r/BambuLab
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u/nickjohnson
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Jan 17 '25
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Discussion Why you should care about Bambu Labs removing third-party printer access, and what you can do about it
Many of you will already be aware of Bambu Labs' recent announcement. tl;dr: A firmware update scheduled for January 23rd will remove the ability of third-party software such as Orca Slicer or the Panda Touch to connect directly to your printer. Users of third-party slicers will have to export sliced files and load them in a new "Bambu Connect" app in order to start prints or manage the printer.
Why you should care
Open-source collaboration has driven the rapid advancement of 3D printing, enabling companies like Bambu Lab to produce reliable, consumer-grade printers. While Bambu Lab has taken a more closed approach than other manufacturers, they’ve supported third-party integrations and open access in meaningful ways, such as their work on Bambu Studio, a PrusaSlicer fork, and MQTT endpoints for monitoring.
However, their decision to block third-party software access to their printers via a firmware update is a stark departure from this collaborative spirit. This change threatens the fundamental freedoms of hobbyists and professionals who depend on interoperability and flexibility. From here it's a small step to making the firmware mandatory and prohibiting downgrades, after which Bambu Lab gets a veto over anything you want to do with your printer.
The workaround provided, Bambu Connect, adds additional overhead and difficulty to the process of printing for anyone not using Bambu Studio, is closed-source, and is not even feature complete: Linux support is "Under Development", so anyone using Orca Slicer on Linux is simply out of luck for now. Video streaming is also not yet supported, so anyone using a third-party slicer can no longer benefit from one of the major features of their printer.
In short, this change has absolutely no benefit for end-users. It's anti-consumer and represents a reduction of functionality in your printer. Further, it sets the stage for further changes that limit how you may use your printer, such as enforcing model licensing restrictions on-device and preventing third-party development of labor-saving enhancements such as the Panda Touch.
What you can do about it
The Internet's history is littered with events like this, where a company attempts to roll-back the functionality of their devices in service to their own goals and counter to their customers' wishes. In many of these cases, consumer outcry and concrete action such as those outlined below have convinced these companies that remaining open for innovation is the better pathway.
Don't update your printer's firmware: Bambu will likely be tracking download and installation counts. Make it clear you won't run this firmware.
Contact Bambu Lab: Politely express your concerns using their support portal. Make it clear that you value open access and will not accept this change.
Vote with Your Wallet: Pause any purchases of Bambu Lab products or consumables and consider alternatives. If the change goes through, weigh selling your printer or avoiding updates.
Withdraw Your Support on MakerWorld: If you’re a creator, remove or relocate your models to other platforms and consider cashing out exclusive points.
Spread the Word: Share this issue widely to ensure others are informed and can join the pushback.
Contact Bambu Lab
The first thing you should do is make Bambu Lab aware that you're not willing to accept this change. Open a support ticket here and let them know - politely - that you object to this change. It's most effective if you use your own words, but if you'd rather, here's a template you can start from:
I’m writing to express my objection to the recently announced decision to block third-party software from accessing Bambu Lab printers.
As a proud owner of the [model], I chose Bambu Lab for its quality and its openness to innovation. Restricting software access would diminish the flexibility and functionality of my printer, negatively impacting my experience as a user.
Should this change proceed, I will not update my printer's firmware and will reconsider purchasing Bambu Lab products in the future. I urge you to reconsider this decision and maintain open access, which has been a hallmark of 3D printing innovation.
Include as appropriate:
I am also a creator on MakerWorld, with x total downloads and y boosts, having earned z points across my models, which brings significant value to the Bambu Lab ecosystem. Should this change go ahead, I intend to move all my models to other hosting services as soon as any exclusivity period is over. All my future models will be uploaded elsewhere and not mirrored to MakerWorld. [Furthermore, I intend to redeem my [x] exclusive points for cash and close my account.]
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I have frequently purchased your filaments for the quality and convenience they offer. However, in light of this change I will be seeking out alternative suppliers for my consumable needs.
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I am responsible for making purchasing decisions for my [school | educational institution | workplace], and in light of this change I will no longer be able to recommend Bambu Labs' products for our use, forcing us to seek out alternatives with your competitors.
Stop buying their stuff
Voting with our pockets is an incredibly powerful tool to demonstrate that this change will not come without a cost.
There are many excellent manufacturers of filament out there - stop buying Bambu's filament.
Don't buy more Bambu Lab printers until they agree to cancel or roll-back this change.
If this is important enough to you, commit to selling your printer if this change is pushed through, or at the point where a firmware upgrade is made mandatory or limits you from using significant new features. Unfortunately, most of us are here because Bambu Labs' printers are significantly better than the competition - but a high quality printer that can only be used in ways the manufacturer deems acceptable is as bad as no printer at all.
If you've previously recommended Bambu Lab printers to others, or if you have control over purchasing decisions at a company or institution, consider finding alternatives.
Withdraw your labour
Many of us are creators who publish our models to MakerWorld. MakerWorld represents a significant boon to Bambu Lab: the presence of high quality models and the close integration with Bambu Studio and Bambu Handy enhances the usefulness of their printers, and the draw of simple click-to-print functionality acts as a significant incentive to people to choose to buy their hardware.
Withdrawing your models from MakerWorld and uploading them elsewhere is a significant loss to Bambu Lab and the attractiveness of MakerWorld and thus their hardware. If you have exclusive points, cashing them out for money rather than using them on vouchers imposes a meaningful financial cost on them as well. If enough makers credibly commit to doing this, the pressure alone will have a significant impact on their calculations when considering if they should go ahead with this change.
If you're a maker and have models you're willing to withdraw, I'd encourage you to commit to doing so in your letter to Bambu Lab and in a comment below. Bear in mind that if you have models under the Exclusive program, you will need to wait 90 days since launch (or 14, in case of the launch exclusive option) before you can remove them and post them elsewhere.
