52 posts tagged with "Tech"

Introduction​

In the evolving world of 3D printing, the ability to remotely monitor and manage printers has become an indispensable feature for enthusiasts and professionals alike. As we delve into this guide, our primary intention is to empower users of the Creality K1 3D printer with the capability to access their devices remotely. Beyond mere convenience, this remote access can also harness the power of AI to detect potential print failures, ensuring smoother and more successful print jobs.

Central to our exploration is a tool named Obico. But what exactly is Obico?

Obico is an advanced software platform designed specifically to enhance the 3D printing experience. It's not just about remote access, though that's a significant feature. Obico integrates artificial intelligence mechanisms to monitor ongoing print jobs, detecting anomalies that could result in print failures. By notifying users of such potential disruptions in real-time, it drastically reduces wasted materials and time. Obico also has a fully featured mobile app available for both iOS and Android. Both the web app and mobile app also give you full remote access to the full Mainsail or Fluidd interface from anywhere through Obico’s tunneling feature. This blend of remote access and AI-driven insights underlines Obico's relevance and growing importance in the 3D printing community.

As we proceed through this guide, we will start with the initial steps of setting up Obico on the Creality K1, and then we will walk through some of the nuances of optimizing its features, ensuring you harness the full power of Obico.

Introduction:​

3D printing is an incredible technology, allowing individuals to transform digital designs into tangible objects. With the rise in popularity of 3D printing, the need for mobility and ease of monitoring has become increasingly crucial. This is where mobile apps come into play, allowing users to manage, monitor, and even design 3D prints right from their smartphones. In this article, we delve deep into the world of 3D printing mobile apps, focusing on OctoPrint, Klipper related apps and others that have become essential tools for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Why mobile apps for 3D printing are useful?​

3D printing, once a niche hobby, has quickly expanded into various sectors such as healthcare, education, manufacturing, and even at-home projects. With the growth of this technology, the tools surrounding it, notably mobile apps, have seen a surge in development. Mobile apps for 3D printing have brought forth a revolution in how individuals interact with their printers. Here are compelling reasons why these mobile apps are becoming indispensable for 3D printing enthusiasts and professionals alike:

1. Remote Monitoring: One of the most significant advantages of using mobile apps is the ability to remotely monitor print jobs. You don't need to be physically present near the printer. This is especially useful for lengthy print tasks, ensuring that you can keep an eye on the progress from anywhere, anytime.
2. Instant Notifications: Many 3D printing apps come with push notification features. This means you'll be immediately informed of any errors, when a print job is complete, or if there's a need for intervention. It significantly reduces the chances of print failures and wasted material.
3. Streamlined Workflow: Mobile apps often incorporate an end-to-end solution from design to print. You can tweak designs, adjust settings, and then directly send them to the printer, all from a single interface.
4. Accessibility: Mobile apps offer unparalleled accessibility. Whether you're at home, in the office, or even on vacation, you can control and monitor your 3D print jobs. It's especially useful for professionals who manage multiple printers or run 3D printing businesses.
5. Storage and Libraries: Some apps come with cloud storage, allowing users to store their designs online. This not only offers a backup for your projects but also allows you to access them from any device. Moreover, many apps provide integrated libraries with pre-designed models, saving time and effort.
6. User-Friendly Interface: Mobile apps, designed for diverse user bases, often prioritize user-friendly interfaces. This means even if you're relatively new to 3D printing, you can navigate and use these apps with ease, making the printing process more approachable.
7. Integration with Other Tools: Many 3D printing apps integrate seamlessly with design tools, scanners, and other software, creating a unified platform for all your 3D printing needs. This integration streamlines processes and enhances efficiency.
8. Community and Support: Several mobile apps have built-in communities where users can share designs, offer solutions, and provide support. This collaborative approach accelerates learning and problem-solving.
9. Cost Savings: By being able to closely monitor and control print jobs, users can reduce errors and material wastage. Instant notifications and real-time monitoring can prevent failed prints, ultimately saving costs in materials and energy.
10. Scalability: For businesses or institutions with multiple 3D printers, mobile apps can offer centralized control. This means managing multiple print jobs across different devices becomes more straightforward and organized.

Gone are the days in 3D printing where you constantly need to be tethered to a 3D printer. There are now automated software tools that allow you to monitor and control your printer without being present in the same room. Some of these applications give you unrestricted access to your machines and let you operate them from anywhere in the world.

In this article, we’ll look at eight remote 3D printing software you can use to run your 3D printers remotely. These programs are suited equally well for hobbyists and professional 3D printing farms and can be a great way to ease out the manual workload in your workflow.

Let’s power up your remote 3D printing setup!

Update on the Orange Pi Zero 2 for OctoPrint Project​

In an ongoing effort to get find an easy way for makers to install OctoPrint with the Raspberry Pi shortage ongoing, we developed an easy to install raspberry pi alternative for OctoPrint using the Orange Pi Zero 2.

Installation works similarly to installing OctoPi on a Raspberry Pi. You can get a complete OctoPrint Kit that includes a webcam and everything you need to get started, or just the Orange Pi Zero 2 Board in our online store (available for U.S and Canada only).

Introduction​

Klipper is quickly ranking its position as one of the best 3D printing firmware in the community. Using a combination of Raspberry Pi and web interface, Klipper significantly improves your 3D printer’s speed, print quality, and user experience.

Pair it up with Cura, and you open up a world of new possibilities for your 3D printing workflow. Cura is one of the most widely used and popular 3D printer slicers with top-notch features that help you achieve high-quality 3D prints.

Yet, as good as they are, there are some pointers you need to be mindful of when using Cura and Klipper together. In this article, we’ll understand how you can use these two software side-by-side to get the best quality results from your 3D printer.

Let’s Klip and Slice.

Klipper as a 3D printer firmware and PrusaSlicer as a 3D printing slicer have become widely popular in the past few years. They’re both completely free to use and loaded with features, and you get the benefits of open-source development with either of these programs.

It makes sense to use them together to streamline your 3D printing workflow and make the most out of these two pieces of software. In this guide, we’ll go over the process of setting up Prusaslicer with your Klipper 3D printer. It’s simple and quick and can help save you from the hassle of manually uploading your print files.

We’ll begin with understanding the benefits of using these two software together and then look at the detailed setup process. Let’s begin!

Klipper firmware is getting all the praise lately owing to its vast range of features and top-notch performance. It also offers several configuration options to calibrate your printer to deliver high-quality 3D prints.

One crucial parameter we’ll be configuring today is PID tuning for your 3D printer. Setting the correct PID settings ensures that your hot end and print bed are heated in the least time possible and maintain the set temperature with great precision.

This article will guide you through the PID calibration process for your 3D printer using Klipper. It’ll help you to understand more about these PID settings and sort out any heating issues with your machine.

Let’s start tuning up these beds and hot ends!

