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 banning third party apps from being installed 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.
In effect, this prevents users from using third-party applications on 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 gives you the authorization to install third party apps.
Some features found in third party apps can be found in the Bambu Connect software, like the ability to view your print remotely. However, many users are partial to programs like Octoprint that have their own add-ons (here are some of our favorite Octoprint plugins to get an idea of what we're talking about).
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 manufacturer by making it harder for users to use their hardware however they see fit.
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