OctoPrint

- [Male Instructor] Many of the programs used to operate 3D printers are focused on slicing with some host capability. OctoPrint is primarily a host program and is designed to run on a Raspberry Pi. It runs as a web server, and you can access its interface through a web browser. Several of the major slicers also have the ability to talk to it directly via its API. OctoPrint is an opensource program developed and maintained by Gina Haeussge. In this video, we'll talk about what OctoPrint is and why you'd want to use it. A Raspberry Pi is a small computer that runs the Linux operating system. Pis cost around $35 in the United States not including the power supply, cables, and an SD card for the operating system. If you run OctoPrint on a Pi, you get a lot of the benefits of running a printer from a dedicated computer without tying up a larger more expensive PC. Some 3D printer manufacturers recommend controlling their printer with OctoPrint. A typical setup looks like this. The Pi is powered independently and is on a wireless network, is connected to the printer via USB cable. OctoPrint is a little fiddly to set up. There are good tutorials out there with a lot of the system specific things you need to know. We will not go over that part here. You can find very detailed setup instructions at the site we are showing here, octoprint.org/download. The recommended procedure involves downloading the software in the form of a disk image called OctoPi. This includes a version of the Raspberry Pi operating system with OctoPrint pre-installed. Once you've installed it on your SD card and configured it with some settings for your network and printer, you will use it to boot your Raspberry Pi. The hardest part is often getting the Raspberry Pi onto your local wifi network. If you're on network that requires you to log in through a webpage, you may need to temporarily hook up a mouse, keyboard, and monitor to your Pi. You may also find the configuration is easier if you simply use a direct ethernet connection to your computer. - [Female Instructor] OctoPrint is not a slicer and is intended to be used in conjunction with one. A slicer creates G-code that you can upload to OctoPrint. You can do this directly from some slicers using an API key. Go to the Settings menu, and click API, and copy the key you find there. Then, if you're using slicer, go to Printer Settings. Under General, you can enter the address of the machine running OctoPrint. In the next box, you can past in the API key. See OctoPrint's directions for more on that. If you're in Cura 4, you'll need to install the OctoPrint Connection plugin in the marketplace. After it's installed, which requires restarting Cura, go to Printer Settings and click the button that says Connect to OctoPrint. Select your OctoPrint instance and paste in the API key. Once you're set up, you can use OctoPrint to load a file, start a printing, or to send single commands. To load a slice file into OctoPrint, you can click Upload or drag the file onto the OctoPrint window. You may get an option to upload the file to OctoPrint or to the printer's SD card. Loading the file onto the printer's SD card is usually extremely slow and you'll have less flexibility once it's done so. However, if your printer has its own LCD interface, you'll have to select this option to make he file available there. Typically, if you're using OctoPrint, you won't be working with your printer in that way. To print a file that was uploaded previously, open the Files list on the left hand side of the OctoPrint main screen for a list. There are icons next to each file to display additional info. Download, remove, load the file for printing, or to load the file and begin the print. If you select the Control tab, you'll be able to move the print head while you're not printing. You can also make adjustments to the flow and feed rate here. The Temperature tab allows you to adjust the temperature of the extruder or of a heated bed during a print or to preheat them before you begin one. The Terminal tab allows you to see what commands the printer is executing and also send the printer individual G-code commands. OctoPrint's a good choice for controlling your printer if it's an older model that otherwise would need to be directly controlled by a laptop. It can also be a good choice if you want to control your printer remotely.