Introduction​

Pressure Advance in Klipper is designed to compensate for the side effects of instant speed changes that occur during fast print speeds. It reduces stringing, gives your prints sharp corners, and delivers a high print quality even at speeds above 100 mm/s.

But tuning pressure advance in Klipper and understanding its functioning can be puzzling to new Klipper users. So, in this article, we’ve gathered all the information you need to know about Pressure advance and set it up in Klipper. It’ll help you understand the benefits of this feature and how you can use it to sharpen up your 3D prints.

Let’s Advance!

Klipper firmware has been around since 2016 in the 3D printing community. It’s free, open-source, and has steadily become a mainstream 3D printing firmware, second only to Marlin.

Yet, Klipper’s earlier versions missed key features like the Octolapse, Exclude objects, and plug-in integration found on Octoprint and Marlin combo. This lack of certain valuable features restricted users from using Klipper as their primary 3D printing firmware.

However, since the recent updates, some of these features are slowly making their way into the Klipper firmware. For example, you can now shoot Octolapse-like videos on your 3D printer using the Klipper timelapse.

Likewise, Klipper now also supports the Exclude objects functionality to rescue you from failed prints. But, it needs some initial setup and configuration, which might be puzzling to new Klipper users.

So, this article will take you through the entire process of setting up Exclude objects for your Klipper 3D printer. We’ll look at this feature in detail and understand how you can use it in your 3D printing workflow.

Let’s exclude the failed prints.

3D Printer Failures/Courtesy: Fabbaloo

If you are new to 3D printing, we are sure you have encountered numerous print failures. Thankfully, this is not something new or unique. It happens to even the most seasoned users. But obviously everyone wishes to improve their 3D printing skills and so knowledge of 3D printer failure detection becomes essential, and this is exactly what we will cover in this article.

3D printing and failures​

Because 3D printing is rapidly becoming popular in a variety of industries, it is critical that every student, as well as manufacturing and design professionals, understand the technology. Though you may not need to understand its complexities, having a working knowledge will help you in your career.

3D printing is a manufacturing process that converts a digital CAD file into a three-dimensional physical model by layering thin layers of material one on top of the other. This is also known as additive manufacturing because material is added rather than removed, as is the case with most conventional technologies.

However, 3D printing is still in its early stages and thus prone to failure. DIY and desktop 3D printing, in particular, frequently fails, and users must use a trial-and-error approach to eliminate or reduce failed prints.

Camera mount for Creality 3D printer/Courtesy: Thingiverse

Creality's Ender 3 3D printer is one of its best-selling models, and it's popular among students, enthusiasts, and hobbyists. As a result, it is safe to say that Ender 3 users are mostly hustlers looking for ways to get the most out of their 3D printer. Many users do not see the need to connect a camera to their 3D printers, but it can greatly improve your 3D printing experience. Many feel that installing. Camera is a tedious task but it is not so. In fact, it is quite easy. All you need is a good camera and a camera mount. This article discusses the various Ender 3 camera mounts that can be installed on your 3D printer.

What is OctoPrint and why would you want it?​

OctoPrint Bed Level Visualizer plugin display screen/Courtesy: OctoPrint

We are all aware of how critical, yet difficult, it is to level a 3D printer bed. All of your prints will fail if you don't have a level bed, wasting your time, materials, and money. Even having an auto-bed leveling feature is not always sufficient, and your prints may still fail. To solve this issue, OctoPrint's Bed Level Visualizer plugin is the only tool you need to easily level your print bed.

To help you understand this useful OctoPrint plugin, we've written a complete guide on the Bed Level Visualizer to help you set it up quickly and eliminate your bed leveling issues.

What is the OctoPrint Bed Level Visualizer Plugin?​

Bed level visualizer is a useful OctoPrint plugin that converts the bed topography report into a comprehensive 3D map to show the varying elevation (height) across a 3D printer bed, assisting users in leveling the same. This plugin also assists you in determining whether your bed is warped or simply tilted. Thus, the bed is leveled by carefully tightening or loosening the leveling screws at peaks and valleys respectively, to make it as flat as possible for a successful print.

The Bed level visualizer plugin was created by jneilliii (GitHub page). This plugin was installed on at least 35.84k instances in the previous month (August 2022), with at least 759 new installations in the previous week (at the time of writing this article).

The core of 3D printing is a 3D model. 3D modeling for 3D printing is important as all 3D prints start with a digital CAD model that is "sliced" in a slicing software which the 3D printer prints. Being an integral part of 3D printing, having a working knowledge of 3D modeling and the various tools becomes crucial.

In this article, we'll go over the fundamentals of 3D modeling for 3D printing, as well as the distinction between inorganic and organic 3D models, and the popular software for each type.

We've included 3D modeling software for beginners for those on a low budget, as well as a few high-end options for professionals.

But first, to make sure we're all on the same page, let's go through the fundamentals of 3D printing.

How does 3D Printing work?​

A CAD design (left screen), slicing software (right), and the finished print / Courtesy: Ultimaker

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of creating three-dimensional objects layer by layer using a computer-aided design, or CAD. 3D printing builds objects by layering materials such as polymers, composites, or biomaterials that vary in shape and size, as well as rigidity and color.

Even though 3D printing isn't new, there are some who will benefit from our guide to the most common 3D printing terms for beginners.

Regardless of the 3D printing technology being used, it all starts with a 3D CAD model. In this article, we will go through the fundamentals of 3D modeling and its different types, with a focus on 3D printing.

To further help you in selecting the best CAD software for your 3D models, we will also list out a number of 3D modeling software suitable for both beginner and advanced users.

So let's jump in!

Klipper is one of the few 3D printing firmware that natively supports an external camera for monitoring your 3D printer. Klipper’s web interface makes it easy to attach a camera to the Raspberry Pi and monitor your printing progress.

But Klipper is a relatively new firmware with limited resources and guides detailing its various features. As a new user or beginner, it’s easy to get confused about the installation and configuration of a camera on your Klipper 3D printer.

This article aims to make this process easy for you and help you set up a camera on your Klipper-connected 3D printer. Read on to learn in-depth about Klipper’s camera setup procedure and how a camera can benefit your 3D printing workflow.

Introduction​

Using the timelapse feature in Klipper, you can record your entire 3D printing process and share bits of it on your social media platforms. These videos are also a great tool to analyze print failures and pinpoint the causes behind a failed print.

Yet, despite their usefulness, setting time-lapse videos in Klipper can be challenging for several users. And while it's a relatively easy setup, the initial configuration can confuse beginner Klipper users easily.

In this article, we'll simplify this process for you. We'll go over the entire procedure step-by-step and configure the timelapse functionality for your Klipper instance. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to record picture-perfect timelapse videos of your 3D prints and share them within your social circle.

Let's start shooting.

