connecting repetier-host to Makerbot's replicator 2...

briller

Hi everyone,

I've got my replicator 2 bot and i wanted to go a deeper into different slicing techniques.

so far repetier seems to provide the best preview per slice, and best feedback from the all different slicers under the same roof.

however i haven't been able to find any info on how to get the 2 working together. 

I Managed to connect them but when i hit print it just stays on printing mode 0% and nothing is happening. 

Is it at all possible to send sliced models to the makerbot via reptier? 

I gathered the makerbot firmware might not support this . 

can upload a different firmware on the makerbot? 

any help would be highly appreciated. 

thanks 

Repetier

We don't own a makerbot, but since it uses a firmware unknown to us I guess the protocol is different so sending it will not work, even if gcode is ok and preview works.

briller

its seemed really odd that makerbot is not supported.. 

is there no protocol that enables connecting the 2 ? 

Do you plan on supporting it at any time ? 

like i mentioned ,so far it is by far the best host application i found for controlling prints.. 

would be a shame to not approach this market. 

replicator G doesnt come close.. 

Repetier

You might have heard that makerbot went closed source, so it is not easy to get informations about protocols used internally. And without a test system it is also nearly impossible to develop. After all, their aim is that users use their eco system. So we concentrate more on the world we know and understand. But we have a nice plugin system, so if some makerbot owner thinks he can add the required connector, we would not object and even give him advice where needed.

Dogm

Makerbot use opensource firmware for old Duplicator 1/2/2X/... etc builds
They used binary optimized protocol very similare to gcode.

There open-source Firmware:
* http://www.sailfishfirmware.com/
* https://github.com/jetty840/

There descriptions for command protocol (binary)
* https://github.com/jetty840/Sailfish-MightyBoardFirmware/blob/master/firmware/src/MightyBoard/shared/ProtocolDocumentation.hh

And also There open-source gcode-x3g converter (with usb support commands)
* https://github.com/whpthomas/GPX

So, can you do support for this protocol? it is very huge count of China/Japan companies who clone Duplicator 2X and same count peoples who want support from Repetier-Host

Dogm

There some descriptions from developers about Sailfish
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/makerbot/MISZe84b1pU[1-25-false]

And there descriptions about sailfish and differences
http://www.makerbot.com/sailfish/

Dogm

Can you share api for developing connector?

You might have heard that makerbot went closed source, so it is not easy to get informations about protocols used internally. And without a test system it is also nearly impossible to develop. After all, their aim is that users use their eco system. So we concentrate more on the world we know and understand. But we have a nice plugin system, so if some makerbot owner thinks he can add the required connector, we would not object and even give him advice where needed.

Repetier

A connector needs to implement this class

http://rhplugins.repetier.com/1_00_classes/html/interface_repetier_host_extender_1_1interfaces_1_1_i_printer_connection.html#a86adba478a19134a63b8ff95aaa5e46f

Then from IHost you get IPrinter where there should be a addConnector function. Unfortunately this function is not poart of the interface, so it is currently not possible to add the connector. Will fix that for next release.

For more details on writing plugins, see: http://rhplugins.repetier.com/

Beside this, I had a brief look at the docs you linked. They give a brief idea of the protocol, but are far from being complete enough to understand it, so implementation will require some code reading and reverse engineering to understand it fully and of course a printer for testing.

If you want to make a plugin for Makerbot and offer it on your homepage, feel free to mail me directly, So i might give you a pre release with fixed interfaces that you might need.

Dogm

Thx for fast answer,

I think try to do this thing...

palatis

Hello, I'm trying to implement a protocol plugin that talks to the opensource MakerBot boards (to be more specific, the Sailfish firmware: https://github.com/jetty840/Sailfish-MightyBoardFirmware).

I may need some more information on how do I implement an IPrinterConnection.

for example, under what circumstances these member functions are called, and what do I have to pay attention when setting properties.

for example, I am having hard times figuring out what's the difference between "numExtruder" and "numberExtruder", what's the purpose for "addPrintingTime" (why is it an property but not a function?), and why "extract" takes two arguments and wants a string in reply (what kind of a string do I have to return anyway?)... etc.

really could put some effort on documentations in http://rhplugins.repetier.com/...

the targeted Repetier-Host version would be 1.5.

the project would be entirely open sourced, too.

at least I can flood some hello messages to the log console, atm.

trying to figure out how do I open the serial connection.

cincodenada

Hey palatis and dogm, have either of you made progress in connecting a MakerBot to Repetier-Host?  I'm also interested in doing so, and don't want to duplicate any effort you guys have already done, so would love to see any code/examples of progress you've made thus far.

Repetier

No, it is a host for fdm printer with open firmware, so Marlin, Repetier-Firmware, Smoothieware, Teacup, Sprinter no problem.

TheCEA2

I just bought a Makerbot 2x is there any work being done on this tread anymore or is the idea dead? More specifically is there still being work done for repetier server? Thanks for getting back to me.

Repetier

Yes, we do work on server but no work on supporting Makerbot.

r_ox

Currently, is there a solution for this connector? I keep looking...

Repetier

No, that prptocol is unknown and unsupported.

Dogm

Repetier said:

No, that prptocol is unknown and unsupported.

Hi, protocol is open source, you can check simplify3d solutuon for example.

Repetier

simplify3d is not a good source as they are closed source, so nothing to get.

From makebots beginning there is this definition:

https://github.com/makerbot/s3g

but it is 4 years old so everything invented resp. added after that date would be unknown. Maybe one day I get a makerbot printer and time to test such stuff, but currently this is out of order.

Fitch

The only 3d printer I have is a Chinese clone of a Replicator 2.
I installed Sailfish firmware when ReplicatorG stopped existing.
Then Sailfish stopped existing as far as Linux goes.
The printer worked great. until 2 years ago when Linux support stopped.
Now it sits in the corner with a thick layer of dust.
Cura doesn't support it.
You don't support it.
Makerbot doesn't support Linux
Unmet dependancies abound.
Nobody supports it.
Please reconsider and see if you can get it to work under Repetier.
If you live in the U.K.  I'll drive down and hand you my printer for as long as is needed.
I am really begging you to find out how to make this printer work in Repetier.

Repetier

Don't think that we will have time for this in near future. This would also require bigger changes to support a new format depending on how it exactly works.

Fitch

Has the near future ended yet?

As previously explained, it is a Makerbot clone...

the printer is a CTC dual filament machine with a "Mighty Board", and Sailfish installed.

Isn't that just a better version of Marlin?

Repetier

No, sailfish is just a open source version of the makebot firmware as far as I know. Marlin would have worked because we support that already.

magharees

For those stuck with an dusty Rep2...consider using an Astroprint daemon running on a Rasp Pi, not sure about Octoprint but I have used Astroprint sucessfuly with a Wanhao Duplicator 4 running the latest Sailfish f/w for it