OctoPrint: Control and Watch Your 3D Printer Remotely
Upload files, start prints and watch a live camera from any browser in the house.
OctoPrint connects to your printer over USB and adds a web interface, time-lapses and hundreds of plugins. Raspberry Pi Imager includes a ready image.
Never leave a printer running unattended for long periods without smoke detection nearby. Keep OctoPrint off the public internet; use a VPN for remote access.
Video tutorial
Video by 3D Revolution, embedded from YouTube. The written steps below are our own and match the parts list.
Mission steps
Flash OctoPi
In Imager: Other specific-purpose OS → 3D printing → OctoPi. Set Wi-Fi and a user in the customization screen.
Connect the printer
Plug the printer's USB into the Pi and power both. Use a quality power supply — undervoltage causes failed prints.
Run the setup wizard
Open http://octopi.local, create an admin account and enter your printer's bed size.
Add the camera
Connect a Camera Module or USB webcam for live view and automatic time-lapses.
Add plugins
Bed visualizer, print time estimator and a failure-detection plugin are great first picks.
Questions
Does my printer support it?
Most printers with a USB port and standard G-code firmware (Marlin, RepRap) work. Some closed printers use their own apps instead.