3D printing is an evolving technology and engineers are constantly upgrading it to eliminate any primal issues in it. Till recently it was common to tether your 3D printer to your computer to run print jobs. But now, you can easily add WiFi to your 3D printer.

Adding WiFi to your 3D printer gives you an unprecedented advantage and we will be discussing the same in this article and how to set it up with ease.

The Basics of 3D Printing?​

Creality Ender 3 FDM 3D printer/Courtesy: Creality

3D printing is a manufacturing technology that creates three-dimensional objects by adding layers of material one on top of the other until the entire object is formed. Because it produces objects in an additive manner, the process is also known as additive manufacturing.

In comparison to traditional manufacturing methods, this process eliminates the need for tooling and reduces material waste.

The entire ecosystem of the 3D printing process can be used to explain how it works. Here's a quick rundown:

• Software: 3D printing begins with design software, which is used to create a 3D model. After that, the 3D model is sliced in a slicing software to generate a G-code file.
• Hardware: As the 3D printer can only read G-code files, the file is uploaded to the printer, which prints the designed object.
• Materials: Materials for 3D printing include filaments, resins, polymer or metal powders, and metal wires.
• Post-processing: After the 3D printer prints the object, the part usually needs to go through some sort of post-processing stage, such as support structure removal, sanding, acetone vaporing, UV curing, washing, coloring, dyeing, Hot Isostatic Pressing annealing, and so on.

Introduction​

Klipper is an upcoming and popular 3D printing firmware that's quickly becoming the standard in high-speed 3D printing. Its extensive feature set, vibrant community, and continuous development make it the go-to option for several new users and professionals.

Yet, Klipper is still in its nascent stages, and there's little information available on how to get the most out of the firmware. It causes new users to limit themselves to the basic functionalities and miss out on some valuable features of the Klipper firmware.

In this article, we'll go over some of the useful tips and tricks you can use with your Klipper 3D printer to get the most out of it. It'll help you use Klipper in the best way possible and improve your 3D printing experience.

Let's get started with some tips and tricks to optimize your klipping experience.

One of the first things many makers to to improve their experience after buying a 3D printer is install Octoprint. And why not? It's one of the best upgrades you can get for your 3D printer because it lets you control and monitor everything about your 3D printer and print jobs right from your browser.

OctoPrint, however, only works on your local network by default, which could limit its use. And let's face it, sitting through hours of print time isn't something most of us look forward to. And, while life comes in the way and we have to travel, we can certainly do better than worrying about whether our print is on track or whether it has encountered any issues.

And simply being notified of an issue is frustratingly useless. You don't want to be a bystander when something goes wrong with your 3D prints. Instead, you want to be able to take the steps needed from wherever you are to make sure your 3D printing jobs stay on track.

Accessing OctoPrint Away From Home​

When you are away from home, you can access OctoPrint using a variety of methods; the easiest being with the use of OctoPrint Remote Access plugins. This method is ideal for people who aren't technical savvy and want a simple and quick setup process. However, you can also use other methods like direct access, port forwarding, or VPN and to know more about these techniques, you can read our guide.

Over the years, developers have created numerous plugins that allow OctoPrint Remote Access. This, however, makes it difficult for new users to choose the right plugin, one that is both simple to use and feature-rich.

But don't worry, we've got you covered with a list of the best OctoPrint remote access plugins so you can access OctoPrint and your 3D printer from anywhere!

What are we doing?​

We are planning to develop an easy to install, no compromise raspberry pi alternative for OctoPrint. We will bulk order an alternative single board computer. It will be equivalent to or better than a raspberry pi 3B+ 1GB. It will be guaranteed to let you easily install OctoPrint without any additional configuration. Aside from the fact that raspberry pi's are very hard to find, this alternative provides all of the following:

• Install OctoPrint through a streamlined process similary to the OctoPi image developed for Raspberry pi.
• Guaranteed to work with OctoPrint
• Monitor and control 3D printer using a camera that is guaranteed to work (if purchasing kit)
• Get customer support from the Obico team

Get on the list so we can let you know when it's time to place the order.

How much will it cost?​

We are planning to offer two options:

Board-only :​

$35 - $40 + Shipping

The board will include the board and the easily installable package to install OctoPrint. Customer support from the Obico team is also included. We are currently looking at the Orange Pi Zero 2 but this could change.

Kit :​

$80 - $95 + Shipping

The kit will include the board (currently looking at Orange Pi Zero 2) , power cable , case and a camera guaranteed to work with OctoPrint out of the box. The pre-built OctoPrint package for easy installation will also be included. Customer support from the Obico team is also included.

Take our short survey to get on the list to purchase a board or kit for OctoPrint. As soon as we have over 200 people interested, we will reach out to collect your payment so we can place the order.

When will I get it?​

We will place the order as soon as we have enough interest to place a bulk order (approximately 200 units to share this with your friends who might be interested too). Once the order is placed, we anticipate being able to receive the boards within approximately 3-4 weeks, and we anticipate we will be able to ship them out to you within the next week or two.

Why is the Obico team doing this?​

The purpose of this project is to establish a no compromise Raspberry Pi alternative that allows for easy OctoPrint Installation. Traditionally, OctoPi, a Raspbian based SD card image for the raspberry pi that includes everything needed to run OctoPrint.

If you've tried to buy a raspberry pi in the past year, you know that buying one at msrp is not at all easy. You may be able to get lucky through the Raspberry Pi locator, but even this is not at all guaranteed.

There are a number of options for using OctoPrint without a raspberry pi, including using an android device with Octo4A, installing on a Mac or Windows device, among other non raspberry pi single board computers. All of these options work, but they all come with their own set of unique disadvantages and increases the level of difficulty required for users who aren't familiar with Linux.

What is the Obico team actually doing?​

Our plan is to:

1. Source a comparable alternative to the raspberry pi and purchase in bulk
2. The board will be minimally equivalent to the Raspberry Pi 3b+ with 1GB ram
3. Take pre-orders for the boards and ship them to users when they arive. We will not make any money on the boards. See pricing example breakdown below.
4. Develop an easily installable Octoprint image that allows easy installation through the Raspberry pi Imager (this is a non-trivial task)

Board Only​

Kit​

Note:

As mentioned above, we have not finalized the exact board we will purchase in bulk due to the rapidly changing supply chain conditions. Because, of this prices may change slightly.

Add your email to the list so we can let you know when it's time to place your order!.

This article will go over these websites, as well as the various benefits and drawbacks of various 3D model sites. There are numerous lists available, but this article will focus on sites that have a majority, or at least a large number, of models designed specifically for 3D printing.

Printables.com​

Printables is a 3D printing models repository from Josef Prusa, a well-known name in the 3D printing industry. Earlier this year (2022) the Printables platform was launched as a rebranded version of the earlier PrusaPrinters. With this new brand, Prusa is attracting users from outside the Prusa ecosystem.

