Direct printer connection?  

RE: Direct printer connection?

Posted by: @zarni

Greetings.

As I've seen some nice features in the latest Prusaslicer I thought it time to try it out.

 

Simple question really, how do I connect to my printer?

 

I've been using Slic3r for many years, recently Simplify3d or Cura. They all allow me to directly connect to the printer so I can control and  print direct, but all done in an obvious way.

As I have a very old printer it doesn't have an SD card reader or display and I've never had the need to use them, just a nice and reliable USB cable.

I know I could export the gcode and then use any of the other slicers to print but that kind of defeats the object.

 

Is this option missing for some reason or have I just missed the tick box to enable it?

 

-= Zarni =-

Hello and welcome to the Prusaforum!

Now I do not know which printer you are using. With the MK3 you print either via the SD card or a print server like Octoprint. A direct USB connection PC-printer is not recommended, because the USB port could send uncontrolled reset signals to the printer and destroy the print. Another possibility would be to use a Wlan-SD-card.
To be able to say more exactly, one would have to know your printer model. But the manufacturer will probably be able to give you more detailed information.

RE: Direct printer connection?

Thanks,

Never had any problems with USB connection before, I am probably one of the last remaining people around to still be using their Solidoodle 2. One of their first produced version with the wood carriage for the Z axis. It's been upgraded a fair bit but still runs the same old control board it came with, so no SD option.

Toying with the idea of using octoprint and I can see the benefits but I still like the direct control that my current slicers give.

On a search I found that pronterface had been installed, which I guess is the solution to my issue that comes with prusaslicer. I've used pronterface before but that was eight years ago before moving to Slic3r, bit of a suprise that this ancient software is bundled and that they haven't at least absorbed the functionality, in the same way that Simplify3d have done, which is a bit poor.

Lots still to learn about the Prusaslicer.

RE: Direct printer connection?

Old versions of Slic3r PE had a serial out but when the software was refactored to use a different language Prusa stripped it out. 
Besides Pronterface you could also install something like Repetier server on your pc to handle the pc to printer serial link and then you can send to Repetier from PS.  

RE: Direct printer connection?

@zarni

Would you upload a picture from your printer?
In your case I would install a printserver and connect it via USB to your printer (PC/Slicer -> printserver -> printer). At the moment the Raspberries are relatively cheap (3B+ or 4/4GB).

RE: Direct printer connection?

Ah, Sorted it....ish

I use Repetier Host as the main program to control everything. In that I can just configure the Slicer prusa edition option to point at the newer version. It then picks up all of the slicer settings from Prusaslicer and allows me to work as normal. If need to I can force open Prusaslicer with a click to make any changes to be used back in Repetier.

It doesn't allow me to directly use the more fancy things like variable layer heights or split things in to parts so I will need to come over and just export the gcode for now but at least the settings and the main slicer code can now be parsed to.

It'll do until I get fed up with it and go to octoprint.

TTFN.

-= Zarni =-