Printing STL files with CloudSlicer

3dPrinterOS includes a built-in cloud-based slicer ("Slicer 5", based on Cura Engine) in their web application, so there's no need to slice your model in a separate slicer (such as Cura).

Note: Previous slicing issues (especially poor raft generation) have been resolved by switching from their Cloud Slicer to their Slicer5.

First, log in to cloud.3dPrinterOS.com. If you don't have an account yet, see Signing up for 3dPrinterOS.

1. Click on the (1) "Files" link on the top navigation bar and then click the (2) "Add files" button.

2. Click the "select from computer" button, or drag and drop your file onto the browser window.

3. After uploading, the file will show up at the top of the list on the "Files" screen. Assuming you uploaded a model (generally a STL file), you will see a "Slice" button to the right of the file you uploaded. Click that button. (If you uploaded a GCode file instead, see Printing GCode (from a slicer)).

4. Now we'll use the Cloud Slicer to prepare our model for printing. There are four important selections on this screen: the Printer Type (1), Slicing Profile (2), Infill amount (3), and adhesion and support (4).

   1. The "Printer Type" field will show a list of possible printer types. Select the type of printer that you want to slice for from the top of the dropdown list under "My Printers".

   2. The "Slicing Profile" field will show a selection of profiles that we've defined for our printers. These profiles provide initial settings that we've found to work well for our printers. The profile names should make clear what the main differences are.

   3. The "Infill" field (3) determines what percentage of the interior spaces of the parts have filament. Larger numbers produce stronger parts (and use more filament) but take longer to print. Smaller numbers use less filament (and are weaker) but print faster.

   4. The "Platf. Adhesion" (platform adhesion) field determines what adhesion methods will be used, if any. "Brim" prints a thin layer around the entire part to help reduce warping. "Raft" prints the entire part on top of a thin flat piece.

   5. When you finish your slicer settings, click the "Slice" button at the bottom right.

5. Once you click "Slice", you'll be sent back to your "Files" page and see a GCode file being created for your model. There should be a progress percent indicator to the left of the filename; in this example, it's 59% done.

6. 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 the slicing is complete, you'll see a "Print" button for the finished GCode. 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.

7. 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".

8. 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.

Checking Status of a Running Print

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.