If you already own a 3D printer, then you should have heard of OctoPrint in the 3D printing community. It makes your 3D printing work easier and more convenient.
This guide will walk you through the setup process step by step, providing some useful tips along the way.
OctoPrint is open-source software that adds Wi-Fi functionality to 3D printers with USB interfaces.
In simple terms, you can drag and drop local files onto the printer via a web browser to start or stop printing, monitor the printer with live video, control motors, manage temperature, and more.
Of course, powerful features also come with risks. The temperature at which a 3D printer operates can be high enough to cause fires, so ensure you have a safe setup and do not let it run unattended.
OctoPrint Hardware Requirements
• Raspberry Pi 3 (or higher)
• MicroSD card
• Raspberry Pi power adapter
• USB cable (connector type depends on your printer)
• Webcam / Raspberry Pi camera module (optional)
• 3D printed camera mount (optional)
Before starting, it is emphasized that using a version lower than Raspberry Pi 3 is not recommended for this project. Trying this software on Pi Zero or older Raspberry Pi models may result in unexpected print failures.
Download OctoPrint
Address: https://octoprint.org/download/
As of the publication of this article, the latest version should be 0.17.0.
OctoPrint is almost a branch of Raspbian, so the installation process is the same as Raspbian, and will not be elaborated here.
Setting Up Wi-Fi Network
After flashing the system, go to the boot directory of the SD card and edit the octopi-wpa-supplicant.txt file.
network={
ssid=”<your network name>”
psk=”<your password>”
}
After making the changes, insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi and power it on.
Log in to Octopi
Visit octopi.local in your browser, and if everything goes smoothly, you should see the web interface.
If you do not see the OctoPrint startup screen? Don’t worry, you are not the first. Common issues include: double-checking if the Wi-Fi details in the octopi-wpa-supplicant.txt file were entered correctly, connecting the Raspberry Pi to a display to observe what happens.
This page has detailed troubleshooting suggestions:
https://community.octoprint.org/t/wifi-setup-and-troubleshooting/184
Start OctoPrint Printing
Now, we can set up OctoPrint for the printer using the wizard. Most steps are straightforward—setting a password, registering, sending anonymous usage statistics, etc.
We recommend enabling connection checks and plugin blacklists to help maintain stability. If you plan to use OctoPrint as a slicer and monitoring tool, you can import Cura configuration files in this step. However, we suggest skipping this step as slicing on your own computer is faster.
Finally, we need to enter the printer details. In the above image, we set it up using specifications of the Creality Ender-3 as an example. If you cannot find the exact information for your printer, you can quickly search for what you need online.
OctoPrint with Camera is Better
Now that you have set up OctoPrint, you can start printing. Connect the Raspberry Pi to the 3D printer with a USB data cable. Open OctoPrint in your browser and click the “Connect” button to start the Wi-Fi-enabled printer. Once connected successfully, you can set the “hot end” and “bed temperature,” and then observe the live readings updating.
In the “Control” tab, we can see the video stream (if using a camera) and motor control, as well as commands for positioning the axes.
There is a G-code file viewer to view the cross-section of the currently loaded model, and a terminal to send custom G-code commands to the printer. The last tab is for setting delays, with plugins available to assist with this process.
Undoubtedly, the simplest way to monitor the print images via video is to use the official Raspberry Pi camera module. There are dozens of great Raspberry Pi camera module mounts on Thingiverse that allow you to get the best angle while printing models. There are also some great Raspberry Pi cases themed around OctoPrint that can house your new printer brain.
While it does not have official support from OctoPrint, if you have a USB webcam on hand or just want some high-quality video streaming, you can use it. The OctoPrint wiki has a crowdsourced list of known working webcams, along with a link providing additional steps required for the webcam to function properly.
Address:
https://github.com/foosel/OctoPrint/wiki/Webcams-known-to-work
In summary, the operations after the setup are basically three steps:
1. Export G-code files with slicing software,
2. Upload G-code in the OctoPrint web interface,
3. Click Print to start printing.
You will see file/print details, including how long the print object will take… Before starting, please check the G-code Viewer tab on the right. You can not only scroll through the various layers of the object but also use the slider at the bottom to view the precise pattern the 3D printer uses to “draw” each layer. Now click “Print” and watch your printer in action.
OctoPrint has a large number of plugins created by the community, such as my favorite Octolapse, which can create stunning time-lapse effects.
This plugin modifies the G-code of the printed object so that after each layer is printed, the extruder moves away from the printed object, allowing the camera to capture the model unobstructed. The result looks like a magically appearing object.
Source: RaspberryPi.org
Translator: Wang Wenwen