Many of the fancier 3D printers now run their own internal web server that you can log into from any browser on your LAN. This usually lets you control the printer, use its internal camera, if any, and pretty much manage your printer without having to stand around in vaporized plastic fumes.
But, what if you don't have a printer that comes with this feature built in? That's when you want to use OctoPrint . It's an open-source, browser-based interface to monitor and control your 3D printer. However, OctoPrint needs something to run on, but the good news is that, thanks to the OctoPi image, OctorPrint can run on a Raspberry Pi. Making this a $35 (or less) upgrade for a huge number of printers out there.
What a Raspberry Pi and OctoPrint setup actually does
It's the brains of the operation
Sydney Louw Butler / How-To Geek
At its core, pairing a Raspberry Pi with OctoPrint turns your "dumb" 3D printer into a remotely accessible, fully monitored system.
OctoPrint is a web server that communicates with your printer via USB. It gives you a web interface that comes standard with printers like my Elegoo Centauri Carbon and Creality K1 Max .
Using OctoPrint, you can log in and use any browser to:
-
Start, pause, and stop prints remotely
-
Upload and manage G-code files without touching an SD card
-
Monitor print progress in real time
-
Adjust temperatures, speeds, and settings on the fly
-
Get alerts if something goes wrong
Add a cheap USB camera, and you now have a live video feed of your print from anywhere.
What you need to get started (and why it's cheap)
The list is short
The beauty of OctoPrint is that it doesn't take much of an investment to get up and running. The software itself is free, but of course, donations help it stay afloat.
At the very least, you should aim for a Raspberry Pi 3B or 3B+, which means you don't actually need to spend the $35 for the latest model. You can buy older Pis for less, or maybe even pick one up for free. If you already have a Raspberry P you're not using, that's even better.
To be clear, you don't need to use a Pi at all, it's just one of the most popular solutions for OctoPrint. Any computer will do, so if you have an old laptop, a mini PC, or an old desktop you no longer use, then it might be the perfect printer controller.
In addition to the Pi, you'll need a 16GB SD card or larger, a USB cable to connect to the printer, and a power supply for the Pi. Optionally, you can also attach a USB webcam. Some printers have USB ports that allow you to plug a camera into the printer itself.
You also need a printer that's compatible with OctoPrint, but luckily there's a printer compatibility list you can consult.
You can use one Pi with multiple printers (with some terminal magic)
It's crude, but it works
Despite being called "OctoPrint," a single instance can only monitor and manage one printer at a time. So does that mean you need to buy a Raspberry Pi for every one of your printers? No! It turns out the community has this figured out.
The trick is to run multiple instances of OctoPrint on a single Raspberry Pi (or whatever other computer you use) and the below guide by Chris Ryley covers the whole thing step-by-step.
Yes, you're going to spend a little time in the Linux Terminal, but in the end, every one of your printers will be controllable from a web browser. If you add another printer, you just need to add another instance. The above method uses the popular OctoPrint Deploy script, but there are other methods, such as using Docker .
OctoPrint goes a long way to taking the frustration of wasted printing time or filament out of 3D printing. Best of all, you can access OctoPrint from outside your LAN using a remote access plugin . So now you can manage that print farm no matter where you are.
