Sending print jobs to a queue if the printer is busy

Bambu Lab X1 Series
21

You can send a “bunch” from the slicer to the SD card but you can’t at this time start a print from the SD card. You have to select it using the printer interface.

4 Likes
22

Now that there is an enterprise grade printer on the market, the need for a print queue is becoming more and more prevalent. As mentioned previously, in most organisations there is bound to be multiple people trying to send prints to the same printer and a print queue for decentralised job management is crucial for keeping track of all the jobs waiting for execution and managing their priority.

Ideally we needed it yesterday. But today is another day Bambulab devs. I hope to see it in one of the next update :hugs:

3 Likes
23

I also support the OP’s request for a print queue which also has capability for multiple printers.

1 Like
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Agreed! We just purchased a couple of X1E’s for our company. Managing print jobs across multiple user is a “Must have” for large corporations using these printers. With multiple engineers wanting to print parts every day, having a queue to place jobs in a line in order of first come first serve is essential.

Our current (very old) stratasys machine does this beautifully. When you want to print a part, you slice it → send the job to the server which places that job in a line → when a user finishes their print, they just put a clean build plate on the machine and hit “start next job”. This keeps print jobs moving nicely and handles the need to manage who gets to print before someone else. Of course the order of the queue can be modified if you have a higher priority job or want to let other, shorter jobs run before you.

Without this, I guess everyone is forced to monitor the progress of the current print job and then race to “send” their part to the printer before anyone else does.

It would be great if Bambu could come up with a software to do this! In the meantime, is anyone using any sort of 3rd party software to manage a print queue? Any other clever solutions to get by in the meantime?

4 Likes
25

I don’t know if this is a newer firmware thing, but my X1C is a week old, and I can do Slice All, and then Send All, and the jobs show up either individually if sent separately or if using the send all they show up as one big job which if you tap on it you get < > arrows to step through each plate and the buttons to start the jobs
This is mirrored on the Bambu handy app:
Devices, =menu, settings, MicroSD card, Model, Print Now
You’re then shown all of the plates and can print them remotely.

27

I’m exactly in the same situation. Any hint ?

1 Like
28

Yes, this works for me too. Its not a “queue” as such, but does help printing a series of plates for one “job”.
If I try to “print” a plate direct, it doesnt work, ie no Queue, I have to release\finish the “send all” job first.
Not sure if I am doing something wrong. but even that “send all” plates is very handy!

  1. I slice and organise all the plates - ‘send all’ plates to the printer and check first plate is off printing ok.
  2. Pile up clean blank plates next to the printer…
  3. Then when away from pritner, working, shops, whatever -other people can change the plates for me when finished …
  4. I then use the X1C internal camera to verify Plate is lined up correctly - then -
  5. Relase the next plate to print.