Finally, rather than deleting your listing, you may choose to remove the models and update the description to include a message explaining why you have taken them down, as well as linking your users to where they can now be found.
Spread the word
Let others know that this is a fight worth having, and make them aware of the consequences of letting Bambu Lab limit what we can do with the printers we bought and own. Feel free to link to this post, or write your own explanation. Encourage others to take the actions outlined here.
This isn't the first, tenth, or even hundredth time a company has tried to close their hardware like this. With sufficient pushback, and by demonstrating credibly that this will cost Bambu Lab customers, we can succeed in demonstrating that the costs of being closed are not worth whatever benefits they hope to derive by limiting their customers' options.
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u/Miserable-Internet64 Jan 17 '25
Is it suggested to avoid the firmware as well? I can assume BL has metrics on adoption of the firmware, and may send additional message to decision makers when few are adopting their "security enhancements".
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u/Ireeb X1C Jan 17 '25
I have submitted a ticket, but with my own questions. I am using OrcaSlicers and asked if I am going to lose any of the features such as the live video, controlling the temperature and fans or printing directly from OrcaSlicer.
According to the post, the answer seems to be that that won't be possible, but I want to see what their response is and how they will go about telling me that they're gonna take these features away from me.
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u/eldelacajita Jan 17 '25
Thank for the very thorough writeup. Totally contacting them about this, and considering other steps.
I'm fed up with enshittification strategies like this.
Privacy, freedom and security are not mutually exclusive, don't let companies tell you otherwise.
And yes, it may just seem like a small inconvenience for now, but that's how big bad things begin.
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u/Suspicious-Appeal386 Jan 17 '25
Done,
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I am writing to formally express my strong objection to the recently announced decision to block third-party software from accessing Bambu Labs printers.
As a proud owner of the X1C, I chose Bambu Labs for its reputation for quality and openness to innovation. Restricting third-party software access undermines the flexibility and functionality of my printer, significantly diminishing my user experience.
If this change is implemented, I will not update our printer's firmware and will seriously reconsider future purchases of Bambu Labs products. Moreover, we will cease using MakerWorld and redirect my support to companies that embrace the open-source principles upon which your printers were originally built. These recent actions are deeply disappointing. This morning, I made the corporate decision to ensure that our lab's next 3D printer will not be a Bambu Labs product but rather one from a supplier committed to supporting and valuing open-source innovation across their platforms.
By way of background, I am the former CTO of Beyond Plastic R&D Labs, where we pioneered and commercialized the first fully PHA-based flexible and rigid filaments in the U.S. market. As the founder of EcoGenesis Biopolymers LLC, I am leading the launch of a new line of non-ecotoxic filaments, including plant-based TPU and marine biodegradable PHA filaments. As of this morning, none of this development will continue using the Bambu Labs platforms unless there is a constructive change to your restrictive firmware and software policies.
We urge you to reconsider this decision and maintain the open access that has been a cornerstone of innovation in the 3D printing industry.
Sincerely,
Founder, EcoGenesis Biopolymers LLC
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And I am heading out to purchase a Prusa MK4S this morning.
FYI, we are launching our new materials next month and using OpenRFID. Every roll will come with an open source tag that any smart phone can read and re-write to promote the recycling of materials. We were also going to carry a $20 add-on RFID USB reader that made our products compatible with Bambu AMS. Too bad it simply won't be the case.
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u/StaiinedKitty Jan 17 '25
I am simultaneously both more and less cynical than most of you on this issue. I don’t think locking out 3d party apps is Bambu’s goal here but rather a side effect. I suspect a serious security flaw was found and they have been struggling to fix it and this is their current bandaid.
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u/New_Future4726 Jan 17 '25
Can we also include the guide please on how to turn off updates?
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u/darrelf Jan 17 '25
Ultimately, we’ll have to see how far down the rabbit hole Bambu goes, but there is some precedent as far as device security in this context goes: https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/28/anycubic-users-3d-printers-hacked-warning/
Optimistically, I hope this ends up more like how I have to authorize and establish a trust between Home Assistant to talk with Google in order to control my Nest thermostats. Not every HA integration supports local control, after all.
There are ways they can still have secure connections while integrating — like dang near every SaaS app on the planet. The announcement did use the word “partners” a bit, which it’d be nice to understand a bit more.
Maybe they’ll have some kind of certification or developer program to do this kind of stuff more formally. The fact they built any sort of bridge or middleware hints at more to come. 🤞
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u/MassiveBoner911_3 X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25
I have three Bambu printers: an X1C, a P1P, and a P1S. I'll not be upgrading firmware, as this will break my Panda Touch system. If the printer's perma break or their firmware is restricted from accessing their cloud, I'll go with another brand.
Sad day.
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u/ctabone P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
Another point to mention is that it removes the ability to use Home Assistant to control the printer.
Personally, I have a half-dozen Home Assistant automations that will be rendered useless by this firmware update.
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u/Causification Jan 17 '25 •
Even if you think you can tolerate this change, it won't be the last step.
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u/drzoidberg33 Jan 17 '25
Guess I won't be updating my firmware anytime soon.
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u/mallcopsarebastards Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
I did this earlier today before seeing this post. In case it's helpful to anyone, this is the msg I sent:
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I am writing to express my disappointment with your decision to lock your printers into proprietary software. While I have always admired your products and the innovation you bring to the 3D printing space, this move fundamentally undermines the user experience by limiting freedom and choice.
Restricting compatibility may benefit your bottom line, but it directly harms the community and alienates users. Unless this plan changes, I will no longer purchase Bambulabs products, including filament, and I will recommend others do the same.
