I mainly use my school chromebook for 3d modeling, but every time I try to upload or print my models, I can’t because my school has blocked Linux, which makes it so I am unable to use Bambu Studio on my chromebook which also means I can’t print from my chromebook. This is obviously a problem, so could we please get a version of Bambu Studio for web browsers.
Ask you school’s IT dept to install bambu studio for you. If they’re stringy, get your teacher to approve/recommend it or even create something like “3d printing tech club for students, members: you”. That usually works unless your school’s IT staff is bunch of Mordacs the preventer of information services. That’d be quicker than getting bambu slicer on the web… There are also online slicers avail but I’ve never used them so can’t recommend any in the mean time.
I already tried that, it unfortunately did not work. I’m hoping the people at Bambu Lab who make the software will see this and make Bambu Studio available on the web.
That very much sucks and therefore I hope your school’s whole IT staff steps on a lego every day.
That’s also problem with “school’s laptops” or “work laptop” - you are blocked by IT dept and/or legal. Since you have 3d printer, why not look into used PCs? Look for off-lease/used computers. Sometimes you can find really good deals that are better and cheaper than new ones. I myself have an off-lease workstation that has been serving me for years, and it cost almost the same as an A1.
I would suggest using the “Portable” version of Bambu Studio if you were using a windows machine. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be something like that for a Chromebook. Perhaps that is something to push instead of a web version?
I feel for this kid, I really do. But this is barking up the wrong tree.
There’s more to why K-12 education departments use Chromebooks than just them being the cheapest option. IT costs are a huge and growing expense for companies, so imagine how overwhelming that is for a public school system with a tight budget. One of the companies I worked with actually gave up on the education market for this reason—outside of Chromebooks, schools simply can’t afford real computers.
In well-run public school IT departments, student-issued devices are treated like textbooks: standardized, easily replaceable, and non-customizable. I’ve seen districts with 50,000+ students and fewer than 10 IT staff to support them. If a device breaks, they issue a new one, but there’s no room for individual customization unless it’s tech directly tied to the curriculum and funded by taxpayer programs.
So, expecting the district to support loading niche programs onto Chromebooks? That’s just not going to happen.
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We can’t just ask Bambu to do things for free, what’s the business case for them?
Let’s be candid—what’s in it for Bambu, or any 3D printer company, to create a web browser-based slicer? Even the Bambu A1 Mini at $200 is a decent investment, and if someone can’t afford a laptop, it’s doubtful they’re in Bambu’s target market anyway. So why would Bambu divert resources to develop a web-based solution for a niche use case?
Bambu Handy already provides broad access through smartphones, which most people have and pay for themselves. What’s the incentive for Bambu to create an entirely new cloud-based infrastructure just to run something that users can already do on their phones? The cost of maintaining that kind of system would fall on Bambu, whereas the current setup offloads infrastructure and maintenance costs to the user.
It’s not that a web-based slicer is impossible, but without a clear business case, it’s a hard sell. If the goal is to get Bambu to consider this, a better approach would be presenting it in terms of potential market expansion, increased accessibility, or other concrete benefits that would justify their investment.
I’m just sayin… ![]()
“It’s not that a web-based slicer is impossible, but without a clear business case, it’s a hard sell. If the goal is to get Bambu to consider this, a better approach would be presenting it in terms of potential market expansion, increased accessibility, or other concrete benefits that would justify their investment.”
If Bambu Lab made a slicer available on the web, and no other company did that, it would lead to more students using Bambu printers because those would be the only printers students could use on their chromebooks.
“Let’s be candid—what’s in it for Bambu, or any 3D printer company, to create a web browser-based slicer? Even the Bambu A1 Mini at $200 is a decent investment, and if someone can’t afford a laptop, it’s doubtful they’re in Bambu’s target market anyway. So why would Bambu divert resources to develop a web-based solution for a niche use case?”
Also, I am a student and I have an A1 Combo, and I could technically get a laptop if I wanted to, but that still doesn’t change the fact that I am only allowed to bring my chromebook to school, and even when I’m at home, sometimes I’m only allowed to use my chromebook. So I get what you’re trying to say, but it isn’t completely true.
I have a family PC at home, but I’m normally not allowed to use it, so while that may solve the problem for some people, in my case however, it does not.
Edit: Also, I love the lego comment. ![]()
I hate to be blunt, but students don’t drive sales—schools and institutions do. Sure, getting Bambu printers in the hands of students might sound like a good idea, but it’s not a sustainable business strategy. Apple tried the same approach in the 80s and 90s, flooding schools with free equipment, but they were quickly displaced by cheaper Wintel machines that fit better into the broader education budget.
For Bambu, the focus needs to be on targeting institutions with the resources to invest in printers, not individual students. Without a solid institutional market or long-term support, expanding into education on the assumption that students will become future customers just doesn’t hold up. There’s plenty of evidence to show that relying on the education market alone isn’t enough to secure long-term success.
