divergent.
The process is to download a print file (.stl) then open it on your slicer, then slice it, once you set the settings. (and we can help you with that, and/or you can look at a lot of videos about slicing on YouTube...not that hard). Then once sliced, you save it to disk where it becomes a Gcode file, that your 3D printer can read and print from. Copy that file to an SD card and plug it into your printer and print away.