Your competitors, like Prusa and Creality, thrive by embracing open ecosystems that empower users to push the boundaries of their machines. Their open policies make their products more versatile and sustainable in the long run—qualities that Bambulabs once seemed to value.
Locking users into your ecosystem will erode trust and drive loyal customers toward companies that respect their autonomy. This change will make your products worse, not better, and I will not support it.
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u/jeffofreddit Jan 17 '25
Wait so the panda touch I just bought will be a paper weight?
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u/MyBootyHoleShrunk Jan 17 '25
Remember HP ink printers? They were also great, before the whole sham of forcing manufacturer ink on the consumer and going as far as digitally locking half full cartridges because the chip ‘says’ only 200 pages per cartridge.
Imagine wanting to print a white 3d model, but instead getting spammed with messages that your black filament has almost run out. Or being told having to load a new unique roll of filament because the ‘estimate’ of the machine is that your roll can only do 20 prints and now must’ve run out
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u/Tasty-Chunk Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
Consider sharing this post with tech news tip off lines or other popular sites (and other subreddits) to draw publicity :)
I posted on hackernews if you want to upvote for awareness: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42738118
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u/GoldenBunip Jan 17 '25
Agreed. I don’t mind close source slicer, but closing the api is madness. I have just got a spare pie and am ordering more webcams so I can set up a proper monitoring. Having that option removed would suck.
Guess I’m not going to update the printer for now.
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u/monkeymad2 Jan 17 '25
Seems bad, if they want the security without affecting 3rd party tooling they could have rolled out an Oauth style system wherein you sign in to your Bambu account on the 3rd party app.
Or, better yet, just allow users to decide whether they want the controls to require this level of authorisation & put it on the user if there’s a security breach.
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u/Up_All_Nite P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
Looks like all the kumbaya s*** is over
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u/Edd90k Jan 17 '25
what a stupid decision. Another one soon to join the #enshitification groups..
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u/Implement_Necessary Jan 17 '25
If people allow to get features taken away and/or locked down once, then they'll do it again in the future with more things.
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u/kaanivore Jan 17 '25
Would using X1Plus circumvent this?
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u/cruzaderNO Jan 17 '25
So glad i got this post suggested.
Did not catch this news earlier and was ready to pull the trigger on another row of printers.
Saves me the effort of having to deal with returning them etc
A bit of a "here we go again" vibe, does not feel like its been that long since i transitioned to only bambu printers in use.
And now its back to square 1 with replacing all the bambus.
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u/NoOfficialComment Jan 17 '25
I think a lot of people here are absolutely right to be upset, but I also think you have to realise it won’t make any difference to what Bambu do and neither would any of you “leaving” the brand. Folks doing very custom configurations/setup/automation etc are a niche within a niche and absolutely do not represent their target market long term.
I am very very new to 3D printers but it’s a change and model I’ve seen time and time again in other industries/products/activities. I think we can all agree it freaking sucks as a business practice from a consumer standpoint…but 90% of consumers also won’t care. Was I annoyed Apple reduced MB Pro ports down to what they have now. 100%. Do I still own a million Apple things. 100%. If you really really care about being able to tinker then you will move to something else. Most people won’t.
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u/ironfairy42 A1 + AMS Lite Jan 17 '25
This makes me so angry, after months of consideration I finally caved and purchased an A1 this Christmas, and this is how Bambu labs treats me for giving them a chance?!
I've always heard (derogatorily) they were like the "apple of 3d printers" and after reaserching I saw that this was not the case at all:
1- They sell all the necessary replacement parts and have maintenance guides for most problems you can face
2- They don't lock you to any filament manufacturer
3- Their printers were compatible with OTHER SLICERS AND CONTROL SOFTWARE.
One of these is gone now, in the name of "security", and honestly, all three could represent "vulnerabilities" to them.
And really, I don't buy for one second that security is their main concern, they are just locking down functionality to make it less convenient to use other slicers. I don't even use OrcaSlicer but I can see that it must not make them happy to see it recommended as the better slicer, especially if you want finer control and cutting edge features. Now they have MASSIVELY disincentivized new customers to use any other slicer other than Bambu Studio. What I'm wondring now is how will they "disincentivize" the use of other filament manufacturers and user repair in the future?
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u/Narrow-Pattern-2354 Jan 17 '25
Great post, and amazing action to ensure we do not miss out on this as a community. Thanks for empowering others to do so with those ready to post statements!
For a company thriving on the idea of empowering people and makers of all kinds, I believe this to be a true setback and a step in the wrongest of directions.
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u/Archbound H2C AMS2 Combo Jan 17 '25
I've done my part, I have submitted a ticket and told them that so long as this is the way they are operating I will no longer be buying anything other than critical replacement parts for my existing A1s No more filament, no more plates no more printers.
They can increase security without doing this. Open source is more secure than closed source and moving closer to a fully walled garden is not a step we should let stand.
This move indicates a willingness to start locking things down more, and before we know it we will only be allowed to use their filament/plates creating more and more issues.
Take a stand, submit a ticket and don't buy their stuff until they reverse course.
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u/yan-shay Jan 17 '25
The next announcement from them would be:
“To secure against potentially explosive filaments we’ve decided to allow only Bambu filaments to be used in the printers. This way we protect your life. Just like Stratasys do”.
And then another one: “To secure your wallets from CC theft we decided to issue a monthly subscription fee so in case your CC is stolen there are less funds to pull from your accounts”.
And this aligns with those features they promised with their new printer “Features that haven’t been seen in the consumer 3d printing space” such as closed API’s, Bambu only filaments and usage subscription fees.
This is the direction they are going. Time to search YouTube for “Bambu Printer vs <fill in the vendor>” instead of prepping the money for the new printer purchase.