Printables has a large collection of free 3D models that anyone can download and use under the terms of the license.

Features​

3D Model Repository: Printables has a large 3D model repository and a huge global community. It has over 235,000 registered users, 120,000 models published, and 550,000 monthly visitors.

Reward System: It has a designer reward system. Designers are rewarded with either actual filaments or website badges.

More than a Repository: Printables is much more than a 3D model repository because you can interact with its large and active community, enter contests to win exciting prizes, and join regional groups to connect with people in your area. Users can also participate in educational projects, read high-quality Prusa blogs, and shop at the Prusa Eshop.

Pros​

• All 3D models are available for free download.
• On the Printables platform, any designer can upload and share their models.
• Contests are held on a regular basis, and anyone can enter to win great prizes such as Prusa 3D printers.
• It has a simple user interface.
• The 3D models can be viewed using a 3D viewer.

Cons​

• Designers cannot monetize their models at this time.
• The number of options available on the site may overwhelm new users.

Example Models​

Keychain Pill Box

Keychain pill box by Gard7

A small keychain pill box to keep your medications close at hand. The creator's recommended settings for printing this model are 10mm detail settings with PETG.

Bottle Holder Crutches

Printables Bottle Holder Crutches by STEP

This is a crutch bottle holder. The creator recommends printing this model with 0.2mm resolution, 20% infill, and PETG material. You'll also need 4x M6x25 screws and 4x M6 nuts.

Introduction​

OctoEverywhere and Obico are two of the most popular Octoprint plug-ins developed to let you access your 3D printer virtually anywhere in the world. Both these plug-ins have great functionality and features that enhance the overall experience of using your 3D printer remotely.

In this article, we'll take a detailed look at these plug-ins and understand them inside-out. Towards the end, you'll have a complete understanding of Obico and OctoEverywhere, and will be able to choose the best plug-in that matches your remote 3D printing necessities.

Why do you require Octoprint plug-ins for remote 3D printing?​

Octoprint by itself is a fantastic 3D printer host software that lets you remotely access your 3D printers. You can monitor and control your printer from your desktop without having to be near the printer. But, this remote functionality is limited solely to your local network.

It denotes that your Octoprint 3D printer and the device should be connected to the same wireless network for you to access your 3D printer. This limitation prevents you from accessing your 3D printer on a mobile network or when you're far away from your printing area.

Moreover, Octoprint's User Interface is not optimized for use on smartphones and small tablets. And while using Octoprint on the phone is technically possible through a browser, it will result in a poor user experience. This restriction also means that you're limited to accessing Octoprint via a laptop or desktop.

Obico and OctoEverywhere plug-ins help you to overcome these limitations by letting you access your 3D printers from anywhere and on any device. They're easy to set up, have a user-friendly interface, and feature various functions mainly designed for remote 3D printing.

Obico for Octoprint​

Obico is the successor to the popular The Spaghetti Detective (TSD) plug-in for Octoprint. It improves vastly over TSD while retaining the core AI detection functionality. It is entirely open-source and designed to integrate seamlessly with Octoprint.

Obico for Octoprint gives you complete and secure remote access to your 3D printer, and you can use it to monitor, control and record time-lapse videos of your printing process. In addition to these basic functionalities, Obico comes with AI detection technology for recognizing and stopping failed prints.

Obico's designed for multiple platforms comes with a free mobile application letting you access your 3D printer on Android and iOS devices. It's easy to install for Octoprint, and you can refer to this detailed guide to configure your Octoprint 3D printer with Obico.

OctoEverywhere for Octoprint​

OctoEverywhere is similar to Obico in several aspects and gives you all the essential features for remote monitoring of your 3D printer. It lets you access your Octoprint instance on a browser interface and is tightly integrated with other Octoprint applications (OctoApp, Printoid, Polymer, Octopod), which you can use on your mobile phones.

It's designed for ease of use, and the user interface is highly intuitive to access all of its features. You can use OctoEverywhere to control the printer, send Gcode files, and receive notifications about your printer's status. Quinn Damerell - the developer behind OctoEverywhere, has recently introduced an AI failure detection feature for the plug-in. However, it's still in the Beta stage and might take a while before a full-proof release.

Like Obico, OctoEverywhere for Octoprint is quick to set up, and you can connect your printer with the plug-in in under 10 minutes. You can refer to this guide to configure the OctoEverywhere plug-in for your 3D printer. We'll compare all of the features in detail below.

Introduction​

Remote monitoring of your 3D prints is, to date, one of the most challenging tasks to accomplish in 3D printing. And while applications like Octoprint and Klipper give you access to wireless monitoring, natively, these software are limited for use on the same network.

This is where Obico comes in handy and lets you experience the true meaning of remote, wireless 3D printing. In this article, we'll look at the Obico software in its entirety and understand its benefits to your 3D printing workflow.

What is Obico?​

Obico is a 3D printer monitoring and controlling tool that features AI detection technology to notify you about any failed prints. It's the successor to the popular Octoprint plug-in, The Spaghetti Detective. Obico builds upon The Spaghetti Detective and adds features like printing from anywhere, Octoprint tunneling, and improved AI print failure detection.

You can use Obico on Android, Apple, and any other browser based devices from virtually anywhere in the world. This cross-compatibility allows you to select any device and start with remote 3D printing. And it frees you from the bounds of your local wireless network, and you can access your 3D printer even over a mobile network.

Obico's AI detection capabilities quickly recognize print failures or discrepancies in your ongoing print and notify you about the print's status. This feature helps you to save considerable printing time, cost, and filament that you would've otherwise lost due to failed prints.

However, Obico is not a standalone software yet. Instead, it works alongside Octoprint and Klipper 3D printing applications. You'll need to install either of these software on your 3D printers before setting up Obico and experiencing remote 3D printing.

Setting up Obico is relatively easy on both these platforms, and there are detailed guides available on Obico's websites that you can refer to install Obico for your 3D printer.

Let's briefly explain the basics of configuring Obico for Octoprint and Klipper applications. It'll give you an insight into the installation process and help you to learn about the Obico software.

Would you like to upgrade your 3D printer? There are several modifications you can make to your 3D printer to transform it into an impressive machine. These modifications apply to the hardware, software, and firmware features of the 3D printer. The beauty of it is some of these modifications can be 3D-printed directly at home. Others can be purchased and mounted on your 3D printer to improve specific aspects of your 3D printing activities.

We have compiled the best of these upgrades and modifications for the 3D printer in the list below. From a brand new automatic bed levelling sensor to a simple 3D printable extruder, you won't recognize your 3D printer once you're done with these upgrades. Unlike these Ender 3 upgrades, which are for a specific model, note that this is a general guide for various 3D printer upgrades that can help improve 3D printing quality and user experience. It isn't for any specific printer and will generally apply to most open-source 3D printers on the market.

