Author: AstroPrint Staff

Upload GCODE to AstroPrint

How to upload GCODE (and X3G) files on AstroPrint — Even if you use Simplify3D, CURA OR any other slicer! 🤔

AstroPrint Staff

The AstroPrint Cloud Slicer uses CURA engine for slicing and generating GCODE files — but, here’s the thing: You can use ANY slicer you want (like CURA or Simplify3D) and STILL take advantage of all the other incredible features AstroPrint has to offer, like: Remote Monitoring, and Print Queuing.

As long as you have a AstroPrint Compatible 3D Printer — your workflow will be a LOT easier (and fun!) REGARDLESS of whether you choose to use our cloud slicer or not.

Speaking of slicing…

One of the most requested features of AstroPrint has been — the ability to upload GCODE files directly via the AstroPrint Cloud.

Until now, pre-sliced GCODE and X3G files could only be uploaded locally via the AstroBox Gateway.

I say “Until Now” because…

You can now upload pre-sliced GCODE (and X3G) files via the Design Library app on the AstroPrint Cloud.

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Why 3D Printer Manufacturers should NEVER make software

AstroPrint Staff

Have you heard of Pirate3D‘s Buccaneer 3D Printer?

It’s the Jony Ives-inspired 3D printer that never took sail.

With a sleek, aluminum body, smooth, crystal clear acrylic housing, and beautiful aesthetics, it’s all beauty and no brains.

If you aren’t in the loop, Pirate3D raised a (then) record-breaking $1.4M+ on Kickstarter for their Buccaneer 3D Printer in 2013.

It was a hit.

Largely because most consumers had never seen such a well thought out 3D printer at such an affordable price point.

At the time, the most well-known printer was Makerbot’s Replicator 2, which ran for $2,200 and Pirate3D claimed to have a better designed, faster printer (The Buccaneer) for just $347.

Truth is: it WAS a well-designed printer and we were just as excited for Pirate3D to pull this off.

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OctoPrint Plugin for AstroPrint

How to access OctoPrint over The Internet with AstroPrint (from anywhere!)

AstroPrint Staff

TL;DR: We made a OctoPrint plugin that connects your OctoPi to the AstroPrint cloud.

Introduction

Many people (incorrectly) believe that AstroPrint is a competitor to OctoPrint.

This is a misunderstanding.

While the original open source AstroBox Gateway started out as a fork of OctoPrint back in 2014, our focus has veered off so far that OctoPrint is no longer comparable to AstroPrint.

AstroPrint’s primary goal is to build a simplified cloud ecosystem for 3D Printing and make it accessible to the general (non-technical) consumer.

The AstroPrint cloud ecosystem includes a full-fledged line of cross-platform Mobile and Desktop apps along with an API that allows any developer to reach tens of thousands of Desktop 3D Printer owners around the world.

In short, our users tend to be non-technical folks interested in managing and monitoring their 3D Printer from any device with minimal hassle.

Conversely, OctoPrint users tend to be technically savvy with a heavy interest in open source software and using their printer strictly on their local network. (more…)

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Toy Maker App for Android and iOS: 3D Print Toys at home

Toy Maker: An easy way for children to print toys (and learn 3D Printing) at home

AstroPrint Staff

how to print 3d toys at home with Toy maker App

A case study in 3D Printable content delivery

Most people are aware that AstroPrint is a robust cloud platform for managing and monitoring Desktop 3D Printer(s).

What many don’t realize is that AstroPrint is also a very efficient content delivery platform for 3D Printable content.

It is one of the best ways for designers and developers to reach Desktop 3D Printer owners around the world.

In fact, AstroPrint is PERFECT for content distribution.

AstroPrint’s content delivery infrastructure is a bit like Google Play, except, instead of smartphones, our focus is Desktop 3D Printers.

Anyone can use the AstroPrint API to reach thousands of Desktop 3D Printer owners worldwide.

The Toy maker app is a real world example of how content delivery can work on AstroPrint.

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AstroPrint Desktop: A Cross platform desktop app for rotating and scaling your 3D Printable designs

Rotate, Scale, and Print your designs with AstroPrint Desktop

AstroPrint Staff
AstroPrint Desktop

I’d like to officially introduce you to our latest creation.

Please welcome, AstroPrint Desktop.

AstroPrint Desktop is a cross-platform, cloud-enabled Desktop app that allows you to manipulate and print designs locally and via the cloud.

AstroPrint Desktop allows you to print to your 3D Printer via USB without needing an AstroBox Gateway.
 

Meanwhile, if you are an existing AstroPrint user, AstroPrint Desktop will extend your capabilities even further and make your workflow much more pleasant.

 

Sticking to our goal in making 3D Printing accessible to more and more people, AstroPrint Desktop is another pillar in the master plan.

So, what can AstroPrint Desktop do?

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AstroPrint Mobile

Introducing AstroPrint Mobile for iOS and Android

AstroPrint Staff

AstroPrint Mobile is a cross-platform (iOS & Android) mobile app that will allow you to remotely manage your 3D Printer from your smartphone and receive real-time notifications of your printer status.

Since AstroPrint’s inception (in 2013), our primary goal has been to simplify 3D Printing and provide the most advanced cloud platform in existence for managing Desktop 3D Printers, and distributing 3D Printable content.