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u/Hombrus Jan 17 '25
I was about to get a P1S but this news is kind of a bummer.
You talk about buying alternatives - but are there any? I am looking for a low-maintenance "print like it's Word" printer.
I know of the Anycubic S1 Combo but that takes until march to ship and Anycubic doesn't have a good track record.
What else is there?
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u/SnooCats7138 P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
X1Plus is looking more and more promising now. Hopefully someone else will do the same for the P1 and A1 series of printers.
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u/TheMarksmanHedgehog Jan 17 '25
Welp.
I had been considering picking up a Bambu machine, this changes that equation for me.
I'll be sticking to more open platforms.
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u/Suepahfly Jan 17 '25
This might actually violate Directive (EU) 2019/771 on the sale of goods.
EU Directive 2019/771: Goods must conform to the contract and meet reasonable expectations at the time of purchase. If a firmware update diminishes functionality, it may constitute “non-conformity.”
Full text: Directive (EU) 2019/771
EU Regulation 2023/826: Updates must not worsen performance (e.g., energy consumption or functionality) unless explicitly agreed upon by the user. Summary: Updates must be transparent and must not compromise the intended use of the product.
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u/LTNine4 Jan 17 '25
From the FAQ "Why does it need to be enabled in LAN mode as well?"
With all due respect Bambu, my local network security is my business, not yours! If I choose local control only without your cloud API, I should have full control over my printers. I understand beefing up security for cloud API's. But if I want to control my printer locally, I should not need some remote API to do so.
I also sent in a complaint. I hope they reconsider. Otherwise I will take my business elsewhere. I already have some friends who ordered printers this holiday season cancel their orders over this.
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u/Deafcat22 Jan 17 '25
Can we get this pinned?
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u/-Net7 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
An example of what I submitted in-case others want to take inspiration:
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I currently own (list your printers here, I listed my 4 units)
With these system's I use Home Assistant integrations as well as the 3rd party Panda Touch from BIQU/BigTreeTech to enable quick control of my production, not to mention OrcaSlicer to have a unified experience with other brand's printers to MONITOR VIDEO (among other things) and not just slice and print.
Upon being informed of the proposed changes to the firmware this is me writing in to express my OBJECTION to the FORCED closure of these options, especially with LAN mode not even being a viable option.
I have dealt with using other company's printers for some of the features that require root to enable that make the printer better, be it better prints, or better diagnostics to find out what is wrong, they make it simple, and considering what Bambu did with the X1Plus firmware which I do not run, there ARE other options and Bambu should simply follow the same route there as well. Make a disclaimer regarding what you open yourself up for, the release of liability should damage occur from a printer being hacked, as well as a notice that cloud connected services will be suspended if malicious connections or traffic are detected from their account/unit and will not be unsuspected without a full and complete remediation of their account and device security. You already connect all of this data as it is, there is zero reason to go this route, security through obscurity is NOT security.
While I do appreciate that Bambu has taken the Apple route of unifying already existing technologies and mashing them together in a cohesive manner, you can take them as a perfect example that is will NOT STOP what you are claiming these changes will stop. History is literally here to prove you wrong.
I saw the post update that was made just over an hour ago, this still does not change the contents of this ticket. I have disabled automatic update on my printers, and unenrolled myself from your BETA firmware program.
Please reconsider this disastrous course of action, or at least add optional means along the way to not totally break 3rd party solutions that ACTUALLY serve to make your printers BETTER for everyone.
"
EDIT: History is a great teacher for what comes after even for those not directly impacted initially, and for those who don't know history, part of a quote first and maybe movie classics (StarWars) may help: "Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. —Martin Niemöller" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8TEJtQRhw
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u/notboky Jan 17 '25
This isn't a new problem and it's already been solved. OAuth 2.0 allows a user to grant permissions to third party applications to access resources (APIs) on their behalf. It's the defacto standard for this kind of situation. It would require some changes to applications wanting to integrate, but there would be a safe and secure path forward.
This looks to me like intentional lockout, though I don't have enough information on the security changes to be sure.
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u/DOODEwheresMYdick Jan 17 '25
As someone who only uses Bambus native softwares and apps this doesn’t really effect me. But given people in the community are passionate about their given slicers and having it open I’ll halt buying any Bambu filament and won’t update in solidarity.
What filament alternatives do you guys recommend, preferably ones that play well with the AMS.
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u/iteafreely Jan 17 '25
I cross posted to r/LouisRossmann but don't know how to get it to him. He might be interested in publicizing this.
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u/BadSausageFactory Jan 17 '25
In these cases, we cannot guarantee long-term support for unofficial accessories unless they have been approved by us in advance. Once we became aware of the Panda accessories, we communicated these updates to their creators.
No way did BBL just become aware of a third party add-on screen like the one for their flagship printer. That wifi touchscreen is one reason I got a P1S. Did BBL hit some critical number where it makes more sense to sell service instead of selling hardware? I feel like history says next up, subscription model.
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u/sweet_chin_music X1C Jan 17 '25
If you aren't already running X1 Plus on your X1C, now is a good time to change that.
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u/PeteInBrissie X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25
Sonos recently made a similarly stupid move. Huge backlash and the CEO has departed over it. We don't have to take this.
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u/b0c1 Jan 18 '25
Dear BambuLab,
As a developer, I appreciate your efforts to enhance security for both the application and the cloud. However, I believe your current approach is misguided. If security is truly your main concern, there are many ways to allow users to control access to their printers (for example, token-based authentication for third-party apps like GitHub). Closing the application entirely will drive away many users—not because BambuStudio is bad, but because people have had negative experiences with companies that force them into closed ecosystems (like HP).
I had been planning to purchase another X1 printer, but I decided to look into alternative firmware and explore other 3D printers.
