J1s in Duplicate Mode; Remote access to Touchscreen?

Snapmaker J1/J1s
1

With the holidays approaching, I am printing several items as gifts. I would like to use my J1 in Duplicate Mode to print 2 at once. Which I find I can do, but ONLY if I use the touchscreen. Which, is terrible.

My printer is in a detached garage, and my usual workflow is to slice my model with Cura, then upload the gcode to my Raspberry Pi, running Octoprint, which I can access/control using its web interface. The Pi connects to the J1 thru the USB-B port on the back.

I have already uncovered, and solved, issues with using dual extruders in this way. The gcode files print differently when they come in over the USB-B port, versus being started from the touchscreen. However, I have NOT been able to get “Duplicate Mode” to work over the USB port. The same gcode, sent to the printer from Luban over wifi, and started from the touchscreen, correctly prints two copies at once.

So, the firmware clearly has “DUAL_X_CARRIAGE” enabled, and the gcode includes “M605 S2 X162 R0” in the starting custom gcode, but, when sent over the rear USB port, only T0 prints.

SO, if I MUST use the touchscreen to start the prints, is there any way that I can access/control the touchscreen remotely? It seems as though there should be a web interface to do that, but I have not been able to find one. It is really unacceptable to have to walk out to the garage, in the rain, to press a button on the touchscreen to start the print.

Is there something I’m missing, or is Snapmaker really THAT bad at user interface design?

2

UPDATE: Today, for whatever reason, using Duplicate Mode thru Octoprint IS working. I didn’t change anything. Perhaps the position of the stars was wrong yesterday?

Anyway, sending “M605 S2 R0 X162”, followed by “G28” causes the right extruder to move to the middle of the rail, and the left extruder to move to its parked position to the far left, over its wipe pad. I have just started a double print. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I STILL think that SM should provide access to the touchscreen over a LAN, but it’s a little less urgent now.