When and Why Should You Upgrade Your 3D Printer?​

You should upgrade your 3D printer if, first, the stock firmware has some issues. You may also need to do this to make the printer faster, more accurate, and effective with its function. Upgrading the 3D printer is also done to protect the machine, user, the printed objects and make it easier to use.

But 3D machine upgrades and modifications are best left to the pros. If you're a new beginner, we recommend not doing a bunch of hardware upgrades. Instead, take some time to get to know the machine. Often, people do too many upgrades when first starting, but they don't understand why they are doing them or if they are even necessary at all.

You need to know the machine, its strengths, and its weaknesses. You should not necessarily upgrade when unsure what the problem is, as it is easy to misdiagnose issues this way.

Best 3D Printer Upgrades​

There are many upgrades and improvements for the 3D printer that you can print out yourself. However, for most of them, it will be necessary to buy them. In this section, we have listed the essential components, software, and firmware that will improve both your 3D printer and the quality of the prints.

Octolapse with Octoprint is like a match made in heaven. These two go very well with each other and help you create awesome time lapse videos. And even though installing Octolapse is easy with Octoprint, setting it up and configuring it to deliver high-quality timelapse videos is slightly tricky.

In this article, we'll look at the detailed procedure for setting up Octolapse for your Octoprint instance with Cura and PrusaSlicer settings. We'll also share some tricks and tips to fine-tune your image settings to get the best quality footage for your 3D printing timelapse video.

Let's start with understanding the Octolapse plugin.

Creality released its first-ever Ender 3 model in March of 2018. It was an instant success and became widely popular due to its budget pricing and decent build quality. Ever since the company's released improved models, which retain the original Ender 3's form factor but come with a slew of impressive features at a relatively low cost.

But, cumulatively, there are now 10 Ender 3 models in three different series. Some of the printers have similar features to the previous generations, while others are entirely upgraded with a slight price bump. This becomes confusing for many buyers, and you might buy an Ender 3 that's not ideal for your 3D printing needs.

In this article, we'll clear out this confusion and understand the similarities and differences between all ten printers. It will help you to make an informed decision and get an Ender 3 that is better suited for you.

Let's get started and end the Ender confusion once and for all.

Introduction​

Klipper is quickly becoming the de-facto choice for fast 3D printing. 3D printer manufacturers such as Voron and Prusa3D have contributed to its popularity by using firmware in their machines. And as Klipper's completely open-source and free-to-use, you can install it virtually on any 3D printer, old or new.

In this article, we'll go over the installation process of setting up the Klipper firmware using the Klipper Installation And Update Helper (KIAUH). It's an effortless and interesting way to install Klipper on your 3D printer.

Let's start Klipping!

We're sure you've often thought about accessing OctoPrint over the internet and that too from anywhere in the world from any device. Controlling your 3D printer over a local network is simple, whereas establishing a remote connection is more difficult. If you're curious about how it's done easily, you've come to the right place

This article addresses this question and provides a how-to guide for accessing OctoPrint while away from home.

What is OctoPrint?​

OctoPrint is one of the best free and open-source 3D printer remote monitoring and control software applications. It allows you to better manage your 3D printer activities and run it more efficiently. The software with its wide range of plugins enhances your 3D printing output.

If you are new to OctoPrint, you can get started by reading our guide on how to set up OctoPrint.

How does it work?​

OctoPrint is typically run on a Raspberry Pi that is linked to your 3D printer. It connects to your 3D printer via USB cable and essentially takes control of it. It can send commands to control and operate the 3D printer. These can range from simple tasks like moving the printhead in the three axes or starting/stopping prints to more complex tasks like converting linear g-codes to arc codes, accessing your 3D printer from remote locations, even outside your local network, and more.

In short, OctoPrint simplifies and gives you more control over your 3D printer operations, allowing you to print more efficiently.

To run OctoPrint, OctoPi, an OctoPrint image preconfigured for the Raspberry Pi with pre-installed OctoPrint, mjpg-streamer as a webcam server, and a couple of scripts is commonly used to allow for simple initial setup.

Why is a remote access solution for OctoPrint needed?​

This question has been addressed in several articles about the need for an OctoPrint remote access solution. To understand this, consider a situation in which you start a print and monitor it to ensure that it does not fail, but you suddenly need to go out for work. But as you leave the house, one question lingers in your mind: what's going on with my print?

We've all been there, and this is just one example of when a remote access solution comes in handy.

But did you know that OctoPrint is only available on your local network?

While what we said is correct, it is also true that there are multiple ways to access OctoPrint over the internet to give you access from anywhere, which we will discuss in this article.

Before we proceed, if you are the inquisitive type and want to understand why you can't use OctoPrint anywhere but on your local network? Then read our article on Accessing OctoPrint Remotely, which will explain the issue.

Introduction​

3D printers are a mere assembly of various stepper motors, controllers, and structural components. It is the 3D printer's firmware that ties everything together and brings your digital gcode file into the physical world.

Marlin was the first 3D printer firmware developed way back in 2011 for FDM 3D printers. Erik Van Der Zalm designed it for Ultimaker 3D printers which used 8-bit microcontrollers. Since 2011, Marlin has come a long way, and several 3D printers worldwide use some variant of the Marlin for their functioning.

But, in 2016, Kevin O'Connor released the Klipper firmware as an alternative to Marlin. Klipper promises high-speed 3D printing, better print quality, and several other features superior to Marlin. And it has grown tremendously since the first release and is quickly becoming the go-to firmware choice for many 3D printing hobbyists and manufacturers alike.

In this article, we'll compare Marlin and Klipper's firmware based on various criteria and understand the differences between these two. It should help you make an informed decision and choose the one that best matches your needs.

Let's get started.

Introduction​

Klipper firmware has become the go-to choice for high-speed 3D printing on a budget. It integrates the computing power of a Raspberry Pi with your 3D printer's controller to give you a clean, smooth, and fast 3D printing experience.

As Klipper is merely a firmware, you need an interface to interact with your 3D printer. Mainsail OS, Octoprint, and Fluidd are the three popular types of Klipper interfaces that are easy to use and help you to take full benefits of Klipper's features. We already have a guide that details the procedure of installing Klipper on an Ender 3 with Mainsail OS.

In this article, we'll go over the step-by-step procedure to install Klipper on an Ender 3, but with the Fluidd web interface. Read along to find the benefits of Fluidd and Klipper on your 3D printer.

What are Mainsail, Fluidd, and OctoPrint?​

Mainsail, Fluidd, and OctoPrint are web interfaces for 3D printers that let you monitor and control your printer remotely. These software provide an easy way to interact with your printers and give you access to various features that enhance the remote user experience of 3D printing.

