BotQueue.com - Control Your RepRap via the Web

I recently released the latest version of BotQueue.com and with this release, I finally feel like BotQueue is ready for daily use by non developers. If you haven't heard of it, BotQueue is a fully open source (GPL, client+server) web-based control center for running 3D Printers, CNC machines, and eventually all sorts of digital fabrication machines. Right now it works great with RepRap machines, and specifically firmwares such as Marlin, Teacup, etc.

BotQueue allows you to control one or a hundred machines through a single web interface. Each machine is controlled by the client software, BumbleBee, which is a python program that runs on your Mac, Linux, or Raspberry Pi computer. This client grabs jobs and commands from the BotQueue.com website and then controls your bot over USB. Since all the configuration happens on the website, the client software can also download and automatically slice jobs using Slic3r before running them.

The site itself is setup around the idea of Queues - with Bots assigned to each Queue. When a bot starts up, it grabs a job from the queue and processes it. Each bot can have its own individual config file for slicing, so you don't even need to worry about gcode or slicing with the correct profile anymore. Simple set each bots config and upload STLs! If you have multiple bots, you can simply throw jobs into the queue and the next available bot will grab the job.

There are lots of features I'd like to implement such as webcam support, better realtime control, and all sorts of other awesomeness. If you're interested in contributing or using BotQueue come on over - I'd love to have you and make this the best software in the world for doing small scale digital fabrication - from single parts to small batch runs of thousands.

Hi Zach,

sounds really interesting! - will try to test this with CNC-milling and laser-cutting in May ... maybe others will have some related experiences/results too until then ...

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

Glad you like it. At the core, its basically a serial driver based on Pronterfaces driver that uses GCode over serial. For my CNC milling stuff, I'm just uploading gcode to the site and then it runs that. For 3D printing stuff, I upload an STL which gets automatically slic3d and then the gcode is run through the same driver. If your lasercutter takes GCode over serial it should be no problem. Of course its driver based, so its expandable to different machines.

Additionally, if you have an automated way to go from source file to gcode/toolpath then it should be pretty trivial to add automated processing for that particular type of job. If you have any problems or questions, just let me know!