Gcode sharing - some initial thoughts
I am fascinated by the idea of sharing Gcode files. I can see the business case for it - users on the left side of the bell curve will like it because it lowers the barrier to use of 3d printers. It is a standout feature that helps differentiate Prusa's repo from others. Gcode files are much more machine specific than STL's so it has the natural effect of encouraging people to remain within the prusa ecosystem. Designers could sell models without turning over the source of their designs. These are all sound reasons to advocate for sharing gcode.
I think it is going to be important to examine the workflow of users very closely in order to make this gcode sharing as frictionless as possible. In my case, I have long seen gcode files as essentially disposable. I make no effort to name them consistently, I don't file them or organize them in any way. They sit on my SD card until it gets full, at which point I log in and delete them.
Changing that habit (which seems to be pretty common) isn't going to be easy. It strikes me that if you want good quality gcode files to be shared by power users, Slic3r is going to need to be enlisted in helping that to happen.
I'm not excited about seeing Slic3r get bloated with a full web portal to prusaprinters, though if Slic3r were aware of a user's designs it would be easier to get them to click a button and add the gcode to the model.
There could be broader and less obtrusive ways of handling this as well -- eg, Slic3r could calculate MD5 hashes for all objects on the plate, query prusaprinters for any matching hashes, and invite the user (via a check box in the object list) to upload gcode for those objects. (Some post processing of that gcode would be needed to isolate parts on a multipart plate, but that is doable and could even be done on the client side).
Re: Gcode sharing - some initial thoughts
Hi Eric,
Looks like everyone is working with gcode the same way now 😀 I do have a SD card full of gcodes with no logic names and whenever I decide to print something again, I just slice it again.
I like the idea of linking slicer to the prusaprinters. But it will not work now, as the website is not ready for it. But it the future, when the user profiles will be more rich in the functionality, there will be space to do it. You are adding the gcodes under your profile, your rating etc...the slic3r insn't ready for "account" now at all. Yes, I would like to have it as a Adobe account, where your data will be in cloud and you can connect to it from every app, have you settings always with you etc...but it is a far future:)
For now I do not want user to upload gcode immediately after slicing anyway...they should print the file first to see if it is working and then upload it. I do not want prusaprinters to became a site with huge amount of trashy files.
But what I like even more is the possibility of adding prusaprinters into the printer "lcd menu" ... when the printer will have a touchscreen/smartphone there is no problem to link the websites into it and then you can print any model out there directly from the printer display;)