Fluidd and Mainsail OS are explicitly developed to run with Klipper firmware on your 3D printers. These software act as a communication bridge between you and your 3D printer and give you a way to monitor, control, and interact with your 3D printer wirelessly.

In contrast, Octoprint is developed as a generic 3D printer control software that gives you wireless access to your 3D printers. It can run on various firmware, including Klipper, and is developed specifically for remote 3D printing. Like Mainsail and Fluidd, Octoprint, too, runs in a web browser interface and has several plugins that extend the software’s usability.

All three of these software are free to download and completely open-source, contributing to their fast development and suite of excellent features. This article will explain all three software in detail and learn their differences and similarities.

Let’s get started.

Klipper has recently caught many eyeballs with its fantastic features and utility for 3D printing. It's a firmware that runs off a Raspberry Pi board and lets you execute high-speed 3D printing and extract the most out of your 3D printer. It has improved motion planning and precise stepper motor control and delivers excellent print quality with a slight tuning.

You can find several ways of setting up Klipper for any 3D printer. But, in this guide, we'll understand the entire process of installing Klipper on an Ender 3 3D printer using the Mainsail OS and Raspberry Pi imager. Together, Klipper and Ender 3 are one of the most popular combos, and once you grasp the idea, it's easy to emulate it for other 3D printers.

Without any further adieu, let's get started, Klipping.

What is Klipper?​

Klipper is a free and open-source 3D printer firmware that runs using your printer's controller board and an external processing unit, usually a Raspberry Pi board. It's maintained by Kevin O Connor on GitHub but has contributions from several other developers. The first version was released in 2016, and the Klipper firmware has evolved considerably over the years.

It utilizes the extra processing power of the Pi to compute, execute and run your 3D printer at faster speeds with higher precision. Voron 3D printers are famous for their fast print speeds and printing quality, and these printers use a customized version of the Klipper firmware to run at speeds above 200 mm/s with minimal loss in print quality.

Its open-source nature and strong community have significantly contributed to its list of features, and the current Klipper firmware offers far more than fast print speeds.

Why should you install Klipper on your 3D printer?​

The Raspberry Pi's extra computing power helps Klipper compute, execute and deliver precise stepper motor motion. It finely calculates and controls the movement of your stepper motor, ensuring a smooth printing process.

Its 'Smooth pressure advance' feature predicts the filament pressure in the nozzle and reduces the filament flow when the nozzle reaches the end of an edge or line. This function reduces filament oozing and minimizes the stringing effects at high print speeds.

Klipper readily works with Octoprint, supports multiple controllers on a single 3D printer, and is widely available for all 3D printers. It can transform an old and slow 3D printer into a fast machine that can easily put up with the latest high-end 3D printers.

Now that we have an overview of Klipper and its features let's dive into setting it up with the Mainsail OS for an Ender 3 3D printer.

Klipper Firmware/Courtesy: Klipper

Every electronic device is made up of three parts: hardware, software, and firmware. While the first two are more well-known, it is the firmware that connects the hardware to the software. Klipper is one such 3D printer firmware setup that uses Raspberry Pi to work alongside your 3D printer's mainboard. Klipper firmware is relatively new, and we intend to explain what it is and why you need it.

What is Klipper 3D printer firmware?​

We're sure you've heard of the Marlin firmware. This is the most popular and widely used 3D printer firmware. In fact, your 3D printer or printers must be running on a Marlin firmware. We are certain of it. And why not? It was one of the first and most widely used firmware that delivered consistent results.

But did you know there are several alternatives to Marlin? Yes, there are, and the Klipper 3D printer firmware is one such option that is becoming increasingly popular due to the benefits it provides.

Klipper is an open-source 3D printer firmware developed by Kevin O'Connor, the original author and current maintainer of Klipper. It allows interaction between your 3D printer hardware, such as motors and sensors, and software, such as slicers, in order to understand the gcode commands used to 3D print an object.

It differs from traditional 3D printer firmware, which runs on a single mainboard. Klipper is designed to work with a 3D printer mainboard and a single-board computer, such as a Raspberry Pi to eliminate the issues of low computing power. Klipper works in tandem with the Raspberry Pi and uses the extra computing power to assist the mainboard in processing commands, allowing you to print more quickly and precisely.

OctoPrint simplifies the control and management of 3D printing. The software's capabilities are enhanced by a diverse set of plugins, making it simple to monitor and control your prints. Furthermore, if you wish to take your remote 3D printing experience to the next level, you should check out the OctoPrint Mobile apps.

There are numerous mobile apps that provide OctoPrint mobile accessibility, so you have a lot of alternatives. This also means new users find it difficult to choose the ideal app for their needs.

But, like always, we have your back, and we don't want you to spend time checking out each and every app. Instead we have compiled a list of the top 7 mobile apps – 4 Android and 3 iOS apps – to help you with the selection process and save you time. With this list, you will be one step closer to accessing OctoPrint on the go!

Why do you need a mobile app for OctoPrint?​

For the uninitiated, OctoPrint is one of the best 3D printer remote monitoring, management, and control software tools. With the plugins, the software transforms into a monster, giving you greater control over your printer and making 3D printing entertaining and engaging.

While OctoPrint is a capable piece of software, it may occasionally leave you wanting more. Consider two scenarios: one in which you are weary of sitting in front of a computer for the duration of the print but still want to check the progress and monitor your print. And a second scenario in which you are travelling and do not have access to a computer from which to operate your 3D printer.

The solution to both of these issues is the same: a mobile app for accessing OctoPrint on the go.

A smartphone is something you carry with you everywhere and is easy on the eyes. This level of freedom is appealing to many who use 3D printers on a regular basis. Using a smartphone app can help you save a lot of time, not to mention improve your 3D printing experience.

We will now explore the 7 mobile apps for OctoPrint. All of these mobile apps allow you to access your OctoPrint connected 3D printer from your phone, and the Obico mobile app even allows full remote access from anywhere without any additional configuration.

If you are someone who has not yet installed OctoPrint, you can take a small detour to learn how to set up OctoPrint to and get it up and running. Don't worry, it's simple.

In less than a decade, Raspberry Pi (Rpi) has caught the imagination of 3D printing enthusiasts the world over. It has enabled makers like you to monitor and control 3D printers remotely. OctoPrint and Raspberry Pi, paired together, is a deadly combination and gives you an unprecedented control over your entire 3D printing process.

Sadly with so many versions of the credit-card sized computer available on the market it becomes difficult for enthusiasts to choose the best Raspberry Pi for OctoPrint. And yes, the choice will determine the performance of your 3D printer and the amount of control you have on it.

So read along as we bring you a guide to help you solve this very conundrum of choosing the right Raspberry Pi model for your needs and requirements.

Installing OctoPrint on a Raspberry Pi​

OctoPrint is usually installed on a Raspberry Pi, which is connected to your local network. Once connected, you can access OctoPrint from any web browser or mobile app on your smartphone. If you want help in getting started with OctoPrint, refer to our guide on how to setup OctoPrint.