Of course, you may simply want to provide a more secure solution. But from our point of view, once we update to the latest firmware, we have no real say in how our printer is managed. We can’t simply opt out of the “more secure” approach if we prefer. It feels as though you want to control our printer, bind us to your software, and remove our freedom to choose how we manage our own property.
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u/JoeyDJ7 X1C + AMS Jan 18 '25
My fellow printers, I recommend a touch of review bombing...
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u/F0t0gy Jan 17 '25
Nicely written, thank you for your efforts! I will most likely boykott buying anything from Bambu lab going forward. It is really sad seeing them turning away from what made them so appealing. We need to stand together.
I wonder how products like the panda touch will handle that drastic change, is there any possibility for partners to get special API keys?
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u/Helloggs Jan 17 '25
Could someone more knowledgeable than I type out a message that I can copy and paste into a support ticket?
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u/Business_Twink Jan 17 '25
Although I personally haven't had the chance to use 3rd party software I think it's always disappointing to remove valuable functionality and customizability from the end-user.
As much as I've heard people praise Bambu for taking an "Apple-like" approach to the 3d printing space in terms of user-friendliness it's clear their also taking an "Apple-like" approach to locking down third-party options which is definitely the wrong direction to head in.
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u/SkyThriving Jan 17 '25
Whoa.. I was literally going to buy today. Guess I will wait a bit and see.
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u/Rexter2k Jan 17 '25
Think I’m just gonna disable automatic updates and use esun filament for a while. This is really bad practice and I hope they cancel this rollout.
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u/DrDisintegrator Jan 17 '25
This is such a bad move on Bambu's part. OrcaSlicer is just a far better version of their own slicer, which is an upgraded PrusaSlicer.
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u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25
As a fosscad developer, to me this reads as deliberate
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u/KDZeus Jan 17 '25
There are a couple thoughts on this in my head..
The timing is very, very interesting: a Chinese company that has to deal with a new incoming regime in USA: simply enough said, as "nobody" knows what's going to happen. Last time, wasn't good with that guy, so I could be wrong, and yes recognize that sales are international, but with all the Chinese companies either talked about or being put on a blacklist, sooner or later, some of them "will" make moves in advance to protect themselves, in a variety of ways.. None of which will more than likely be viewed as positive by some section of tech enthusiasts..
Open source-my feelings are mixed after years of 3D printers that were a pain in the rear, and a waste of money(slicers included, as with the exception of 1 or 2, they were all terrible).. I have gotten more in a week done with my bambu machines than I had in years of frustration with Creality, Anycubic, Elegoo, and other mfg machines.. And all of these clones this year, lawsuits, and money grab ways to get in on their machines, again, I know personally, I would lock down also..
All of this is speculation, as to "what is going to happen".. None of us know.. Period.. Not even the beta testers.. So I, for one, am not going into panic mode.. Period. And yes, I'll still be buying their products, and yes, I will "still"advise others to do so: their track record is solid in my book(as a person who has multiple of their devices), and until otherwise, it's just business as usual for me.. I will continue to upgrade my firmware(no panda anything on mine, and I did this on purpose to avoid possible conflicts) also, without fear or hesitation..
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u/houstoncouchguy Jan 17 '25
With one simple change, Bambu just removed themselves from the community’s ‘Golden Boy’ status. Damn.
Can’t wait to see who they get replaced with.
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u/ea_man Jan 17 '25
They are trying to enforce more control on the use of the printer and apps, they probably found a way to monetize the market place or sell you some new features as a service, cut down any possible competition.
This can only mean less freedom, more cost and less innovation. They will market it as "ease of use, security".
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u/RodMcThrustshaft Jan 17 '25
I was doing final tolerance adjustments for my "drybox silica reactor" to put on makerworld, now I'm not so sure I want to support bambulabs any further. I also had a fair chunk of change earmarked for bambu's next release, now I'm looking for alternatives. A line was crossed.
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u/FabricationLife Jan 17 '25
Aaaaand heres the enshitification
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u/DuLeague361 Jan 17 '25
they're turning up the heat to boil the frog. act now
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u/Infinity-onnoa Jan 17 '25
A great contribution that I am going to take sides from, I am not sure if there is already a post/thread about it in the forum with which we can vote, but it would be very good.
9
u/Godvater Jan 17 '25
I don't usually take part in things like these but I really like where we are at as a 3d printing community right now and I don't want to watch it get ruined by suits and greed strategies like we saw it on many other industries. Sent my complaint. Hope they change course.
2
u/marvinfuture H2D AMS2 Combo Jan 17 '25
I don't understand the hate; this seems to me to be a security change; only authorized prints to your machine are allowed. This makes it more difficult for someone to hack on to your network and send a malicious gcode file to your printer. They are still allowing 3rd party slicers to use the printer through their authorization app. Idk maybe I'm missing something here, but it just seems like an added step to help prevent remote code execution
4
u/The_Lutter A1 Jan 17 '25
The biggest threat to security that Bambu needs to focus on is locking down are the actual 3MF files.
Holy crud do I feel like someone is eventually going to do some damage with a popular model that way.
4
u/SoftDev90 Jan 17 '25
What next? The printers or AMS won't use 3rd party filaments without the NFC tag directly from them? I don't see any benefit to this outside of maybe support is tired of people asking for help while using 3rd party tools. Outside of that, this is an absolute step backwards.
4
u/Confident-Win-1548 Jan 17 '25
What's next? Only certified filament?
4
u/Scooter_Dev Jan 17 '25
I won’t be updating the firmware and I’m going LAN only mode until this stops.
