Realtime G-code viewer

Bambu Lab Software Feature Requests
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I am reviving an old topic in a different category: Real-time G-code Monitoring During Printing: Is it Possible?

I just moved from a Creality printer with Octoprint to the Bambu Lab environment. And one feature that is default on Octoprint that I really miss is the ability to see the G-code of the current layer in realtime as it is being printed.

I would love it if this feature could be added!

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That’s an excellent suggestion indeed, and I wish we had it too. However, here’s why this idea will likely never see the light of day at Bambu Labs:

  1. Profit-Driven Focus
    Bambu has made it abundantly clear where their priorities lie. Their heavy investment in Makerworld, combined with their neglect of significant updates to Bambu Studio, shows that their focus is on maximizing profits. If a feature isn’t tied to selling more hardware or filament, it’s simply not going to happen.
  2. Abandoning DIY Enthusiasts
    This idea appeals to dedicated DIY’ers—the same group Bambu has chosen to ignore. Their product direction, especially with the A1, is laser-focused on non-technical users who want plug-and-play convenience. Bambu has clearly decided that the DIY crowd isn’t worth their attention.
  3. Zero Engagement with the Community
    Let’s face it: Bambu doesn’t read these forums. No matter how great the idea or how much support it gets, there’s no evidence that anyone from Bambu’s team is paying attention or cares to incorporate community feedback into their roadmap.

You might find a more receptive audience for this enhancement by visiting the OrcaSlicer GitHub page and submitting your suggestion there. The OrcaSlicer development community consists of fellow DIY enthusiasts who are genuinely passionate about 3D printing technology. They’ve reintroduced features that Bambu Labs had previously removed after incorporating code from PrusaSlicer and Cura.

For instance, features like scarf joints, organic supports, and improved overhang handling were reintroduced by OrcaSlicer. Bambu Labs later acknowledged OrcaSlicer’s contributions when they incorporated some of these features back into Bambu Studio. But there are too many other features to mention that Bambu continues to ignore.

If the feature you’re suggesting already exists in slicers like PrusaSlicer or Cura, there’s a good chance the OrcaSlicer team is either aware of it or actively working on integrating it. Engaging with them directly could expedite the process and bring valuable enhancements to the community.

Here’s the link to make that suggestion.

Although the link says “issues” it’s really a catchall location to aggregate all feedback. When you post your issue, make sure you click on the “feature request/enhancement” button. It looks like this:

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I do not think either Studio or OrcaSlicer can add this type of feedback without firmware changes for all the Bambu printers. The G-code file is not streamed from the slicer line-by-line, it is sent complete and then interpreted by the printer.

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I understand that it isn’t streamed from the slicer to the printer. But I guess it would be possible for the slicer to read the g-code as it is being printed from the printer in realtime and make a visual graph out of that?

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In theory, yes. But as far as I know, there is no way to “read the g-code as it is being printed”. So making that information available would require Bambu to change the closed source firmware.

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Automated layer by layer ?

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They (Bambu) do read the forums. Bambu engineers will occasionally ask for logs if you post some weird problem with the printer.

Bambu does supports the maker community. They do not support the printer modification community. But they do allow 3rd party firmware, which might be your best option to see live gcode.

EDIT By the way there are features of both programs (Bambu and Orca) that are exclusive, for example Orca doesn’t support changing AMS configuration in mid-print (or at least it did not in November 2024 when I last checked). I run Linux and Orca crashes a lot there, one very common place is when you use Orca to print from the SD Card cache. That is not to say one program is better than the other - they are both good slicers.

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There is little evidence to support this notion.

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Every company reads its own forums that it pays to host and moderate with its own cash. I am sure you realise this on an intellectual level, but are just having a hard time vocalising it.

Some bambu people are even active in the community.

However, they are not required to reply to messages.

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As stated previously. There is little proof of that notion.