Firmware Wishlist

[CrazyIvan]

1. Manual control of LAN IP address. It is not uncommon that devices on the home network offer configuration of networking: either “DHCP”, where the device obtains the credentials from a DHCP server on the network (usually provided by the router), or “Manual” where the user sets IP address, netmask, gateway, and DNS directly. Setting DHCP first, and then altering to Manual presets the netmask, gateway, and DNS fields appropriately, the user can then alter the IP address to their liking.

   The advantage of this approach is to have the U1 on a predictable IP address on the network, for access to the Fluidd interface (etc), without having to configure it in the router.

   As of firmware 1.4.1, the U1 only offers DHCP.

2. Add zeroconf, to remove the need for access by IP address altogether. [Devices using zeroconf can be addressed in the browser by name, eg http://u1.local.]

3. Default Print > Print Preferences > Heated Bed Leveling = OFF, or provide an option in Settings > Print Preferences to default it to off. Heated bed levelling is time consuming, and does not need to be done every print (especially if using the same bed plate). It might not seem a long time over the course of a multi-hour print, but I’m sure I am not the only one who is not happy to let a print run unattended until they’ve seen the first layer or two go down!

   As of firmware 1.4.1, the U1 defaults heated bed levelling to on, and has to be manually turned off every time if not wanted. Firmware 0.9.x defaulted to off.

4. A mechanism to dump Fluidd console output into a file.

5. Unencrypted system logs, available for user inspection and not restricted to Snapmaker Support. Apart from the usefulness to experienced users, we have no visibility what is being submitted if we send it off and what the privacy implications might be.

6. G-Code file compatibility should not be dependent on having a full compliment of configuration data in the file. For example: if no filament colours are specified, assume the user wishes to print with the colours that are currently loaded with no mapping. At present, if any of the end block config lines are missing, the file is rejected as incompatible. (Yes, I realise this is a Klipper thing.)

7. Toolhead Swapping Anomaly counts should be cumulative (user resettable) and accessible on a report screen in Settings > Maintenance (not just at the end of a print). Personally, I would also like to see retry and failed retry counts, and failed retry counts as a percentage of toolhead pick-ups.

There may be more…

[CrazyIvan]

Anybody else got ideas? I’ll add them to the list (with credit) as we go along. Like or dislike? Add comments.

I’m not saying Management will take any notice, but you never know…

[Zoe_M]

Hi, I just add a new [feature request] category. Would you mind spilting the requests on the wishlist here and help me test whether this category settings need extra adjustment. ．

Thank you very much.

[CrazyIvan]

Will do, later.

(But then it won’t be a wish-list any more!)

[CrazyIvan]

OK, what I’ve done is create a batch of new threads under Feature Request, U1. Anyone interested in commenting or voting, follow the links below. I hope that suits.

Manual Control of LAN IP Address

It is not uncommon that devices on the home network offer configuration of networking: either “DHCP”, where the device obtains the credentials from a DHCP server on the network (usually provided by the router), or “Manual” where the user sets IP address, netmask, gateway, and DNS directly. Setting DHCP first, and then altering to Manual presets the netmask, gateway, and DNS fields appropriately, the user can then alter the IP address to their liking. The advantage of this approach is to have th…

Zeroconf – LAN Addressing By Name Instead Of Number

If the U1 ran zeroconf, we could address it from our web browsers as (for example) http://u1.local, instead of having to remember what IP address it is on.

User Control of the Default Setting for Heated Bed Leveling

Provide an option in Settings > Print Preferences to default Heated Bed Leveling to off. Heated bed levelling is time consuming, and does not need to be done every print (especially if using the same bed plate). It might not seem a long time over the course of a multi-hour print, but I’m sure I am not the only one who is not happy to let a print run unattended until they’ve seen the first layer or two go down! As of firmware 1.4.1, the U1 defaults heated bed levelling to on, and has to be manua…

Fluidd Console Output to File

Having attempted to copy text from the scrolling Console in the Fluidd interface into a file, I can tell you it is remarkably difficult. Please provide an option to enable and disable output of console text to a file for later analysis.

Unencrypted System Logs

At present (1.4.1), system logs can only be exported as an encrypted file for analysis by Snapmaker Support. The content of these logs is sure to be of interest to experienced users keen to make full use of their U1, maintain it, and perhaps experiment with it. If the data is not human readable, please provide tools to read it. Being encrypted means users have no visibility of what information they are submitting to Snapmaker, nor what privacy implications there might be.

G-Code Files Break Too Easily

As of 1.4.1, G-Code files are scanned to check for validity before printing, but the validity criteria are too strict. In particular, it should be possible to omit some or all of the configuration block at the end, and have the printer adopt sensible defaults.

Persistent Toolhead Swapping Anomaly Counts

Toolhead Swapping Anomaly counts should be cumulative (user resettable) and accessible on a report screen in Settings > Maintenance (not just at the end of a print). Personally, I would also like to see per-toolhead retry and failed retry counts, and failed retry counts as a percentage of toolhead pick-ups. This would enable experienced users to monitor the performance of the pogo pins and take preventative measures in a timely fashion.

[jiyang1018]

some very valid points.

[RepairAndTinker]

For #3 this might conflict in the way I print where I use adaptive mesh leveling at the start of each print. For this to work I need to run the mesh before each print.

Sadly my machine has not been able to print correctly without using this. I have meticulously tuned the bed manually and made a detailed bed mesh, but two prints later large parts of the bed were already out of sync with the mesh causing adhesion failures both by too much squish in areas and not enough squish in others.

So for me it would be ideal to set it as a switch to have it enabled or disabled by default.

[ColdCoffee]

Just my thoughts, not saying anything is right or wrong!

1. I just gave my U1 a fixed port via my router so it never changes?
2. figure the above covers this, but might not fully understand the advantages?
3. I use adaptive bed meshing, so it meshes every print, BUT! only the area the print is going too so much quicker
4. If you think that’s useful?
5. I very much doubt you’ll get this as like all other firms they don’t want rivals seeing everything that’s going on!
6. Yeah, good point liking this one muchy
7. Could be useful for trouble shooting, but could cause some people to panic when not needed too resulting in not needed support requests (knowledge is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands)

As I said NOT diss’ing what you’ve said as its YOUR wishes, just adding a few thoughts

[CrazyIvan]

@ColdCoffee

6. Yeah, good point liking this one muchy

So vote in the Feature Request section. That’s how I was asked to deal with it…