Note: As of 2023 I started a rewrite Prynt3r in Python, reimplementing Print3r (Perl).

Print3r or print3r (pronounced print-three-r) is a command line tool (CLI) which supports:

• multiple different slicers (Cura, Slic3r, PrusaSlicer, Mandoline, KiriMotoSlicer) with same unified settings
• multiple 3D formats more than what each slicer supports:
  • STL, OBJ, OFF, AMF, 3MF, 3MJ and also
  • OpenSCAD (.scad), OpenJSCAD (.jscad), ScriptCAD (.sccad)
  • FCStd, IGES, STEP and Brep (using FreeCAD2Any helper)
• networked/cloud printing built-in with multiple 3D-printers

Usage

% print3r [<options>] <command> <file1> ...

commands:

• print: print the part (and perform necessary conversions to achieve print)
• slice: just slice the part to gcode with slic3r, slic3r-pe, cura, cura-legacy or prusa
• preview: preview print as gcode
• render: render image of print
• gcode: send Gcode from command-line
• gconsole: start Gcode console to interactively send commands
• client: enable remote printing (start client mode)
• log: query past logged prints

Print (Convert & Slice & Print)

% print3r print cube.scad
% print3r print cube.stl
% print3r print cube.gcode
% print3r --scad print "cube(20)"

Slice (Without Printing)

Just slice the part to Gcode:

% print3r --output=cube.gcode slice cube.scad
% print3r --output=cube.gcode slice cube.stl

Preview (Without Printing)

Preview the resulting Gcode:

% print3r preview cube.scad
% print3r preview cube.stl
% print3r preview cube.gcode
% print3r --scad preview "cube(20)"

Render

Render the Gcode into an image:

% print3r --output=test.png render cube.scad
% print3r --output=test.png --scad render "cube(20)"
% print3r --output=test.png render cube.stl
% print3r --output=test.png render cube.gcode

Cloud Printing (Server/Client)

Create a printhub by starting print3r in client-mode:

% print3r --device=/dev/ttyUSB0 client &
% print3r --device=/dev/ttyUSB1 client &

On the another host you can address the printhub(s):

% print3r --device=tcp:192.168.0.23:0 print benchy.stl
% print3r --device=tcp:192.168.0.23:1 print calibrationCube.stl

Usage Overview

Print3r (print3r) 0.2.0 USAGE: [<options>] <cmd> <file1> [<...>]

   options:
      --verbose or -v or -vv  increase verbosity
      --quiet or -q           no output except fatal errors
      --baudrate=<n>          set baudrate, default: 115200
      --device=<d>            set device, default: /dev/ttyUSB0
      --slicer=<slicer>       set slicer, default: slic3r
                                 slic3r, slic3r-pe, cura-legacy, cura, prusa
      --printer=<name>        config of printer, default: default
      --version               display version and exit
      --output=<file>         define output file for 'slice' and 'render' command
      --scad                  consider all arguments as actual OpenSCAD code (not files)
      --scadlib=<files>       define OpenSCAD files separated by "," or ":"
      part preprocessing:
         --random-placement   place print randomly on the bed
         --auto-center        place print in the center
         --multiply-part=<n>  multiply part(s)
         --scale=<x>,<y>,<z>     scale part x,y,z (absolute if 'mm' is appended)
         --scale=<f>             scale part f,f,f
         --rotate=<x>,<y>,<z>    rotate x,y,z
         --translate=<x>,<y>,<z> translate x,y,z
         --mirror=<x>,<y>,<z>    mirror x,y,z (0=keep, 1=mirror)
      --<key>=<value>         include any valid slicer option (e.g. slic3r --help)

   commands:
      print <file> [...]      print (convert & slice & print) part(s) (.scad, .stl, .obj, .gcode)
      slice <file> [...]      slice file(s) to gcode (.scad, .stl, .amf, .obj, .3mf)
      preview <file> [...]    slice & preview (.scad, .stl, .obj, .gcode)
      render <file> [...]     render an image (use '--output=sample.png' or so)
      gcode <code1> [...]     send gcode lines
      gconsole                start gcode console
      client                  map USB connected printer to network (per device)
      help

   examples:
      export PRINT3R "printer=my_printer" --OR-- setenv PRINT3R "printer=my_printer"
      print3r slice cube.stl
      print3r --layer-height=0.2 --output=test.gcode slice cube.stl
      print3r --printer=ender3 --device=/dev/ttyUSB1 print test.gcode
      print3r --printer=corexy --device=/dev/ttyUSB2 --layer-height=0.3 --fill-density=0 print cube.stl
      print3r --printer=ender3 --device=tcp:192.168.0.2 --layer-height=0.25 print cube.stl
      print3r print cube.scad
      print3r --scad print "cube(20)"
      print3r gcode 'G28 X Y' 'G1 X60' 'G28 Z'
      print3r gconsole
      == Print3r: Gcode Console (gconsole) - use CTRL-C or 'exit' or 'quit' to exit
         for valid Gcode see https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code
         conf: device /dev/ttyUSB0, connected
      > M115
      ...

