Feature Request: Please allow us to hide the total estimation

Bambu Lab Software
,
1

So sometimes I get custom orders, and because 3D printing has limits and clients don’t understand this or because I just want to make sure I’m giving them what they want. I sometimes need to show them the preview page to show what the software thinks is the final result.

Showing the “Color Scheme” helps because the client often will think the colors is the final colors I’m aiming for if the key isn’t included. The problem is, showing this key also shows information I don’t want getting out like how long it takes to make the product or the estimated cost. Like there is no way to hide the “Total Estimate”. And with this showing, some clients will argue for x to be cheaper, to get it faster, etc. And I have to explain that is filament cost, I might have to edit things or reprint something if something doesn’t work out, etc.

Please let us hide the total estimate part without also hiding the entire color scheme

2

Are you referring to this page?

image
image567×655 66.2 KB

Are you saying your customer is seeing the actual slicer live or are you sending a screen grab? I’m having trouble conceptualizing your ask.

I’m assuming you already know that there are other choices that change what is displayed via the drop-down box. Perhaps one of these will conceal what you don’t want to show.

image
image501×400 27.4 KB

Or for that matter, conceal all of the display by clicking the conceal arrows.

Before

image
image710×635 21.5 KB

After

image
image548×152 6.16 KB

3

I don’t understand what you want to said when you’re talking about the key. What key?

4

A screen shot. So for example, if someone on Etsy wants me to make a custom part for them. Depending on how complex it is or if the preview shows some problem areas. I might take a few screenshots to see if they are OK with it or if I need to work on it a bit more.

As far as the other selections. The problem with most of them like “filament” is if you have any engravings on it. The walls don’t show up that well because it’s basically the same color as everything else assuming it is. Where the line type, it shows off the walls pretty well so it makes it easier for everyone to see what is going on.

5

Can you provide an example of your typical customer screen grab as well as a description of how your performing the snip? What platform are you employing the slicer on?

6

image
image1417×415 167 KB

The good thing about it is if you do any engraving or anything complex with a single color. The walls are a different color than the rest. So it’s easier for the client and me to see what is going on. The key basically indicates what is what and it prevents a lot of questions. The problem is there is no way to hide the total estimation under “line type”.

7

Not to my knowledge unless you get dig into the code. Silly question, why not just blank/blur out that section? Put a nice company logo over top of it before the screen shot?

8

Ah ok I get it now. You could take a screenshot of the list. Collapse the colour scheme and display the screenshot instead when your showing the project to your client.

9

Unless the entire “Time” column is hidden this doesn’t save you much. They can just add it up and see the number (minus the Prepare time).

Unless you are talking about collapsing the whole panel, which would probably be best.

10

But if you need to change the colour scheme type during the stream that might be an issue. If you have a dual screen setup you could extend the window on the second screen so you would be able ‘hide’ the colour scheme panel if you only sharing the first screen with the client.

11

Or just get sneaky with the cropping.

image
image942×740 217 KB

12

How are you performing the screen snips?

13

Or you just modify your filament settings and re-slice prior to showing the screen, set price at $2000 a roll and change volumetric speed to its minimum of 0.5 :wink:

14

Do a partial screenshot to capture a portion of the screen like the attached photo. On mac, it’s Shift-Command-4.
Screen Shot 2024-05-16 at 7.21.17 PM

It’s unlikely that Bambu Studio will change things for such an uncommon need.

15

It isn’t that I can’t. It is I’m asking for the ability to hide this info. Anyone who has done any coding should know how simple a request like this is.

It’s a quality of life thing, but an easy one to add

16

That’s it right there. If you’re in business, you should certainly know your costs–And it’s not just filament. Build it into the filament cost as @philch suggests. I think you’d be shocked at what it cost you to actually print a product. Your time, machine time, supplies, assembling, shipping, hired help, etc. If you don’t know what it costs, you’ll go out of business.

18

I counter that the software is open source so it should be easy for anyone who as done any coding to modify it.

19

Its a reasonable ask, to hide totals etcand I think it should be user selectable but a low priority feature request.

Anyone can esitmate, get a free slicer, download a similar model and question your costs thou even without that view shown…

I dont run a business, but like anyone with a 3D pritner get asked to do things. I googled and found various “quoting” spreadsheets online that create a quote for youy, itemises filament ,time. prepare, parts and labout (liike fasteners), printer wear and tear and markup margin, your not doing this just to break even after all.

It has a customer details section and model section in print hours and filament grams etc etc. It also has a box that I added to do the screen grab showing the slcer view, with the totals but not the cost bit.

I then openly show my costs via the itemised quote process, discounts for bulk, increased costs for custom designs etc etc and they agree and signoff. OR they dont. Its non-negotiable because I have laid it all out.

I found a slicer screengrab just isnt good enough in the end, and was sick of explaining, just like you are, its not just filament costs - so the quoting sheet does it all for me now. Yes, its a a bit more time cosuming intiially setting up all my rates, electricity ccosts, pritner costs, filament costs, but once setup with ALL your costs, its just customer name, model details like print hours and filament , copied in from slicer.

Picture says 1000 words…
This is a “basic” example but all i did here was name it - punch in print filament grams and hours

image
image1598×815 152 KB

  • added the slicer totals ffor your comparsion, thats nor normally there

  • print run costs are $1/hr . Its actually about 0.75c per hour ,but this also gives me a re-print buffer.

  • various other small margin factored in

  • After all that, its still only about $20? profit ffor printer being tied up for 33+hours. In this case, I would NOT take the job , its simpy not worth it.

  • In 33hrs I could print at least 8 trays of 25 small animal flexibles each, 200 felixibles, selling for $5 each and costing about 0.60 ccents each to prit. - call it $4 profit per, x 200 - $800 profit vs $50 …

  • Shipping is caculated separately and individally for me, as I dont use ETSY or anything Its manual for me, so different evertim, I dont have a shopfront or regular online sales etc.

^^ is why I run a full quote … to get a clear picture. I might print the AWP but its going to cost them a LOT more than $200 :stuck_out_tongue:

This is NOT my spreadsheet, it was a template I found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0FN0TVK6BI
Sources - Based of CNC kitchens original work. revised by CrossLink

20

Serious question here. What is your problem with this feature request?

I am not putting down BL for not having this. I’m not even saying this is an important thing to get done now. I am just saying, this would be a nice quality of life feature. What is wrong with that?

21

but a low priority feature request.

Agreed

**

As far as the rest. I think you are missing the point. It isn’t to justify x, y, z cost.

It’s just a small quality of life update. Like currently I have to spend a few seconds extra each time to deal with this problem where it would be nice if there was a simple way to hide the total cost and time.

BTW any product or service is worth whatever someone is OK with paying and if you get enough orders in a time period you are happy with. Like some products of mine it cost less than 50 cents to make and half an hour, and I sell them for $20 each + shipping. The design time was maybe an hour at best, marketing virtually doesn’t exist, and interfacing with customers is mostly letting them know their order is on the way.
A lot of these “business” programs would easily say I should’ve been charging $5 + shipping. But at $5 each, I make less money because people now have to justify it’s worth vs shipping which can be more or the same.

Like those programs are good if you are getting started and really don’t know what you are doing. But they should be treated as a thing to point you in the right direction than something to live off of.