Octoprint on the MK4  

RE: Octoprint on the MK4

Only one of the Prusa solutions, Prusa Connect, uses the cloud, the other one is also local.
But OctoPrint works with the MK4, I have been using it with mine since it got it a few months ago. You can set the profile just the same as your MK3. The serial speed is double the value of the MK3. If you connect it with "AUTO" you will see that the baud is double the value on the MK3.
A few things do not work the same as on the MK3.

• The most important one is that the filament runout sensor does not work with OctoPrint. So you should check if your spool has enough filament before starting the print job. In case you need to change the spool midprint you will have to print from the USB stick.
• OctoLapse does not work if you want to use the "Stabilization" feature. But you can just use a "smart trigger snap to print" and it will work. And you can use the preconfigured profile for the MK3 in OctoLapse.
• The display on the printer does not show progress of the print job if you print from OctoPrint.

RE:

Octoprint cannot show in real-time the layer number the printer is working on. With the MK 3.9/4 upgrade, is there any way to get this information?

RE:

You mean on the display on the printer? Not with the current firmware version. In the OctoPrint interface you can see that of course.
Or you can use the z-value in the footer of the display and use simple math. 🙂
The display on the printer is not OctoPrint. OctoPrint can send this value over, but the printer display does not want to show it. So it is not the fault of OctoPrint, really.

RE:

I usually save the files to a SD card and then insert it to the SD card slot of the i3MK3S+ for printing. I can see the layer height on the LCD scree. I can also see what the printer is doing from a browser via Octoprint. However, it does not show what what layer it is printing at on the browser. Ideally, I want to be able to remotely see what the printer is doing and the current layer the printer is printing at both from a browser. Can the MK3.9/MK4 do that?

RE: Octoprint on the MK4

Yes, in the browser interface you can see that. But as an aside: using an sd card on the MK3xx when printing via OctoPrint I would not consider best practice. SD cards have a certain lifespan. And the printer has to handle two communications: one for the sd card and one for usb for OctoPrint. I am not sure if this could create a bottleneck. And is it not more practical to transfer the files via the network? If you send your print jobs over the network you can see the same info as in the screenshot below for an MK3xx. I also own an MK3S+ and I know what the screen on that printer looks like during a print with OctoPrint. The handling in the browser interface is practically the same with an MK4 or an MK3xx.

RE: Octoprint on the MK4

Sometimes Octoprint disconnected itself so I am using SD card.

RE: Octoprint on the MK4

Bad WiFi? WiFi is not the best option on the Raspberry Pi, especially if it is inside a metal case. I use Ethernet. No disconnects.

RE: Octoprint on the MK4

I built an Octoprint box that uses the enclosure and PIOshutdown plugins to toggle LED lights and shut down both the printer and Octoprint when the job is finished.  I also incorporated the 7" touchscreen so I can control the MK4 locally.  On the Pi, I have Octoprint set up and I use the GUI and invoke Chromium with the loopback address to control Octoprint.  Works great.

I am building a 2nd generation version for the XL with a larger touchscreen to switch the higher current draw of the XL.  However, to complete the job, I need to know the power draw of the LEDs in the printer.

Steve