Printing from an Ipad?

Does anyone know of any APPs or anything that would let me print from an Ipad or a tablet?

Android tablet: yes
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=reprap&c=apps

Ipad: argh!
Maybe there's a serial monitor in the app-store, but you have to send the gcode manual over bluetooth (start sd-print, not the whole code).


The best solution would be octoprint: [octoprint.org]. Octoprint let's you control your printer from every device with an internet browser.

vincent.

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The risk with printing from a tablet (or phone) is that the gizmo may or may not be able to keep up with your printer. There are a lot of variables (which printer, set to go how fast, how complex a print, what settings on the gizmo, what else running on the gizmo, gizmo connected how, printer connected how). If you have problems they may be very hard to track down and identify as speed related. There are enough things that more or less randomly go wrong with these printers that finding rare things is tough.

That's wrong for octoprint.

If you start a print, the g-code will be saved on the internal sd-card (over wifi) and started from there. You could shutdown your device during the print. It doesnt matter.

To answer the question in your other Thread: with octoprint you could control as many printers as you want to, from every webbrowser all over the world. Octoprint can also stream a live video from webcam.

vincent.

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[the-sparklab.de]
OS, 3D Drucker, CNC,...
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Well, I'm not the OP, but to me, loading an SD card is not the same as printing. I can load an SD and stick it in the slot without much bother in a number of ways. If I have an SD and LCD then they are what's doing the printing rather than the tablet, phone, computer, or what ever.

if you would spend a few minutes in research, you could see the advantages. Rather than arguing about one of the best host-systems.
Ah, i get it - thats the way to earn 1248 posts in 2 months. just kidding.

Disadvantages of LCD:

- need LCD
- limited space, limited characters, limited performance
- ugly, userunfriendly gui
- no gcode view
- need to run with sd-card from pc to printer to pc to printer to pc instead of upload it in highspeed per wifi
- no control from all over the world
- no live stream per webcam (check everything from the livingroom eg.)
- ....
- ....
- ....

In my opinion the thread is closed, kfootball asked for a tablet solution.

vincent.

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[the-sparklab.de]
OS, 3D Drucker, CNC,...
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Well since you obviously are wide open to other suggestions and have completely gone into all of them, I guess we might as well decide to close the thread without any further input from the OP....

I am just trying to consider my options. A cheap tablet might be fun to use to control and keep tabs on my prints, but if people have tried and had problems it might not be worth the all the trouble.

Octoprint sounds very interesting. I want to be able to print simultaneously on several Prusa Mendel i2's, it sounds like Octoprint would be my solution!

I am not completely clear on how I would incorporate an SD card into that sort of workflow though (I really don't know much at all about SD cards). Would I purchase some kind of reader for the card, load the gcode onto the card, and transfer the card to the printer in some way?

Quote
Would I purchase some kind of reader for the card, load the gcode onto the card, and transfer the card to the printer in some way?

The sd-card is part of the rasberry pi and you dont have to touch it.

A possible workflow:

1. put your g-code on your phone/tablet (eg. dropbox)
2. every printer create an own local website, where you can admit it
3. enter the printer specific url in the browser of your device
4. load g-code, start print, watch webcam maybe

The creation of the g-code has to be done on the pc, there no slicer available for android/ios

vincent.

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[the-sparklab.de]
OS, 3D Drucker, CNC,...
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Quote
vinmicgra

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Would I purchase some kind of reader for the card, load the gcode onto the card, and transfer the card to the printer in some way?

The sd-card is part of the rasberry pi and you dont have to touch it.

A possible workflow:

1. put your g-code on your phone/tablet (eg. dropbox)
2. every printer create an own local website, where you can admit it
3. enter the printer specific url in the browser of your device
4. load g-code, start print, watch webcam maybe

The creation of the g-code has to be done on the pc, there no slicer available for android/ios

vincent.

I see. So I would need a base PC with slicer to create the gcode for the models, then I could wirelessly send the gcodes of each of my prints to their own printers and from there I could print them pretty easily?

Yes, your "tablet way" is a good one, if you have to print the same file multiple times. If you change your 3d model during every print, it would be the best to access octoprint directly from your slice pc.

vincent.

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[the-sparklab.de]
OS, 3D Drucker, CNC,...
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Quote
vinmicgra
Yes, your "tablet way" is a good one, if you have to print the same file multiple times. If you change your 3d model during every print, it would be the best to access octoprint directly from your slice pc.

vincent.

Well i would want each printer to print a different model. Is this doable

Nevermind I see. Thank for your help!