Tutorial 17: Temperature Tower

Build a real multi-zone temperature calibration tower — a single print that tests 5 different temperatures in discrete steps. Use Floor to quantize height into zones, creating a useful calibration tool.

A temperature calibration tower with 5 distinct temperature zones preview

What you'll learn

How to use Floor to create discrete steps from continuous values
How to calculate stepped temperature zones from normZ
How Set Temperature changes nozzle temp mid-print
How to build compound arithmetic expressions for real utility

Prerequisites

Completion of Tutorial 9 (Temperature Tower) is recommended.

Step 1: Define variables

Set Variable

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Step 1

Create five slider variables

Add five Set Variable blocks with Show in Viewport enabled:

startTemp = 230 — hottest temperature (bottom zone)

Step 2: Add For Z

For Z

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Step 2

Add Translate and For Z

Add Translate (center on bed). Inside the body, add For Z with Z Start = Layer Height, Z End = towerHeight, Step = Layer Height.

Step 3: Build the zone temperature formula

The formula: startTemp − floor(normZ × numZones) × tempStep

normZ × numZones gives a continuous zone number (0 to 5)
floor(...) snaps it to an integer (0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
Multiply by tempStep for the offset, subtract from startTemp

Set Temperature

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Step 3

Add Set Temperature with zone formula

Inside the For Z body, add Set Temperature (Wait = off). For the Value, build the expression:

Arithmetic (×): Variable (normZ) × Get Variable (numZones)

Step 4: Draw the tower and move up

Step 4

Add Rectangle and Travel Z

After Set Temperature (via next), add a Rectangle with Width = towerSize, Height = towerSize. After the Rectangle, add Travel Relative Z with Z = Layer Height.

Complete block program

Full program — Tutorial 17

Interactive preview is available in the interactive reader.

Final block structure

#	Block	Where	Values
1–5	Set Variable	Path Group	startTemp=230, tempStep=10, numZones=5, towerHeight=50, towerSize=20
6	Translate	Path Group	X = bedsize_x/2, Y = bedsize_y/2
7	↳ For Z	Inside Translate	Start = LH, End = towerHeight, Step = LH
8	Set Temperature	Inside For Z	startTemp − floor(normZ × numZones) × tempStep
9	Rectangle	After Set Temp	Width/Height = towerSize
10	Travel Rel Z	After Rectangle	Z = Layer Height

Outcome

You should see a rectangular tower that prints at 5 different temperatures — 230°C at the bottom stepping down to 190°C at the top. Each zone is exactly 10mm tall (towerHeight ÷ numZones).

Load this tutorial

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What's Next

Tutorial 18: Figure-8 Vase — Use the Mirror block with an off-center circle to create a dramatic double-lobed vase.