I’ve got a P1S and two A1 Minis, and I absolutely love them. But can we PLEASE get a scheduled or delayed print start feature?
Sometimes I’ll slice a print before bed and want it to start at like 1:00 AM… but instead it immediately starts doing its startup routine while I’m trying to fall asleep.
When you’ve got multiple printers, it’d be amazing to queue jobs and have them start automatically at a specific time. Being able to choose a scheduled start time in Bambu Studio or the Handy app would be such a huge quality-of-life upgrade.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants overnight prints without being awake for launch sequence
So maybe start it a little earlier before bedtime? I never hear my mini. You can turn off vibration compensation and just let it go. Not sure how light a sleeper you are.
If you’re using a PC, no problem - all you need is a program that performs a click (there are countless ones available). Admittedly, this isn’t the ideal solution, but it solves your problem.
Other solutions exist, such as smart home control, but all you really need is software that clicks for you.
Just search for “auto clicker” or “auto clicker schedule”
Alternatively, I think this program can do it too:
In particular, beginners should not leave the printer unattended, especially during the first layer. I’m not telling you anything new, but I thought I’d mention it for context.
Experienced users, on the other hand, are aware of the risks and know how to prepare the printer. They can use the available tools and software at their own risk and judge the situation for themselves.
I think Bambu doesn’t want new user to start printing unattended on their unwashed, greasy print plates in the middle of the night unattended.
Since we know that some people put their printers on the floor on carpet in their bedrooms, I can well imagine that this is not Bambu’s top priority to start the print in the middle of the night.
Especially with devices like the A1. My buddy got too close once and ended up with a bump on his head. Mechanical movement should not be underestimated either.
This won’t be the reason, as printing remotely using Handy is available for everyone.
I think it is more of a priority thing, i.e. how many people need this feature and the fact that there are workarounds using non-Bambu tools. There is also the question of where this feature should be implemented. This more likely pushes into the Farm Manager direction, instead of on Bambu Lab Studio, because one will also be dealing with queuing. But if enough people ask for this, it can change.
Don’t take my contribution too seriously, take it with a laugh and a pinch of salt.
However, I imagine that this topic is generally causing Bambu headaches. On the one hand, they want to appeal to families, children and people with no experience of 3D printing. On the other hand, they also want to attract professionals.
Every manual says that you should not leave the printer unattended. On the other hand, we have entire print farms that run automatically. The question is not whether Bambu can do it, but whether it fits in with their mainstream approach. And I believe the answer at the moment is: No
Exactly, I agree with you 100%, that would be more of a possibility.
I think it is. BL has specifially promoted their One-Step printing, the ability to use Handy along with the print profile on MW. The first layer check on the X1C and the comprehensive preflight checks on the H series are meant for the mainstream, including experienced users.
I don’t use the Handy, but ever since I have had my X1C, I no longer check/look at the first layer even though there is live view on Bambu Studio and the printers are only a short walk away in another room. There were a couple of times when the first layer didn’t stick (one time due to my operational error), but it has been rare enough that I can trust my X1Cs to detect and pause the printing waiting for my input if the first layer hasn’t bee laid down properly.
One way that the queuing and scheduling can become a priority and come naturally is if BL makes the printer to removal finished prints automatically, a feature that I “secretly” hope the X2 will have.
Oh, that would be so cool. I think if they implement this, it’s best handled by the printer itself. You can start prints from Studio, mobile or the printer itself. So only the printer is always involved.
Inserting the pause in the gcode to me seems the best method. Automated key press doesn’t work for me, other persons use the computer too.
Don’t know if the pause has side effects though. e.g. can you still cancel a print while a pause is active?
Is there an easier way to include custom gcode during slicing other than adjusting the machine gcode?
I think you’re alluding to the printer needing to complete the current command before it will action a stop?
I know output commands, like movements, fan changes, or temperature changes will only happen once the current command is complete. I honestly don’t know if a dwell can be overridden. I suspect the answer is “yes”, but in the worst case power cycle the machine.
And the easiest way to insert custom gcode is to slice the part, then drag the layer slider down to layer 1, right click it and select “insert custom G-code” , then you’ll want to do something like “G4 S10” which would be a 10 second pause prior to starting layer 1.
If you want the pause to be even earlier, you’ll need to manually edit to add it in.
I never heard of this bamboozled buddy thingie but I love what the link provided was claiming. Need to check out GitHub and get familiar with it. What a great piece of software. A trillion thanks for sharing. Appreciated.
Yes exactly. Maybe there is a gcode for “wait for user input with timeout”? But you are right, it’s not the end of the world if it is not interruptable. You could even insert a lot of 10 second pauses, so that interruption is delayed by at most 10 seconds.
I have another operation that I would love to activate with delay: Drying. I regularly prepare a roll for drying in the evening but want to start it in the morning, so that it is finished before we go to bed the next day (My wife is very susceptible even to faint noises). But during the chaos in the morning I never think of it. Then I come home and find a roll that is sitting there patiently to be dryed. I plan to do it the next morning instead, which… you guess it.
A delayed Start woul als be nice if yo have several printers in the same powerline to not trigger the main Fuse, i can run 3 H2S und 4 P2S on the same 2400W Plug but if i start all 3 H2D at the same time the fuse triggers
