Many 3D printer manufacturers are preinstalling AstroPrint software in their printers. Just like Lenovo preinstalls Windows in computers, or Samsung preinstalls Android in phones. Our goal at AstroPrint is to help manufacturers make smart 3D printers, replacing their antiquated software. But each printer is different and as a manufacturer, you want software tailored for your printers. This […]
Thingiverse and Myminifactory now in AstroBoxTouch!
Can you imagine accessing millions of 3D printable models right from your printer controller? Stop dreaming…that’s now possible. In our fight against software mediocrity, we have integrated the most popular model repository websites in our touchscreen controller, as user-friendly apps!
Why User-Friendly 3D Printers Don’t Sell Well (Yet)
The Mod-t, a beautiful, cloud-connected and easy-to-use 3D printer for only $299. NewMatter recently announced it will shut down operations. What went wrong? Some 3D printer manufacturers are making their own user-friendly software innovations to make printers more approachable. However, they don’t sell enough units. But why? Don’t people like easy-to-use 3D printers with a sleek […]
Why 3D Printer Manufacturers should NEVER make software
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. […]
3D Printers: The Death of Monochrome Display
Many companies are trying to sell 3d printers as the future of technology… with a blue LCD screen from the 80’s. Today, 3D printers are the only piece of technology that comes with such an antiquated user interface. But, do we really think that 3D printers can go mainstream while they come with the old […]
Why Cloud-Connected 3D Printers Sell More
It is clear by now that cables and SD cards are not the future of 3D printing. As more users demand their printers to be wireless, 3D printer manufacturers are increasingly making wifi-connectivity a priority for their printer line. However, many of them are simply connecting a desktop 3D printer to a local network and […]
How to access OctoPrint over The Internet with AstroPrint (from anywhere!)
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 […]
The Next Five Years for Desktop 3D Printers
The next few years are going to be exciting. Desktop 3D printers are going to be in everyone’s home and 3D printer manufacturers will sell units like candies at a kindergarten school. Right? While I’m extremely positive about the future of Desktop 3D printers, the industry needs to first jump the “chasm” that separates the […]
Toy Maker: An easy way for children to print toys (and learn 3D Printing) at home
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 […]
Rotate, Scale, and Print your designs with 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 […]