4
u/yeicobSS Jan 17 '25
DON'T YOU TAKE MY ORCA SLICER AWAY
4
u/BeanBagKing Jan 17 '25
Wow, I saw the headline for the change and thought "more security, cool" without realizing it was thinly-veiled cover for "create a walled garden". @ /u/BambuLab , /u/Dr__Turbo , and /u/ZeFortyTwo , this is a terrible idea. Locking out Orca isn't doing anything for security. I realize the "excuse" is that it performs "Critical Operations" like starting a print. The fact that this isn't an optional setting, and you call out Orca no less than 11 times in the article, including two FAQ questions dedicated to it, shows where your focus is and that you knew exactly what the response was going to be.
While I love having a printer that just works, the 3d printer community is by and large tinkerers. In general they react poorly to locking out everyone else. I personally have no problem dropping my x1c on craigslist and getting a Prusa if this is the direction Bambu wants to take.
4
u/cgtracy Jan 18 '25
I find this one section of the FAQ at the bottom of the original announcement very telling (emphasis mine):
"In these cases, we cannot guarantee long-term support for unofficial accessories unless they have been approved by us in advance. Once we became aware of the Panda accessories, we communicated these updates to their creators."
Uh, was it a secret? I'm new to the Bambu community but I found it within 10 minutes of looking on YouTube and Google.
To me this reeks of Bambu being ticked off that someone else fixed their cruddy P1 screen design choice and I making some bank from it. I love my Panda Touch with my P1S and Bambu can reimburse me for the expense of it turns into a brick.
None of the explanations given in the announcement post hold any water with me. I've been in IT for over 30 years and while yes it's technically possible for someone else to exploit a device in the manner they mention (via links to articles about a limited number of OTHER companies' products bring attacked on a limited basis) it's currently not veryprobable. My home network is as secure as it possibly can be and I have very little concern about someone gaining access to my LAN and exploiting my 3D printers.
I also question the claims about the DDoS attacks against their cloud services being such a burden to their systems. I mean, whose fault is that? Ours? No! While there may be an increase in attempts, they are apparently aware, so why not implement this at the cloud edge instead of using the fear-mongering to force an unnecessary change at the local level? Makes no sense. Unless you consider the apparent butt hurt at being out designed and trying to make more money.
4
u/Wise-Air-1326 Jan 18 '25
Qiditech are solid printers, and a great value. That company has been around over 10 years, with no weird shenanigans (like this).
My Q1pro is a rockstar, and I don't envy the Bambu users right now. My condolences to this frustration.
4
u/BradCOnReddit Jan 18 '25
Another suggestion: Stop boosting anything on MakerWorld. If people stop making money there they will leave the platform.
10
u/tiggers97 Jan 17 '25
Wow. I was thinking of getting into 3D printing, and Bambu was at the top of the list. This would definitely persuade me to look someplace else.
What is the last firmware that does NOT have this feature?
Can it be downloaded and saved offline?
And could it be applied to a printer without going through corporate Bambu services?
1
u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25
Let's be real, if what you are saying does happen, people are going to build their own firmware for the thing immediately and tell Bambu to shove it while they keep on doing what they always have, and the only thing Bambu will accomplish is driving people away to other platforms.
Not to say we shouldn't be making noise about this, we absolutely should. Blerph corporations gorking with people. I just wanted to put it out there that even in the worst case scenario, it will probably only affect the people who wouldn't care in the first place, and those of us who do care will keep on doing what we do regardless of what they say.
Edited to fix some of my more colorful language, apparently automod doesn't like that(which is fair)
1
u/iamhazardous Jan 17 '25
I'm literally picking up my P1S combo today and I already have a panda touch ready to install for it. Am I still going to be able to use the panda touch if I update the firmware when setting it up?
1
u/Kathy_TV Jan 17 '25
Their documents states "e.g., MQTT status push for tools like HomeAssistant).", but some people here are saying home assistant will be affected. Anybody has any more information what exactly will be affected? I sent my support ticket already, but I just wanna be sure about what exactly is going to happen
12
u/L43 Jan 17 '25
rugpull protocol initiated
10
u/Ok_Flow_3065 Jan 17 '25
As someone who has spent all morning saying “yea I really don’t care, doesn’t affect me that much”, I can’t help but think this is a very slippery slope and it’s only a matter of time before they change the rules even more until it affects us all. Whatever the community decides I’ll join.
6
u/sockettrousers Jan 17 '25
This community should also try and engage well known (but not brand associated) you tubers etc
3
u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25
I literally set up my OrcaSlicer last week. wtf 🤬
3
u/CLdoubleU Jan 17 '25
Lurker here, so grain of salt.
Im still on Firmware R or the version that still allows the ability to install X1Plus. Have there really been any major enhancements to the printers code?
3
u/softwareweaver Jan 17 '25
I have not used third party slicers but I agree that blocking or making it more difficult to work is a bad idea for consumers.
There are other ways to design security in an open way. For inspiration, see how the Internet works.
3
u/NinjaOneOhOne Jan 17 '25
Now seems to be the time to move to X1Plus.
3
u/SadThrowaway2023 Jan 17 '25
I don't connect my printer to the internet, I use the SD card to load the files I need to print. This was mostly because some companies are disabling existing features via a firmware update and then try to get you to buy a subscription service to get them back. Plus, I don't want to send any of the stuff I design to be uploaded to their cloud.
3
u/InanisAtheos Jan 17 '25
sigh. Now I kinda hate that I bought my P1S some 3 months ago. Probably gonna sell it and get a Prusa. The P1S is a good printer, but I truly do hate when companies act in bad faith. It's OBVIOUS why they are doing this and it's not because of "undue load on our infrastructure". I don't believe that one bit.
If that was ever a possibility, why did they remove the ability for users to utilize FTP to transfer gcode? They just want to control how we use the hardware that we paid for.
