I got this idea an want to hear what others think
A great deal uses a raspberry pi and either load it with octoprint or repetier server so they can control remotely. with a webcam attached they can even see what is going on.
It made me go in the “hmmmm” mode…
Why not load some scripts on it and give us the option to print directly from the hub dashboard?
of course a cloud slicer with settings would be needed… but i think it will make the task more easy for hub owners… and give options not otherwise possible
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Sounds interesting, but if they did do this, I would never use it as I like to have a lot of control when slicing the models. I don’t think a cloud based slicer can achieve what I can do in S3D.
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cobnut
3
@Boelle what “options not otherwise possible” would printing from 3D Hubs directly give Hubs that already have their own printing methods?
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live print status… ie how many % done…
live video feed only availble while print that specific order…
add to the list yourself…
this idea should of course be 100% up to the hub so that those that do not like it is not forced to it in any way
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cobnut
5
But, as you said yourself, if Hubs want that sort of info/control, they can do it now via Octoprint or other hardware/software solutions.
How would 3DHubs talk to your local printer? It’d have to be over the web which introduces a massive single point of failure in the comms. All you need is a momentary failure of net connectivity and your customer print fails. You’d really need it to act like a remote interface for a local print server so a comms failure wouldn’t affect the actual print and that’s… er… Octoprint, it already exists.
Sorry if I sound negative, but given there are already tools out there to do what you’re thinking of, which a lot of hubs are already using, and the huge undertaking it would be in terms of development and support, I’m not sure it’s practical or really necessary/desirable.
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“How would 3DHubs talk to your local printer?”
it would be in constant or nearly constant contact with the RasPie
“connectivity and your customer print fails.”
No, the print job has to be sent before print is started… only updates to how far it has gone etc would drop…
“Octoprint, it already exists”
yep but it cant be integrated with the hub dashboard
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cobnut
7
Sooo… you have to have a RPi locally, installed and configured with OctoPrint, etc. running your printer, then 3DHubs just hooks into the OctoPrint server remotely and allows access via the Hub dashboard?
OK, that’s more achievable. Do you know how the access would work, securely? (I have no idea!) I’ve been looking at remote access for my own OctoPrint and very quickly get bogged down in ports, tunnelling, vpns and, well, it’s about then that I give up…
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“3DHubs just hooks into the OctoPrint server remotely and allows access via the Hub dashboard?”
it does not have to be octoprint, could be anything but yes that was my thoughts
“Do you know how the access would work, securely”
SSL encrypting coms could be one way to do it
If a component in the RasPi opens the connection to 3dhubs the user would not have to do anything.
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if you can call it a benefit, those hubs with several printers will quickly see what printer is free to do the job
and if you only have one a setting could be to tell customer that you are busy printing but you are free to print again in X amount of time
again that should be 100% up to the hub
about live video feed… i have thought of that, but i dont want the customer to be able to view when the print is done.
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of course if slicing is put in to the mix it should be as flexible as desktop slicers…
something that you pick what slicer to use and then export the settings from the desktop app and import it at 3d hubs
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Nebbian
11
Maybe this might work for a fully automatic printer with a common filament loaded, but it certainly wouldn’t work for me. I need to be present to select good slicer settings, load the filament, wipe off the build plate with alcohol, clean the nozzle, watch the first couple of minutes of the first layer going down, and generally babysit the printer for about 5 minutes as the print starts.
I’ve thought of having my octoprint stream available for the client to watch, but honestly I don’t think that they really care all that much. All they care about is a picture of the finished product, and good communication as to when they will receive it. If the client knows enough about 3D printing to want to watch the live stream and print the part themselves, then chances are they already have a 3D printer. In which case they won’t be asking you to print something for them on 3D hubs.