Slicers

Following slicers are supported via --slicer=<slicer>:

• slic3r: Slic3r
• slic3r-pe: Slic3r Prusa Edition
• cura-legacy: CuraEngine 15.04 with old profiles
• cura: CuraEngine 3.x or later
• prusa: PrusaSlicer

/usr/share/print3r/slicer/<slicer>/base.ini contains the base settings for a particular slicer.

Print

print command converts, slices and sends the resulting Gcode to the USB port of your choice.

% print3r print cube.scad
% print3r --scad print 'cube(20)'
% print3r print cube.stl pyramid.obj
% print3r print cube.gcode

Part Preprocessing

All part-preprocessing operations can be used in combination of print, slice, preview and render command:

Placement

• --random-placement place print randomly on the bed to evenly use the entire bed
• --auto-center place print in the center (default)

% print3r print cube.scad
% print3r --auto-center print cube.scad
% print3r --random-placement print cube.stl

Multiply Part

--multiply-part=<n> multiply part(s)

% print3r --multiply-part=2 print cube.stl
% print3r --multiply-part=2 print cube.stl dodecahedron.stl
% print3r --multiply-part=2 preview cube.scad pyramid.stl

each part is multiplied, --multiply-part=1 is redundant.

Scale

• --scale=<x>,<y>,<z> scale part x,y,z (absolute if ‘mm’ is appended)
• --scale=<f> scale part f,f,f

whereas each value can be:

• <float> = multiplier, special case 0 = scale proportionally
• <float>% = multiplier in percent
• <float>mm = force to x mm absolute length and scale all axis set to 0 proportionally

% print3r --scale=2 preview cube.scad
% print3r --scale=200% print cube.stl
% print3r --scale=2,1,0.5 print cube.stl
% print3r --scale=20mm,0,0 print box.stl
% print3r --scale=20mm,2,1 print box.stl
% print3r --scale=300mm,30%,1 print box.stl

Rotate

--rotate=<x>,<y>,<z> rotate x,y,z where is each angle 0 .. 360 deg

% print3r --rotate=90,0,0 preview toy.scad
% print3r --rotate=90,0,0 print toy.stl

Translate

--translate=<x>,<y>,<z> translate x,y,z whereas each value in [mm], disables --auto-center and --random-placement.

% print3r --translate=-40,20,0 print cube.stl

Mirror

--mirror=<x>,<y>,<z> mirror x,y,z (0=keep, 1=mirror), the same can be achieved with --scale= by using -1 (mirror) and 1 (keep):

% print3r --mirror=1,0,0 print toy.stl
% print3r --mirror=0,1,0 print mount.stl
% print3r --scale=1,-1,1 print mount.stl 

Slice

slice command converts and slices the model to Gcode file, best set --output=file.gcode to define the filename.

% print3r slice cube.scad
% print3r slice cube.stl
% print3r --output=cube.gcode cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=cura --output=cube.gcode cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=slic3r-pe --output=cube2.gcode cube.scad

Preview

preview command converts, slices and display the resulting Gcode with yagv Gcode viewer.

% print3r preview cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=cura preview cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=cura --printer=prusa-i3 preview cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=slic3r-pe --printer=ashtar-k-1 preview cube.stl pyramid.stl

Render

render command converts, slices and renders the resulting Gcode into a PNG image, best set --output=test.png to define the filename.

% print3r render cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=cura render 3DBenchy.stl
% print3r --slicer=cura --printer=prusa-i3 render cube.scad
% print3r --slicer=slic3r-pe --printer=ashtar-k-1 --output=set.png render cube.stl pyramid.stl

Gcode

gcode command allows to send Gcode in the command line directly:

% print3r gcode 'G28 X Y'
% print3r gcode 'G28 Z'

Gcode Console (gconsole)

gconsole command launches an interactive console to send Gcode and custom commands to USB connected printer:

== Print3r: Gcode Console (gconsole) - use CTRL-C or 'exit' or 'quit' to exit
   for valid Gcode see https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code
conf: device /dev/ttyUSB0, connected
> 

Commands

• any valid Gcode line
• in gconsole/commands reside a few gcode script which simplify handling:
  • home, homex, homey, homez, hx, hy, hz: homing all or individual axis
  • left <n>, right <n> move left or right (X-axis) relatively
  • up <n>, down <n> move up or down (Z-axis) relatively
  • forward <n>, back <n> move forward or back (Y-axis) relatively
  • x <n>, y <n>, z <n> move each axis absolutely
  • nozzle <temp> set nozzle temperature
  • bed <temp> set bed temperature
  • off turn everything off (motors, nozzle, bed)

> homex
send <G28 X>
-----
X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:5.00 E:0.00 Count X:0 Y:0 Z:16000
ok
.
> right 10
send <G91>
-----
X:0.00 Y:0.00 Z:5.00 E:0.00 Count X:0 Y:0 Z:16000
ok
.
send <G1 X10>
-----
ok
.
> _

Download & Install

Visit https://github.com/Spiritdude/Print3r or choose the latest release.

More Information & Details

• Github: Print3r Wiki: the “official” documentation and in-depth examples
• My Blog with Print3r: on-going development with examples