4 years later, with two successful Kickstarters, and over 700,000+ hours of 3D Printing (that’s about 80 years of printing!) on our platform, we have learned a lot from you on making 3D Printing simpler.

We’ve learned that one of the cornerstone requirements in that effort is a mobile app that will allow you to manage, monitor, and print on your 3D Printer from your smartphone. (more…)

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AstroPrint Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign, Allowing Anyone to Invest in the Future of 3D Printing

AstroPrint Staff

Press Release:

AstroPrint Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign, Allowing Anyone to Invest in the Future of 3D Printing

San Diego, California (September 22, 2017)  –  AstroPrint, a San Diego based technology company, has just launched an Equity Crowdfunding campaign on the Indiegogo platform.  This allows nearly anyone to invest as little as $100 into AstroPrint through the online portal at equity.Indiegogo.com.  The campaign can be accessed directly via:  https://AstroPrint.com/invest

Unlike Product Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding is not focused on launching the next new gadget, but rather on allowing crowdfunders to actually purchase ownership in the company.  Equity Crowdfunding was not possible until recently due to the SEC lifting restrictions on “non-accredited” investors investing in private companies.

Drew Taylor, CEO of AstroPrint explains:  “The idea behind Equity Crowdfunding is very similar to the idea behind ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). In the past, only the wealthy could invest in startup companies, and the general public was specifically excluded. The goal of portals like equity.Indiegogo.com is to democratize investment in startups allowing anyone to become an investor.  In addition, we’re really excited about our super-fans and other 3D printing enthusiasts finally having the chance to come onboard as owners of AstroPrint!”

Indiegogo, along with their joint venture partner Microventures, began offering Equity Crowdfunding at the end of 2016.  AstroPrint is the 21st company to be approved by Indiegogo and Microventures for this special fundraising track.  Also, AstroPrint is the 2nd predominately 3D printing related startup in the US to seek Equity Crowdfunding.

AstroPrint’s mission is to solve the software problems holding the 3D printing industry back from mass adoption.  They see the industry as being held back by the same issues that held back the computer industry and smartphone industries in their early days.  When Windows standardized software for the computer industry, computers gained mass adoption.  When Android standardized software for the smartphone industry, smartphones gained mass adoption.

According to AstroPrint’s Chief Design Officer, Joshua White, “AstroPrint is standardizing the software for the 3D printing industry with the goal of making 3D printers ‘Apple simple,’ thereby allowing anyone to take advantage of the technology.  This then opens up the technology for use by the general public and allows mass adoption to finally occur.”

AstroPrint will use the funds to expand more rapidly towards their vision of being the “Android of the 3D Printing Industry.”  According to the campaign details, if less than $150K is raised, the proceeds will be directed towards production and distribution of their AstroBox Touch device (http://AstroBoxTouch.com)as a retail product.  If additional funds are raised, funds will be directed towards company growth through expanding the sales and marketing efforts of the company.

AstroPrint users have printed over 420,000 3D prints on the platform to date.  Represented in this is a 186% increase in usage over the last 12 months.

Press Contact: For information and questions, please email Drew Taylor via:

drew.taylor at astroprint dot com.

 

ABOUT ASTROPRINT

AstroPrint is a venture backed company based in San Diego, CA., and is the fastest growing cloud, and content delivery platform in the 3D printing industry. The AstroPrint platform is designed to be simple, elegant, and intuitive for the non-technical 3D Printer Owner. It is currently compatible with ~80% of Desktop 3D Printers on the market. The AstroPrint marketplace also allows brands and developers to deliver content to any 3D Printer owner around the globe with its scalable distribution platform.

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Print your queues with your 3D Printer

How To Use Print Queuing with your 3D Printer

AstroPrint Staff

So you want to load up multiple designs on your 3D Printer and control the sequence of when they will be printed? 

As in, you want to use print queues with your 3D Printer?

If so, I have good news for you.

The ability to use print queueing is now available on AstroPrint Pro Accounts.

The Print Queues feature will let you:

  1. Create a new print queue and assign it to a printer directly from the File Manager
  2. Add multiple copies of the same design to a print queue with one click
  3. Edit or Remove existing Print Queues
  4. Add a design to a “Print It Later” bucket until you decide on what print queue to add it to

This means that you can line up any number of designs on any number of printers in any sequence, right from your AstroPrint cloud account.

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Print your queues with your 3D Printer

How to add Notes, Tweak Settings, Rename Files & Preview Prints

AstroPrint Staff

We’ve released a bunch of features that should make 3D Printing a bit smoother on AstroPrint.

These features aren’t necessarily huge, but it should certainly make your workflow easier.

While a few of these features (like Print Preview) are fairly obvious, unavoidable and straightforward — a couple of them (namely, Notes and Tweak Settings) are a bit hidden on the platform.

Here’s a quick summary of what we will cover:

  1. Print Preview – When you are trying to print a file, the Print Preview screen will give you an estimate of how long the print will take along with options to discard the print file and check to make sure your bed is clear.
  2. Notes – You now have the ability to include custom notes on any print file(s) for additional clarity in organizing your files
  3. Tweak Settings – You also have the ability to Tweak Settings from your last print when you are experimenting with settings — without having to start all over again.
  4. Print File Name Changes – Fairly self-explanatory. You can now change the confusing file name(s) on any print file(s).

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