- 2023 Update
Desktop 3D printing still relies heavily on trial and error, and controlling or monitoring all of the minute parameters to avoid failure is not always possible. This is especially true for beginners. The ideal solution to this problem is to use OctoPrint. We recommend the top 5 best OctoPrint plugins for beginners to ensure that you enjoy 3D printing instead of being stressed out.
OctoPrint not only brings ease to the complete process but also improves 3D printing performance.The OctoPrint software, which comes with a variety of plugins, will help you control, monitor, and manage your 3D printers and print jobs to ensure that you get the best results possible every time. If you are still new to OctoPrint, then you can read our introductory article on what is OctoPrint and setting it up.
In case you are already an advanced user of OctoPrint, we recommend you read about the 7 best OctoPrint plugins for advanced users.
OctoPrint
OctoPrint is a free open-source software that allows you to control and monitor your 3D printer remotely. It was developed by the German software engineer Gina Häußge more than a decade ago in 2012. Since then, it is being constantly updated and upgraded by its active community of supporters and developers to include a wide range of features. It’s a powerful application that streamlines the printing process.
With OctoPrint, you can perform a variety of tasks, such as moving the bed and extruder, adjusting the temperature, controlling extrusion, and much more. You can even schedule jobs remotely and monitor then through mobile application or cloud server. If you connect a webcam, you can even see your print job live from any corner of the world. Its benefits are realised even more while managing a 3D printing farm.
Check out our list of the top 5 best OctoPrint plugins for beginners to get started with the software help you get the most out of your 3D printing experience.
5 Best OctoPrint Plugins for Beginners
According to an estimate, there are more than 277 OctoPrint plugins you can use to enhance your 3D printing experience. These plugins are developed by and are regularly upgraded and improved by its devoted community.
All of the OctoPrint plugins are free to download and install, while some of them may have paid upgrades to ensure some costs are recovered.
Bed Level Visualizer
The Bed Level Visualizer is a popular OctoPrint plugin for beginners. In fact, it must be installed by every OctoPrint user. You probably already know how important bed levelling is for 3D printing success. Furthermore, manually levelling the bed is a time-consuming and exhausting process that rarely works the first time. An uneven bed can cause a variety of issues that result in failed prints, wasting material, time, effort, and even customers.
To ensure that the 3D printer bed is level, the bed level visualizer plugin creates a digital representation of it. The plugin will show you a fascinating topographical map of the bed, highlighting the high and low points. You can refer to this map to check the evenness of your bed and make necessary adjustments if there are any discrepancies. Simply download and install this plugin to make your life a lot easier! This plugin will undeniably improve the quality of your 3D printed products.
Obico (Formerly The Spaghetti Detective)
One of the best OctoPrint plugins for beginners is Obico (formerly The Spaghetti Detective) OctoPrint plugin. It’s ideal for keeping an eye on your 3D printer from afar.
You’ve probably experienced the frustration of waiting for a print to finish. You get stuck in front of your 3D printer and can’t venture out. Isn’t it irritating? But even if you observe the print, you can’t do much. If the print has to fail, it will fail. All you do is that if the print fails, you quickly stop the print and save material wastage, power wastage and save time.
However, did you know that a large portion of this can be automated? ‘Obico’ does exactly that. ‘Obico will keep an eye on your 3D printer. It will keep track of your prints for you, so you don’t have to. By continuously analysing images from your webcam, it looks out for signs that indicate your print is failing. Its powerful AI engine ensure it is constantly learning and getting better each time. The plugin will either notify you or intervene directly if it detects a print that represents a spaghetti pattern.
Spaghetti pattern: This is a pattern that you see if a print fails but the nozzle continues to extrude material. The filament gets deposited in mid-air and forms a sort of pattern that is called as a spaghetti pattern.
If a print is left unattended and fails, it may not be detected until it is manually checked. It could also cause damage or even a fire hazard, in addition to wasting filament. So, the ideal option is to use The Obico plugin to safeguard yourself, your printer and probably your workspace from potential danger.
NavBar Temp
NavBar Temp is one of the best Octoprint plugins for beginners. It adds a temperature display to the navigation bar. Navbar Temp provides a simple interface that displays all of your 3D printer’s temperature information at a glance, allowing you to stay on top of things. The nozzle, bed, and enclosure temperatures will be displayed on the screen at all times when you use this plugin; it’s simple and convenient!
Octolapse
OctoLapse is one of the most interesting Octoprint plugins for beginners. We’ve all swooned over videos in which a stunning 3D print appears as if by magic from the printer bed. The magician behind those videos is Octolapse. By repositioning your printer’s extruder and printer bed before each snapshot, this plugin creates stabilised timelapse videos of your 3D prints. To put it another way, during the timelapse, you won’t see your printhead move; instead, the plugin, with the help of your webcam will click a picture after moving out your printhead and then combine these images into a single timelapse video. The end result is that you’ll see your print grow magically from the printer bed.
You’ll have complete control over how your time-lapse is created with OctoLapse. As a result, you can make mediocre time-lapse videos look professional (almost). It’s a must-have plugin for anyone who likes to keep track of their prints.
Simple Emergency Stop
The last on the list of the top Octoprint plugins for beginners is the simple emergency stop plugin. Things are rarely simple and straightforward when using a 3D printer, and prints do not always go as planned. As a result, it’s always a good idea to have a STOP button on hand. This plugin adds a simple emergency stop button to your OctoPrint’s user interface navigation bar. The Simple Emergency Stop plugin will do its job and stop everything if you start the wrong print or press the wrong button by accident.
Users can choose between two button options when customising the plugin: a Big One and a Little One.
What Next?
These are our pick for the 5 best Octoprint plugins for beginners. There are many more plugins that you can explore and use to enhance your 3D printing experience and improve your results. From the above list you must have understood how effective OctoPrint is in dealing with the commonly faced issues in 3D printing and how they can be reduced or eliminated. Not convinced yet? Read 10+ reasons to use OctoPrint.
In case you want to take your OctoPrint experience to the next level, we suggest you also read about the 7 best OctoPrint plugins for advanced users.
If you loved our collection, then we encourage you to share this post on your social media pages, tag us while doing so and also comment on our posts. If you think you have found some new and interesting plugins that should be a part of this list, then write to us at inquiries@manufactur3dmag.com.
About Manufactur3D Magazine: Manufactur3D is an online magazine on 3D printing. which publishes the latest 3D printing news, insights and analysis from all around the world. Visit our 3D Printing Education page to read more such informative articles. To stay up-to-date about the latest happenings in the 3D printing world, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn.
