Bambu Lab removes third-party app support for P and A series 3D printers

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You can get around the new restriction a couple of ways.

Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer
(Image credit: Bambu Lab)

A big part of the 3D printing world includes the frequent adoption of open source tools, reinforced by community-driven support. Whether its files for printing or software for processing them, there are plenty of resources online available to enhance your 3D printing experience. Manufacturer Bambu Labs has created obstructions to this trend, however, by restricting third-party software from being used for its P and A series 3D printers.

The change comes from new firmware releases for the P1P, P1S (we love this printer, check out our review of the P1S to see why), and A1 3D printers. The firmware was centered around this specific decision and doesn't feature any other changes. According to the change logs, printers updated to use this new firmware will reject unofficial software from installing. Bambu Lab has stated that customers are free to continue using older versions of the firmware.

In effect, this prevents owners from using third-party products like OrcaSlicer with their machines by default. Thankfully, there are a few ways around this that will still allow you to make the most of your 3D printing workflow using your favorite apps and add-ons. One way is to avoid the update altogether, however this means your printer will be unsupported going forward unless you choose to update it. The other option is to take advantage of Developer Mode, which enables authorized connections from 3rd party applications.

Bambu Labs' decision isn't entirely a surprise, as it added the same restriction earlier this year to the X series 3D printers. That move wasn't well-received by the community at large, which might be why Bambu Labs decided to add the option to revert to older editions of the firmware that don't have app restrictions. This step drives a wedge between the community and the manufacturer by making it harder for users to use their hardware however they see fit.

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Ash Hill
Ash Hill
Contributing Writer

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • edzieba
    This is... not really correct.

    Previously:, your options for printing were:
    - Install the proprietary (and closed source) Bambu Network Connect plugin and print via Bambu's cloud services. BNC sits within a tab in the slicer. Can be used with Bambu Studio (open source), Orca Slicer (based on Bambu Studio) and other slicers that implement BNC, but not slicers that do not implement it.
    - Install the proprietary (and closed source) Bambu Network Connect plugin and print locally using LAN mode. BNC sits within a tab in the slicer. Can be used with Bambu Studio (open source), Orca Slicer (based on Bambu Studio) and other slicers that implement BNC, but not slicers that do not implement it.
    - Copy sliced GCode to an SD card and move it to the printer.

    With the new firmware:
    - Install the proprietary (and closed source) Bambu Network Connect plugin and print via Bambu's cloud services. BNC sits within a tab in the slicer. Can be used with Bambu Studio only.
    - Install the proprietary (and closed source) Bambu Connect software and print via Bambu's cloud services. Bambu Connect sits within its own window. Can be used with any slicer, even those that did not previously implement the BNC plugin (you can even hand0write GCode if you want, AKA Fullcontrol).
    - Install the old proprietary (and closed source) Bambu Network Connect plugin and print locally using Developer Mode. BNC sits within a tab in the slicer. Can be used with Bambu Studio (open source), Orca Slicer (based on Bambu Studio) and other slicers that implement BNC, but not slicers that do not implement it.
    - Copy sliced GCode to an SD card and move it to the printer.

    The mention of Octoprint is particularly ironic: you can't use Octoprint with Bambu printers, and never have, because Octoprint relies on streaming raw GCode to the printer board and that's now hot the Bambu printers have been implemented (think of it as the printer having its own GCode psotprocesser). But, the way Octoprint works with other printers - the slicer outputs GCode which you then send to Octoprint to print - is how Bambu Connect now works: you slice with a slider, then print that GCode with Bambu Connect.


    In practice, the new firmware adds an additional double-click to the printing process. Instead of pressing "print" in the slicer, you now press "generate GCode" in the slicer, then double-click that GCode file to send it to Bambu Connect.


    Where it gets more complicated is with MQTT access: previously, MQTT could be used by any service with the printer logon details (the printer name and password generated internally and shown on the printer UI) to both read printer status and to command the printer. This has now changed: in Developer Mode (the old LAN mode) you retain full MQTT control as before. But outside of that, MQTT is still available but is read only: you can monitor printer status, but you can't drive the head around or command the head or bed to heat up.

    What this means for the end user:
    - If you use Bambu Slicer and Bambu Handy, this is also a nonissue, you will not have any change in workflow.
    - If you never used Bambu Handy (the mobile app) and never used the cloud service, then the move from LAN mode to Developer Mode is a complete nonissue, you lose nothing, regardless of what slicer you use.
    - If you never used Bambu Handy (the mobile app) and never used the cloud service, and use HomeAssistant or some other MQTT service to monitor the printer only, then the move from LAN mode to Developer Mode is a complete nonissue, you lose nothing, regardless of what slicer you use.
    - If you never used Bambu Handy (the mobile app) and never used the cloud service, and use HomeAssistant or some other MQTT service to command the printer, then the move from LAN mode to Developer Mode is a complete nonissue, you lose nothing, regardless of what slicer you use.
    - If you do Bambu Handy (the mobile app), and use the cloud service, and use HomeAssistant or some other MQTT service to command the printer, then you will have a choice to make: switch to Developer Mode and lose Bambu Handy (but retain everything else as currently) or lose MQTT commanding and have 3rd party slicer use be slightly less elegant but retain Bambu Handy use.

    tl;dr You can use the cloud service and all its convenience, or you can use random slicers and MQTT commanding, but you can no longer have both simultaneously.
    Reply
  • purposelycryptic
    This kind of thing is why I stay away from Bambu Lab, despite their great hardware - I don't need walled gardens in my DIY hardware.
    Reply