OctoPrint is compatible with a wide range of operating systems and platforms. All it needs is a suitable Python environment. It can also run on a regular computer and different operating systems, but it takes a few more steps than simply installing it on a Raspberry Pi. Also, since you probably want it to run all the time, the Raspberry Pi is one of the most power-efficient and cost-effective ways to run it.

Due to their open source nature, strong community support, and ability to integrate with a variety of platforms, OctoPrint and the Raspberry Pi make a fantastic pairing to efficiently operate your 3D printer.

Which Raspberry Pi is best for OctoPrint?​

Right now, Raspberry Pi is available in at least a half a dozen different configurations, if not more. The processing speed, memory, and wireless and Bluetooth connectivity of each vary. Finding a Raspberry Pi model that works well with OctoPrint can be challenging. For instance, you run a higher risk of getting low-quality prints and longer loading times when using an older model, especially if a webcam or other plugins are active.

Thankfully, we did the research making it simpler for you to select the best Raspberry Pi for OctoPrint.

OctoPrint is open-source software that gives you an easy way to monitor and control your 3D printer from your computer. With it’s robust plugin structure, you can expand it’s functionality so you can monitor and control your printer from anywhere, get added peace of mind with AI failure detection and much more. In this article I will discuss five ways Obico for OctoPrint can enhance your 3D printing experience. Lets get started.

Obico, formerly The Spaghetti Detective is an open-source software that streamlines your 3D printing workflow, gives you the ability to monitor and control your printer from anywhere and added peace of mind with AI faiure detection. Obico now works for 3D printers with klipper firmware running fluidd or mainsail, but in this video we will focus on Obico for OctoPrint.

As you may have noticed, it can be hard to buy a Raspberry Pi at the moment. In this article, we will share some places where we have seen success purchasing a Raspberry pi without paying the astronomical prices seen on secondary retailers like Amazon. Today, many of them are over $100 for just the board and over $200 for a kit!

Rpi Locator​

Prusa, a leading 3D printing company, is the inventor of DIY desktop FDM (and, more recently, SLA) 3D printers. It is a well-known brand in the industry, synonymous with dependability and quality.

Prusa has produced numerous award-winning 3D printers over the years, none more so than the Prusa i3. The Prusa i3 is the company's most popular printer, and the MK3S+ is the most recent variation on the i3 model.

The Prusa is a solid 3D printer, but it lacks some features that OctoPrint can provide. OctoPrint gives you the ability to remotely monitor and control your 3D printer. And this is one feature that improves your printing experience regardless of how good your 3D printer is.

If you want to know which 3D printers are the best from a data-driven standpoint, you can take a breather and read our unbiased and data-driven 3D printer review.

Regardless of the best 3D printer, in this article, we will walk you through the process of installing Octoprint on your Prusa i3.

Creality Ender 3 desktop FDM 3D printer/Courtesy: Creality

The Creality Ender 3 is a fantastic 3D printer. It is the ideal balance of quality and affordability. The Ender 3 has many features, but there is one that can make it even more feature-rich. The addition of OctoPrint (OctoPi) has the potential to take it to the next level.

OctoPrint empowers you by allowing you to control your 3D printer from a remote location. If your Ender 3 is linked to OctoPrint, you will be able to extract even more value from this already great machine.

If you're not sure how to set up OctoPrint on the Ender 3, follow this step-by-step guide to get started.

Prefer to watch a video to guide you through the process? Check out our video on setting up OctoPrint and getting started with OctoPrint plugins!

OctoPod is a popular iOS mobile app for accessing your OctoPrint connected printer with your phone so you can now use the app from anywhere for free! Learn more about the integration below:

Source: OctoPod Github

Creality Ender 3/Courtesy: Creality

The Creality Ender 3 is a popular and widely used desktop FDM 3D printer. It is ideal for beginners, students, hobbyists, and makers, especially given the features it offers for the price. It consistently produces high-quality prints with dependable precision.

However, there is a significant disadvantage to this printer. It is not a powerful 3D printer right out of the box. To compensate, you can upgrade your Ender 3 with the appropriate mods that will improve your 3D printing experience. The mods are an excellent way to boost overall performance and bring your 3D printer up to the level of premium printers at a fraction of the cost.

In this article, we'll discuss the following Ender 3 upgrades:

1. Fans And Silent Mainboard
2. BLTouch Auto-Leveling
3. Update Marlin for Advanced Functionality
4. Install OctoPrint
5. Install OctoPrint Plugins

We will also answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the Ender 3 3D printer.

OctoPrint interface/Courtesy: The Spaghetti Detective

OctoPrint is widely known in the maker community as one of the best 3D printer remote monitoring, management, and control software applications. It was created in 2012 by Gina Häußge, a German software engineer, and has since been improved by its devoted community to include a plethora of advanced features.

With over 277 plugins available in OctoPrint, the features are limitless, as are the ways you can use the software to improve your 3D printing experience. OctoPrint provides a plethora of advantages to its users.

It is difficult to find a single plugin that stands out in this vast library of plugins, but there is one that is likely the most advanced and probably the best OctoPrint plugin – The Spaghetti Detective. This OctoPrint plugin is ahead of its time, with powerful and one-of-a-kind features that no other plugin provides.

You can experience 3D printing like never before by combining your OctoPrint applications with The Spaghetti Detective. But don't just take our word for it; let us paint a picture for you of why it's the best OctoPrint plugin.

OctoPrint has a huge user base that has already realized the benefits of the software, but many people have yet to be introduced to OctoPrint and are unaware of what the software can do for them.

Those who want to learn how to install and use OctoPrint can do so by reading our guide on how to set up OctoPrint and experience the ease of 3D printing.

Failed 3D print/Source: The Spaghetti Detective

3D printing is still a technology that relies heavily on trial and error. It's nearly impossible to master the technology without getting your hands dirty. As there are no globally recognized standards in the 3D printer, material, or software manufacturing, it is vulnerable to a variety of printing problems. A multitude of 3D printer issues results in failed prints, which leads to a loss of business, if not your interest in the technology.

To make sure you don’t feel bogged down by the problems and abandon this revolutionary technology, we list down the most popular 3D printer problems and ways to troubleshoot them.

OctoPrint is a Raspberry Pi-based open-source software application that allows you to monitor and control your 3D printer remotely. It was created by Gina Häußge in 2012, and since then it is being constantly updated and upgraded by its active community of supporters and developers to include a wide range of features.

It is a free tool used by thousands of rookies as well as professionals to enhance their 3D printing experience.

What Is OctoPrint​

OctoPrint, created and launched in 2012 by German software engineer Gina Häußge, has grown to become one of the top remote monitoring, management, and control software applications for your 3D printer. The ease of use and simplicity of the software are the primary reasons for many adopters, and the features and functionality have converted adopters into lifelong loyal users.

