I am unsure if I should download and install luban. Is it better?
I use my SM1 connected to my computer most of the time, 3D printing and Laser.
If install Luban and use it would I be able to go back to Snapmakerjs?
My understanding is it’s the same kind of software, but Snapmakerjs isn’t being updated anymore, while Luban is. Luban is also open-source, so you can find the source code on GitHub.
And yes, they are entirely separate. I actually have both installed side-by-side, but I suspect you should only run one version at a time. Because it’s essentially a small web server running on your computer with an integrated browser, running two instances at the same time will have them walking all over each other.
(I did run two copies of Luban at once, and it didn’t end well. Fortunately, it was recoverable)
As @CarlFoxmarten says, Luban is pretty much just a rebranded version of SnapmakerJS. It will get new features and bugfixes that SnapmakerJS won’t get. But you can continue using SnapmakerJS if you prefer.
I switch back and forth between Cura, Snapmaker3D, and Luban. I have noticed that for 3D printing, the three different pieces of software put down the first layer differently. So I tend to stick with a single piece of software once I’ve calibrated and dialed in the first layer. It’s not a big deal on Fast Print or Normal, but sometimes I have adhesion problems on High Quality and finer.
Carl and Clewis pretty much summed it up. If we are just talking about JS and Luban here, yes Luban is better in almost every way. It is more stable and will receive future updates and bugfixes. But there is one advantage JS has over Luban. An older version of JS still supports the 3D printing feature on 32-bit systems, whereas the latest version of JS or Luban doesn’t.