Hi =) I’m very new to 3D printingn and love the snapmaker! But I hate Luban and I do’nt quite like the Software from Snapmaker itself for 3D printing (For Lasering it seems to be OK)
Thats why I changed to Ultimaker Cura and Octoprint, which enchanced the Quality of the Prints, and lowered the Time to set them up! I really like it! I started this thread to open a discussion how to Setup Snapmaker with Octoprint and Cura, what I have done till now, and what is still WIP, and whrere I possibly need the Help from @Snapmaker-Support or the community. Thimgs I already accomplished:
Install and use Cura, and connect via Plugin to Octoprint (YOu need to Setup Snapmaker as "Offline Printer than you have it’s profile, and afterward download and connect Octoprint Plugin =).
Setup Z-Offset Plugin of cura → For propper Z-offset per Material, stored in the coordinate System
Where I need the Help of @Snapmaker-Support:
There seem to be 2 Bugs when communication with Octoprint happens:
When you touch the Touchscreen, sometimes Temperature gets overwritten, and jumps mid-print to 0
ABL Expert Plugin can’t access the bed level function as it is not activated in Firmware
Filament-Runout Sensor is not configured in G-code
Z-Offset seems not be configurable via Z-offset plugin, as it jumps to zero as soon as I print → Firmware-bug?
Where I need the Help of the community:
I want to integrate a control for the Air-Purifier in Octoprint…How can I do that?
I need help with the G-code of Bed-Visualizer → How can it be written?
There is a bug in Octoprint…when you stop/pause a print, the print-head just stays where it was → bad for baed and nozzle → how to prevent?
Can I use the screen on Snapmaker to display something in Octoprint? If, how?
The goal is it, the solve all this questions, and at the end have a thread for everyone to setup his Snapmaker with Octoprint and Cura, as the quality of the prints, and the remote functions are WAY better!!! I hope you guys can help =)
With point 1 of what you list as a bug - that isn’t really a bug but just the way the Snapmaker interface works. But is annoying if you, like me, forget this and screw up an Octoprint job by using the touchscreen. Anytime you go into the settings area (or leave it) it resets the settings if it wasn’t in the middle of printing something. The interface doesn’t recognise printing something via Octoprint as an active print job.
@tHeSmUrF Thanks for the clarification:-) maybe @Snapmaker-Support comes up with a solution regarding this point? Eventually a setting in the next update?
Do not mess with the handset. I use the handset for bed calibration if needed and when finished I set the handset to the start page. Then I run everything from octoprint. This prevents the handset resetting temps.
A nice pluging is OctoEverywhere. It is not free, but the cost of the minimal version is just a few euros per year. You can control the instrument from everywhere with internet access and it gives you also a video stream if you have a webcam.
OctoDash pluging is a must.
With octoprint you can do practically everything for in situ or remote control. Best method to learn how to control things is to look at the plugins in github.
I wouldn’t hold my breath There are other features they already have the code for (as it was a feature they removed thinking no one used it) that they said would be put back more than a year ago that haven’t even been implemented. e.g. previously when you transferred a file via wifi the screen would automatically display a prompt asking if you wanted to start the print job. They took that away in favor of a prompt you need to click to acknowledge the file was transferred, then you need to click on start (or swipe from the right and select files), find your file in the list, click on it and then click start/ready. Why?
I’m mostly happy with the Snapmaker hardware (I’m just about to set up my third 350) but I feel like the firmware and Luban often takes one step forward and two backwards with each release.
In addition to Octopi have you looked at Repetier? It isn’t free (but isn’t expensive either and has a free trial period). It is a more polished/professional looking product than Octopi. I’ve been having a play with it (Server mostly but also RepetierHost) but smacking my head against the wall a little as I wanted to run it on the Pi but I’m a Windows guy so was getting frustrated with some of the annoying shit that comes with using Linux. e.g. why is it so bloody hard to simply plug a camera in for streaming video? I swear people only like it because it is a pain to use Anyway, rant over, it is worth a look. BTW they do make it for Windows, Mac etc. but I didn’t have a spare PC and wanted to make use of the Pi I already had sitting there.
Oh that’s a pity . I really like the hardware of Snapmaker, but hate the software…in 3d printing, just switching to Cura, helped extremely with the stringing, and the print quality! → combing mode. I don’t think it’s possible to make really good prints with special material with luban, because of the lack of options…With octoprint, and cura, the printer is genius! (Just the heated bed of the 350 is a little too cold…)
Similar approach here. I mostly use Cura but do from time to time still use Luban. Can’t really explain why, just the mood at the time One issue I’ve noticed with Cura is that it seems to be ignoring my initial bed temperature setting. i.e. initial temp is set to 70 and print temp at 60 but it always only sets both to 60. I haven’t played with it to see if it is Cura doing it or maybe the Cura Snapmaker sender plugin. I just manually set the temp myself before starting the print. Note this is going straight to the Snapmaker, not via Octoprint…I can’t remember if it was doing the same thing - I guess I should check.
Agree with you on the bed temp. I wanted to print some materials that need higher temps but shit out of luck I guess. I had a bastard of a time trying to print ASA. Guess that is a selling point of the Artisan. But after forking out for 3 x 350’s along with enclosures and upgrades I’m not sure I can be sold on yet another printer for a while.
The problem with the temps in octoprint is something that appeared few months ago and was the result of incorrect parameter names in the snapmaker gcode skeleton file. It was solved relatively fast. Check you updated Cura and Cura Snapmaker Plug-ins.
Yeah I print regularly with Cura, and have no temp problems, but when I use the screen to jog around after a print, I noticed that it has issues moving…I think it’s due to that the firmware doesn’t know what octoprint is doing to the printer, and doesn’t know it’s position…using Cura 5.1 and latest octoprint
For Everyone interested; here is the full enclosure control (lights, fan and Air purifier → Just report Back/ show status does not work → to see if its on or off…) it’s not pretty, but it works
I use Printoid and it’s Plugin Works pretty well, but yeah pushbullet is cool :-). Thanks for the tip! But I want to use the touchscreen to play/pause the print, turn on/off LEDs, and see progress… thumbnail would be nice too…the sad thing is, as soon as you use octoprint, you can’t touch the screen during print without running into various issues…(temp overwrite mainly)
I love the notification as I am often in bed when it completes, I then turn off the machine and the led lights by pressing a button on the phone. I can monitor via the webcam from octoprint. I also have the Obico for OctoPrint Obico watching the prints in case they fail. With this plugin, you can monitor remotely and control the machine away from the house.
There are other features they already have the code for (as it was a feature they removed thinking no one used it) that they said would be put back more than a year ago that haven’t even been implemented. e.g. previously when you transferred a file via wifi the screen would automatically display a prompt asking if you wanted to start the print job. They took that away in favor of a prompt you need to click to acknowledge the file was transferred, then you need to click on start (or swipe from the right and select files), find your file in the list, click on it and then click start/ready. Why?
. I really like the hardware of Snapmaker, but hate the software…in 3d printing, just switching to Cura, helped extremely with the stringing, and the print quality! → combing mode. I don’t think it’s possible to make really good prints with special material with luban, because of the lack of options…With octoprint, and cura, the printer is genius! (Just the heated bed of the 350 is a little too cold…)