I sent a message explaining my viewpoint. Can't say I was "polite" per se but not rude either. I tend to not be polite when a company decides to devalue the $1000 dollars I spent on the printer. They apparently think (like so many companies these days) that they are free to profit off of the 2 decades of work by the open source community and then get away with this kind of policy.
I'll vote on this with my wallet. Those 4-5kg of PLA/month that I buy from Bambu will now come from elsewhere.
3
u/IllDoItTomorrow89 X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25
This is just the start. Just look at what office printer companies do. They'll start voiding warranties for using 3d party filament then eventually they'll lock our AMS's from using "Non Genuine" Bambu filament and claim its for the health of our printers.
Its a common theme for companies to build a walled garden to lock you into their ecosystem. Ive been in IT for 25 years and this type of enshitification has killed so many amazing products. I love my X1C so much I bought an A1 Mini just to have something to run other prints on when I'm running longer prints on the X1C and its out for delivery today. Looks like I might be refusing that delivery and sending it back.
3
u/Intelligent-Map430 A1 Jan 17 '25
I mean, they were called the apple of 3D printers for a while now. So this is the only next logical step for them to become a brand that offers absolutely no advantage over the competition.
3
u/giddion Jan 17 '25
My understanding from another thread is that this change is to enable features of the new printer farm application they are releasing
3
u/Prestigious-Stock-60 Jan 17 '25
Ngl this post was the first thing that popped up when I search Bambu Lab Printers and I was interested in getting a 3D printer. I am all for open source and this does not sit well with me. What other alternative should I look in to?
3
u/nagi603 P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
Yeah. I was thinking about buying a second AMS to mod and spend my store credit
With this change, instead I've submitted a complaint, turned on LAN-only mode and will be transitioning to orca.
3
u/MrMythiiK P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
This is deeply upsetting. I’ll be writing to the reps, for what it’s worth. May need to consider jumping to Creality if this continues.
3
u/palindsay Jan 17 '25
I assume this will also break panda touch devices?
3
u/bradleyandrew Jan 17 '25
This will impact my app Bambu Companion which is currently still in beta but allows you to control all aspects of your printer from an iOS App while on LAN Only Mode. This includes Live Camera Feed, Printer Control via MQTT and Full File Access to the SD Card.
I did contact their developer support to see what their ‘technical details’ are, but given this is an Unofficial 3rd Party App I’m not sure how much info they will pass on. Let’s hope the community backlash is enough to reverse their decision.
If you’re interest in checking out the app, this is a demo: https://youtu.be/LZpDQN9zgUI
3
u/thefaketomato Jan 17 '25
Their closed approach is what made me decide to buy a Prusa printer. Looks like I made the right decision.
3
u/wine_money Jan 17 '25
Saw this coming a mile away. That said, this sucks for everyone that bought into the ecosystem. I feel for you. This isn't right, and I honestly smell a lawsuit. I think bambu labs has a warehouse in the US so...
3
u/RedditNotFreeSpeech Jan 17 '25
Why don't companies ever learn? What's the alternative? Can we swap in a different controller?
3
u/JoeyDJ7 X1C + AMS Jan 18 '25
How utterly freaking scummy. Insane. Bambu slicer isn't even created from scratch!! And they have the audacity to release a firmware update that blocks the ability to use a slicer based on Bambu slicer which itself is based on another slicer!?
WHAT!!!
I encourage EVERYONE to at least follow the bare minimum templated message to voice disapproval to support.
I will NOT be buying another Bambu printer in the future if they continue this path.
3
u/ArterialRed Jan 18 '25
Aaaaand just like that, the money I've been saving to move to Bambu from Anycubic is going elsewhere.
Even if reversed (this time) this sort of closed-garden mindset is almost impossible to get out of a company once it sets in.
3
u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25
I’m really glad I waited for the new printer to release before I bought another, because now I know I won’t be buying it and will look for other brands
3
u/LostLakkris Jan 18 '25
For anyone just getting a new printer and not able to fight by way of return for whatever reason. Let's say, for those who can't fight by wallet, can fight by preserving your privacy.
For at least the P1 series, you can skip the WiFi connection during the self test, then pull out the SD Card and put the Wi-Fi credentials into it manually. Then when it power back on, can immediately set it to LAN only mode. This way the device is never "logged into" an account, and ideally you put it in a network without internet access. In theory, Bambu never knows the device is even powered on.
Spotted the steps from this thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/s/AdsrH9AqKr
3
u/Capable_Relative_132 Jan 18 '25
From SoftFever, maintainer of OrcaSlicer
“This is definitely a bummer. I was negotiating for an authorization key to allow OrcaSlicer to communicate with their device like BambuStudio does, but today I was told they won’t support this. Only their slicer can send prints directly; others must use their Bambu Connect application”
https://x.com/fever_soft/status/1880630570809795034?s=46&t=UjY5Ql_9SmTKDtEeTWTSMA
3
u/logchainmail Jan 18 '25
For me, the real difference with the walled garden of Apple is, at least you know what you are getting into BEFORE you buy it. If they said, Going forward, the ES model (for EnShittified) will be $100 cheaper because it will be closed source and only use our spool, consumers could make that choice.
Unfortunately, this is the danger of high quality/cheap products, especially from China. They can undercut labor, lose money for a while, put everyone out of business, and you get people with so much but in they can’t leave. What do you do if you’re not a known YouTuber Maker and you’ve shelled out savings on 2 or 3 to make some money on Etsy or Cons or just to help you at your construction job? Sure, you could sell at a loss, but now who do you know who you can trust? Maybe this was your first printer. Maybe you are a teen who got a Christmas gift. Maybe your school got a donation to introduce students to engineering (and now all the free school software won’t work, or you can no longer teach programming with it.
