As we’ve mentioned, PrusaSlicer is a powerful 3D slicer, and integrating OctoPrint is a great way to reduce the time it takes to go from an idea to a printed object. The combination of these programs means you can slice your model, send it to your printer, and start the printing process, all from within PrusaSlicer.

With OctoPrint connected in PrusaSlicer, after uploading your model and slicing it, you can use PrusaSlicer’s specific button to send your newly-generated G-code straight to your printer. This also means you don’t have to be next to your machine to start the print, as long as the device running PrusaSlicer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your OctoPrint server.

Another advantage is that you don’t need a physical storage device (like a microSD card) to transfer your files. All the files you send to your printer are stored on your OctoPrint server device’s storage, so you don’t need to fear losing that tiny microSD card!

Now, let’s get to how to set up the connection.

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Connecting your OctoPrint server to PrusaSlicer is super easy, and you can follow the instructions below to complete this process. Before starting, though, make sure that your OctoPrint server is properly set up, the firmware is updated (at least OctoPrint 1.1), and you’ve downloaded the latest version of PrusaSlicer.

1. Open PrusaSlicer.
2. Go to the “Printer Settings” tab on the PrusaSlicer interface.
3. In the “General” section, select “OctoPrint” for the “Host Type” setting.
4. Open your web browser and go to your OctoPrint interface URL. This should be the IP address of your OctoPrint server (e.g. “192.158.1.332”).
5. Copy the IP address of your OctoPrint server.
6. In PrusaSlicer, still in the “General” section of the “Printer Settings” tab, paste the IP address into the “Hostname, IP or URL” text box. Don’t click “Test” (yet).
7. In your OctoPrint interface, click the wrench icon in the top-right corner of the dashboard, and go to the “API” section.
8. Locate your “Global API Key” and click the copy-to-clipboard icon to the right.
9. Paste the API key you copied into the “API Key/Password” box in PrusaSlicer.
10. Now you can click the “Test” button to the side of the “Hostname, IP or URL” button. You should see a pop-up box confirming the success of your OctoPrint connection.

Congratulations, you’ve now successfully set up your OctoPrint connection to PrusaSlicer!

Now that you’ve properly integrated OctoPrint into PrusaSlicer, follow the steps below to use the connection you’ve just set up:

1. Open your 3D model in PrusaSlicer.
2. After modifying the slicer settings as you see fit, in the “Plater” section, click “Slice now” at the bottom-right corner of the interface.
3. Click the ‘G’ button to the right of “Export G-code”.
4. In the pop-up box that will appear, rename your print and choose whether you want to start the print immediately after uploading by checking the empty box. If you don’t want this to happen, you can always start the print later from the OctoPrint interface (outside of PrusaSlicer).

And that’s all there is to it!