RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Are there any other conversations going anywhere on this topic? Do the Octoprint developers know?
No, "they" do not. Let me tell you about the reality of developing OctoPrint.
There's at this point what could be considered hundreds if not even thousands of firmware variants out there. Vendors randomly break things left and right. But do they tell me or anyone else? Of course not! We usually discover that something is broken because some affected users show up in our forums, Discord or bug tracker and tell us that something is not working like it should. If we are lucky, they do so in a nice tone and collaborate with us to figure out WHAT exactly is broken and if there's an easy way to work around it on OctoPrint's side (preferably through a plugin because every single workaround that makes its way into core now has to be maintained there for all eternity). Sadly all to often however, we rather see entitled passive aggressive stuff like also visible here, where people treat us like we owe them our time and resources to make THEIR specific workflow work for them, for free.
It is not my job to keep OctoPrint compatible to Prusa Research's Marlin derivatives just as it is not my job to keep OctoPrint compatible to any other printer vendor's firmware derivatives. We have an established communication protocol for the serial interface between hosts and printers. THAT is what I have to be compatible to, everything else I do my best to find the greatest common divisor for, so that implementing one feature for one derivative doesn't break stuff for everyone else. And if one vendor decides to go out of their way to do things differently, well, that is their decision. Protocol extensions are of course always an option, but that's something that needs to be documented and also needs to be discussed so it doesn't break stuff for everyone else.
So, to sum things up here - no, as always there has not been any kind of communication here (just as there wasn't any for other developments in the past that then cost me an arm and leg in user support overhead). That is not my decision, that is Prusa Research's decision. My job is to keep OctoPrint working and keep improving it for hundreds of thousands of users out there, and only a fraction of those have a MK4 or another Prusa printer to begin with. Things work flawlessly for people who do not have a MK4, so whatever the issue is here, it very much sounds like it's a firmware issue specific to the MK4 firmware flavour. As always, I'm happy to assist the firmware devs in figuring out what's wrong if I get tagged in a public ticket somewhere (THAT is something I consider part of my job, within sensible limits), and if something more in depth is needed I'm also open to contracting work upon request, but that's all I can offer given my responsibilities towards ALL of OctoPrint's user base here.
Creator & Maintainer of OctoPrint
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
It's easy to go into the weeds on specific plug-ins with this discussion, but I think the main frustration for Prusa customers is that we HAD a stable, fast, robust solution with Octoprint and the MK3 (as well as Mini), and now Prusa has broken that workflow with the MK4.
Adding insult to injury, Prusa have stated multiple times that they are prioritizing their own--undeniably inferior--solution (Prusa Connect and Link) over fixing support for Octoprint. And it's not like Octoprint is some obscure workflow that a tiny segment of their customers use -- it's a significant amount of their customers who rely on Octoprint for daily use.
RE:
Are there any other conversations going anywhere on this topic? Do the Octoprint developers know?
No, "they" do not. Let me tell you about the reality of developing OctoPrint.
Thank you for chiming in. I fully understand your point of view and consider it reasonable and generous. As I said before I love Octoprint, enough that I'll be looking hard at cancelling it, or if it's shipped already letting my Mk4 go if nothing is done on this end to fix it.
Not to take this off in a tangent, do you know if Octoprint is working with the other currently popular printers? Voron, or any of the Bambu's?
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
For what it's worth some of these posts are old. I'm running my MK4 and Octoprint on an RPi4. Only thing I'm not able to do is change Live Z on the fly (at the knob). Everything else seems fine to me for what I do. And that includes loading files fast!
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Voron, or any of the Bambu's?
Voron has worked with OctoPrint since early on and is still in the install instructions, so the answer to that is yes. I also know of an active plugin developer working on a better integration that uses built-in connections of klipper for improved performance over virtual serial communication.
I recently received a Bambu X1C and have been looking into the possibility of integration, but it's workflow and closed proprietary firmware have made integration difficult. At best we'll be able to monitor temperature and upload files through OctoPrint emulating an SD card and pause/resume/cancel. The in-built camera of Bambu isn't accessible in local only mode and must use cloud services to work, but there is a large feature request to change that with lots of traction.
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
After loosing a print due to filament runout, I just tested the following things:
- Cut filament mid print (filament runout): Printer ignored it and just run out of filament resulting in failed print
- Trigger filament change (on the printer) during print: Seemt to work at first, but the hotend tore up the print which then stuck itself to the hotend in the end. I had this on two of two prints.
- Print a object with a color change (M600): Seemed to work twice. Waited five minutes to change the filament on the second object.
I used all current versions:
- Octoprint version 1.9.1
- PrusaMK4 firmware 4.7.0
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
I connected my RPi to the MK4 via the USB-C connector, and Octoprint "sees" the printer. When I try to print from Octoprint, it clearly connects to the printer because the printer heat bed turns on, but then my UPS alarms and shuts off the power.
Leon - Did you have to do anything that I am missing? My versions are current on the Octoprint and the MK4 firmware.
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
How many VACs is your UPS? Perhaps faulty battery?
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
I'm using firmware 5.0 alpha 3 and have no problems connecting (via usb C) with octoprint or with Prusa link
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
The problem as I understand it is not “connecting” but having it communicate like it was with the MK3. Including status and filament out comms, and plug-in cons like “cancel object”.
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
The UPS is 400 VA. It resets fine if I do not attempt to use Octoprint to control MK4. However, I am using 4.7 firmware. Should I be going to the alpha series?
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
That's the strangest thing I've heard recently. OctoPrint, barring the UPS plugin, in no way effects a UPS.
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Just ran a test - the octoprint cancel object worked fine as did change filament.. Prusalink is on and connected and prusaconnect is enabled. default connection is ethernet
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Yeah, I think only if the WiFi module is enabled to connect to PrusaConnect the connection from OctoPrint is blocked. My assumption is that it uses serial for that module to work.
RE:
Just ran a test - the octoprint cancel object worked fine as did change filament.. Prusalink is on and connected and prusaconnect is enabled. default connection is ethernet
That’s contrary to other’s here described experience. But good news if it was fixed. I don’t have mine yet (shipping is late) so I can’t test. You are in alpha firmware?
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Tried running out of filament - not detected
firmware 5.0 Alpha 3
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
Honestly, the only thing I did was backup my MK3 Octoprint settings in the Octoprint backup tool. Then when I connected the new RPi4 I restored it... and then changed made sure the X, Y, and Z build plate limits matched the MK 4. Boom... I was in business. My UPS runs fine... no beeps. But I don't connect it via USB to the pi.
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
I tried a print with a change in colour in the middle of the print - worked fine - alpha 5.0 (usually running the input shaper settings)
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
If you don’t use USB how do you connect your Pi to the MK4?
RE: Prusa MK4 & Octoprint
I am using USB to connect, but in the mk4 settings prusalink and Průša connect are enabled and Ethernet is connected. I can switch between controlling the mk4 with prusalink or octoprint without changing any settings or connections.