Printing GCode (from a slicer)
Last updated
Last updated
If you're comfortable with slicer software like Cura, 3dPrinterOS can easily print your existing GCode files (assuming they're sliced for one of our printers). If you're not comfortable slicing using Cura or another slicer, please see Printing STL files with CloudSlicer for information on using 3dPrinterOS's built-in slicer.
First, log in to cloud.3dPrinterOS.com. If you don't have an account yet, see Signing up for 3dPrinterOS.
Click on the (1) "Files" link on the top navigation bar and then click the (2) "Add files" button.
Click the "select from computer" button, or drag and drop your file onto the browser window.
After uploading, the file will show up at the top of the list on the "Files" screen. There will be a percentage indicator to the left of the filename showing that 3dPrinterOS is processing the file.
When the file is done processing, you will see a "Select printer type" drop-down menu to the right of the file name. Select the printer type that you sliced this file for from the list and then click "Save". Note that you must select the same printer type that you sliced for (that your GCode is for). All this field does is tell 3dPrinterOS what type of printer this GCode works with.
IMPORTANT: You MUST be at the space when starting a print. When failures happen it's usually within the first few layers of the print, and a failed print left running can cause serious damage to the printer. If something goes wrong with your print, please cancel it ASAP. Once you've selected the printer type that your GCode is for, a "Print" button will appear to the right. Take note of the estimated print time shown near the middle of the row; in this example the part will take approximately 9 hours and 43 minutes to print. When you're ready, click the "Print" button.
After clicking the "Print" button, you'll be asked to select which printer to print on. Printers that show a green icon with a check mark in it (leftender in this example) are ready to print on. Printers that show a striped icon are currently running another print, and yours will be queued up to print next. This list will only show printers of the type that you selected when slicing; currently all of our printers are different types except leftender and rightender, which are both Ender 3's. Select the round box to the right of the printer that you want to print on and then click "Print".
At this point, your print will be sent to the printer and started. You'll see a print status screen like the one below (the webcam image can take a minute or so to load). This screen will let you monitor the progress of your print job from anywhere with an Internet connection.
You can check on the status of a running print (from anywhere with an Internet connection) by logging in to cloud.3dprinteros.com and clicking on the "Printers" tab, finding the printer that your job is running on, and then clicking on the job itself: This will bring up the print status dialog (the same one that came up when you started the print) where you can view the remaining time on the print, the live webcam from the printer, and cancel your print if something goes wrong. After the print is finished, you can also use the "Timelapse" tab to view a time-lapse video of the print. This is very helpful when troubleshooting print issues.