While the community is growing, many beginners are still unaware of the benefits OctoPrint provides. So, we've compiled a list of genuine reasons why you should be using OctoPrint and why you need it.

If you are a newcomer who has not yet installed OctoPrint, you can take a brief detour and look at our guide on how to set up OctoPrint to get it up and running.

The Mantis 3D Printer​

All of us at The Spaghetti Detective love 3D printing, OctoPrint, and Raspberry Pi’s, so when we heard about a new 3D printer manufacturer offering a 3D printer with OctoPrint, and a Raspberry Pi pre-installed, we were interested! Mantis 3D Printer is using OctoPrint, a Raspberry Pi, and their own custom software with a goal of offering “the world’s easiest to use 3D printer.”

We connected with Joe a few months back and were intrigued because Mantis is one of the first 3D printers to come with OctoPrint pre-installed and a Raspberry Pi on board right out of the box. According to Mantis, their 3D printer fully automates the repair, slicing, orientation, temperature control, printer settings, and bed leveling process to make 3D printing easier than ever. Subsequently, they give users complete access to dive ‘under the hood’ through OctoPrint to control the Mantis like any other open source 3D printer.

While we haven’t tried the Mantis 3D printers ourselves, we think it’s a cool project, so when Joe offered to provide a special discount for The Spaghetti Detective users, we thought it would be a great deal for any users who might be interested in this printer, and for Mantis to get some feedback from our awesome community who also loves 3D printing, OctoPrint and Raspberry Pi’s!

Mantis 3D Printer Special Offer​

The Mantis 3D printer sells for $999, but Mantis is offering a $250 discount for users of The Spaghetti Detective! In addition, Mantis will pay for a 1-year Pro Plan subscription upfront to be used with the new printer. If this sounds like something you are interested in, learn more about the Mantis 3D printer here. When checking out, enter code TSD25 to receive 25% off The Mantis 3D Printer.

The deal is currently limited to the first five purchases, so if this is something you are interested in, definitely check it out soon! If you like these kinds of discounts in general, please let us know so we can find additional ways to offer you deals and discounts on interesting products. If you don’t like them, please let us know that too. You can leave a comment below or drop us an email at support@thespaghettidetective.com.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of using a camera with OctoPrint and some of the options you can choose from.

OctoPrint is one of the best free and open-source software options for remotely monitoring and controlling a 3D printer. Thousands of users use OctoPrint daily to take advantage of its features and create higher-quality products on their 3D printers. The software is easy to learn and simple to use, so beginners using the most basic 3D printers can also benefit from using OctoPrint.

It will not be an overstatement to say that users, both new and old, recommend using the software because of the numerous benefits it provides to the overall printing experience.

More About OctoPrint​

OctoPrint, despite being marketed as remote monitoring software, does much more than that. It can simultaneously monitor and control multiple printers or print farms, capture pictures and videos, create viral OctoLapse videos, schedule jobs, set print parameters, control bed, and extruder movement; adjust temperatures; control extrusion, edit G-codes, update firmware, and even change display themes to create a personalized environment.

OctoPrint is relatively simple to set up. If you haven’t already set up OctoPrint you can check out our OctoPrint setup guide.

Why Use A Camera With OctoPrint?​

Remote Monitoring​

OctoPrint can effectively monitor 3D printers using its wide range of impressive plugins. However, having a camera adds a whole new dimension to the printing experience. The camera is mounted in and around the printer enclosure such that the printhead and print bed is sufficiently captured. The camera is connected to the OctoPrint software and so the feed from the camera is visible to the user who can then operate the printer as he wants. Adding a camera makes it much easier to monitor and control the printer altogether.

What is OctoPrint and why do I need it?​

OctoPrint is the most popular 3D printing software for wirelessly monitoring and controlling your 3D printer.

Hundreds of thousands of printers rely on OctoPrint's awesome snappy web interface daily to manage their workflows. In addition there are a ton of awesome plugins that take the power of remote 3D printer monitor and control to a whole new level. In this guide, we will tell you what you need to get OctoPrint set up with your 3D printer and how install it.

Prefer to watch a video to guide you through the process? Check out our video on setting up OctoPrint and getting started with OctoPrint plugins!

OctoPrint is one of the best tools you can get for your 3D printer. It provides you with a convenient way to send G-Code to the printer, kick off the print, monitor the print via webcam, and pause/cancel the print all in a beautifully structured user interface. There is a downside though - OctoPrint can only be accessed on your home network, not anywhere else.

Imagine: you just set up a print, turned the printer on, and see everything is perfect. You have some spare time so you leave the house, but one thought lingers – what’s going on with my print? Did it fail, how much time there is left for it to end?

No need to panic. Although you can't directly use OctoPrint outside your home network, there are plenty of ways to let you do that indirectly from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection. It may be hard to choose which option is the best for you. In this article we try to help you with that, presenting the pros and cons of all possible ways to access your printer remotely.

We have made some important changes to how you can help The Detective get better at her job:

1. We launched a new feature called the "Focused Feedback". As the name implies, you tell The Detective if she got things right in a more "focused" way - snapshot by snapshot, rather than time-lapse by time-lapse.
2. Every time you finish a Focused Feedback, you will earn 2 Detective Hours!
3. You can, and should still give feedback at the overall time-lapse level. However, you will no longer earn Detective Hours from doing so. Instead, you are highly encouraged to give the Focused Feedback to earn Detective Hours.
4. Similarly, you can still upload your own time-lapses to help The Detective learn but you will no longer earn Detective Hours from doing so. Of course you can also give the Focused Feedback on the time-lapses you upload (will be implemented in a couple weeks).

Why did we make these changes?​

In the past several months The Detective team has done a lot of experiments to figure out how we can improve the accuracy of the detection algorithm. We have tried tens of different ways. Most of which didn't work - just like any other Deep Learning projects. But more importantly, we learned through those failed experiments why they didn't work, and applied those learnings to the experiments that did work! The end result of those several months of work was 2.5x improvement on the accuracy.

In this article we will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse on how those crazy Deep Learning technologies are used to catch 3D printing failures.

Readers be aware: very geeky content ahead.

3D printer users have a long history of fighting bed adhesion problems. That's why we have all these creative solutions: glue stick, glass bed, blue tape, you name it. For starters, we want to give you an overview on what factors play a role in bed adhesion, and how to get them right. We will drill down to each of them in details in the blogs to follow.

Hey – We here at The Spaghetti Detective are on a mission to make sure that whenever you press that print button, The Spaghetti Detective has your back. There’s nothing more frustrating than starting a print, walking away or getting distracted, and you come back to what you thought was going to be the latest flexible dinosaur or benchy, and its nothing but separate strands of filament, all scattered on your build plate.