Does this sound harsh? Maybe, but to paraphrase a famous athlete: “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” The reality is that in capitalism, it’s all about the wallet. Even the Chinese understand that, and businesses—including Bambu—are driven by what sells. It’s not about fairness or ideals; it’s about what makes financial sense. Students may want cool tech, but unless there’s real money or institutional support behind it, companies won’t be incentivized to cater to that market.
I’m not saying that students drive sales, nor am I saying to give schools free stuff. I am merely saying that by making a slicer that is available for anyone to use no matter what device they are using would be a good way to make people more biased towards Bambu Lab products.
I agree with you but counter with the argument that Bambu has already done this with versions of Bambu Studio for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Are you saying that Bambu has already made counter-arguments for this, or are you saying that they have already made web versions for Bambu Studio?
I’m not at all trying to dissuade you from encouraging Bambu for a browser version.
I’m saying that Bambu has covered all platforms so a web version might not be seen as a priority. I think they might first consider expanding the capability of the Handy app.
Mosaic’s Canvas is a Web Based slicer. (https://www.canvas3d.io/) - designed for Mosaic’s Palette multi colour devices.
I haven’t used it for a few years (as I moved over to using PrusaSlicer/P2PP - although I haven’t powered on my Palette2 since I got my first X1C last year) - but it does seem to have some BambuLab printers listed in the new printer settings
It almost certainly wouldn’t work with an AMS - but I guess it might be possible to get it to produce some sort of GCODE for single colour prints if the BambuLab options mentioned in the attached screenshot have been correctly configured. There is some mention on the Mosaic Website of a premium Tier being available for Non Mosaic filament changing devices - but not sure it was ever developed.
I see what you’re getting at, but the real issue isn’t just making a slicer available to everyone. The key question is: where’s the financial incentive for a company like Bambu to invest in this if it doesn’t lead to more revenue or market share?
I’m not dismissing your idea, but to get a company’s attention, there needs to be a strong business case. Right now, Bambu customers already have solutions that work across devices. To take this further, you’d need to show how a web-based slicer could actually benefit the company—either by reaching new markets or boosting sales.
Don’t take this as discouragement. Instead, see if you can rally support from your school, friends, or fellow students to strengthen your case. Sometimes all it takes is one passionate person to make change happen—and that person might just be you. ![]()
@JonRaymond Ok, I see what you’re saying.
@Olias Perhaps instead of spending time creating a slicer from scratch, they could use the scripts available on Github, and use those to make an experimental version of Bambu Studio available on MakerWorld? I feel like that would bring more attention to their company, and because the slicer would be available on MakerWorld, more people would become interested in Bambu Lab products just because of how many models on MakerWorld require things like magnets that are only available on the Bambu Lab store.
@Ukdavewood Ok, I will make sure to check that out.
While your idea is creative, it’s important to understand how marketing generally works. There are two main approaches: one is identifying unmet needs in a market, and the other is creating a product for a need that few recognized before. Steve Jobs, despite being a controversial figure, was particularly successful at the latter.
Your argument assumes that people will visit MakerWorld and discover the tool, leading them to buy a Bambu printer. However, most visitors are likely existing printer owners, who already have slicing software. So, the challenge is to show how a web-based slicer would provide a significant competitive advantage or attract new customers. But if someone doesn’t own a printer, why would they visit a slicing tool in the first place?
If you’re suggesting hosting the code found on GitHub as a web-based solution, that’s technically feasible and relatively simple for a developer. In fact, I’ve done similar exercises myself, and I’d estimate the compiling portion would take 2-4 developer-days. However, developing and maintaining the necessary infrastructure for real-time interaction between web hosts and devices would be costly. It could also be argued that BambuLab may already has most of this technology with Bambu Handy, but the question remains: who pays for this infrastructure, and will it bring enough new customers to justify the cost? Additionally, Bambu’s recent announcement of their 2024 flagship product slipping into 2025 proves that their development resources might already overcommitted, companies who have excess resources don’t miss their own deadlines.
I assume as a student you are well aware of the Steam gaming marketplace. Your suggestion has an analogy with Valve’s effort to support Linux as a gaming platform. Despite Valve’s substantial investment in Linux-based gaming, and despite the fact that all their code is downloadable, mature, well-polished, and very stable—and above all, free—user adoption has remained in the single digits. In other words, to Valve’s chagrin, Linux-based gaming is a flop, even though it was a great product that was free. Yet, there are so many Linux fanboys who vociferously boycott game publishers that won’t support Linux. But the market response ultimately rules. In marketing, this is often called “voting with their wallet” or “voting with their feet.” Even Steve Jobs faced this with the iPod Video—a product that didn’t perform as well as expected and was discontinued after only two years in 2007.
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BTW: As I mentioned earlier, don’t let this feedback discourage you. Use it to sharpen your argument into something that a company’s board or product review team would recognize as valuable. Keep pushing forward. Many of the groundbreaking tech ideas of the past 50 years came from young innovators like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk—people who didn’t take no for an answer. They faced rejection but refined their ideas until someone saw the potential. You have the same opportunity to hone your pitch, and with persistence, you can convince those who hold the resources to back your idea.
Go to the poll: Would you like a Bambu Studio Web version?