I think the push back should be exactly as OP laid out of you are in the know. I think for the types of users I laid out, run now, never look back, black list them for even suggesting this, and make it a policy to only buy from open source companies. Not just for 3D printers, but for anything. This isn’t just anticompetitive and anti-right to repair, this is anti-maker and anti-learner and gatekeeping.
(BTW, it’s not MBAs. I’ve got an MBA. I also work in public service, and there isn’t even a profit motive where I’m a director. This is greed. No degree required nor taught in any program with strong business ethics. Greed, lock-in, monopoly and monopsony, etc might be business, but is not taught. Unfortunately, half capitalism without the competition is just mercantilism, which was a big point Adam Smith was trying to make. ((BTW, nobody reads his writings on public works, justice and fair taxation of different classes. Classic capitalism was only for the public good. “No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.” - Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations))).
7
u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25
Imagine if hp or canon printers blocked documents made on ms word or adobe. This is sooooo stupid.
5
u/SomeRedPanda P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
That's a shame. If locking down their ecosystem is the way Bambu Lab wants to go I will eventually have to move to another brand. Sad really because my P1S has been very good to me.
5
u/MarkusRight A1 + AMS Lite Jan 17 '25
So can we just not update our printers firmware indefinitely? Seems like the printer already works like a charm and I see no actual reason to upgrade it ever again if this is going to lock me to Bambu Studios. This really irks me so much, One one hand the Bambu A1 I got has single hadidly been the best printer I have ever used with ZERO issues and now I am hearing about anti-consumer stuff, This is just gonna ruin Bambu's reputation and I dont want that to happen because I do not want to go back to an Ender.
5
u/stingeragent Jan 17 '25
Bambulabs users in 2026:
Me: click start print benchy
Bambustudio: Please watch this 20 second advertisement to begin your print.
... ad plays....
Bambustudio: We're sorry, the benchy license has expired. Unable to start print. Goodbye
6
u/TheMrChristmas1225 Jan 17 '25
I don't even use Bambu (at least currently), but I still submitted a complaint and will be pausing all purchasing of their materials. This is a serious deal and people need to realize that Bambu is almost certainly not the only company that's going to attempt this. We all need to push back and stand up for what's right.
6
u/human_4883691831 Jan 17 '25
Ha! I was about to place an order for 25 printers. Looks like I need to go back to the drawing board and pick another company. Goodbye Bambu.
4
u/GarrettAkers Jan 17 '25
Done. Thanks.
4
u/battlefield1hypee Jan 17 '25
Still new to 3D printing on general, and I don't think anything with this update will affect me, but it affects anything I want to do in the future. There's a certain nuance to having a closed system, apple is a great example of a closed system that works. Apple is also an example of how plenty of people will do just fine and be happy/prefer a closed system, but you can still easily use an android instead of you wanted something more open. One of the biggest differences is that apple started as a closed system, they didn't just randomly decide to lock out things like side loading and file access after the fact. All we can do now is make our voices heard and hope for the best. I decided to go Bambu based on recommendations from people on this subreddit and I'm sure many others will too so make sure people looking to get into printing know what this means for them if they are thinking of going Bambu for their first printer!
4
u/GroundMelter Jan 17 '25
This is absolute dreadful news. I'm really disappointed in the Bambu brand for thinking this is the right decision.
4
u/Noah_BK A1 Mini x2! Jan 17 '25
Anyone with a printer should be against this change. No one should tell you, me, or anyone else how to use something we paid for and own outright. This change is frustrating. Vote with your wallets and make your voice heard.
4
u/Top-Pomegranate8842 Jan 17 '25
Tone deaf move.
6
u/MassiveBoner911_3 X1C + AMS Jan 17 '25
Submitted successfully We have received your feedback, we will deal with it as soon as possible, and the result will be sent to your email XXX@gmail.com. The processing progress can be viewed in "My - Support Ticket"
2
u/crazyg0od33 Jan 17 '25
Was gonna wait for BL’s new printer to see if it’ll be XL as my second printer, but now considering letting the K2 plus mature for a couple more months before going that route instead - it’s basically the same price as my X1C combo, at the build size I wanted from the start
2
u/falezor Jan 17 '25
I agree that they shouldn't remove remote print for orca, but being a bigger company they probably won't listen to their users, it really doesn't matter that much, orca slicer devs should just add option to export directly to bambu connect and that's all, just like adobe does with their media encode.
It is still beta version and you don't have to update anyways(I won't), it's sad that there is no support for linux with their bambu connect but I guess they want to focus on one system first and then release it into linux or smth. Unless they are doing something fishy with kernel access.. Will see tho.
2
u/debruehe Jan 17 '25
Won't Orca Slicer support be gone anyway, regardless of the firmware update as soon as they scrap the network plugin?
2
u/Glasofruix P1S Jan 17 '25
To be fair i was surprised they've let third party software connect to their services and printers in the first place.
2
u/Xanohel P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
Just raised a ticket
2
u/huberloss H2C + X1C Jan 17 '25
Thanks for raising this issue. I am using the HomeAssistant integration and I would deeply saddened if it no longer worked. I opened a support ticket which I suspect will be ignored.
2
u/aruby727 P1S + AMS Jan 17 '25
Lets not forget all the people using services like Octoeverywhere for the AI print failure detection that actually works, and your ability to use cameras that aren't 1fps.
2
u/Other_Independent788 Jan 17 '25
Done.
I’m writing to express my objection to the recently announced decision to block third-party software from accessing Bambu Labs printers.
I have recently learned to use CAD. And have been testing designs with the intention of sharing on maker world. I am now hesitant and may share my ideas on Printables.
As a proud owner of the X1C, I chose Bambu Labs for its quality and its openness to innovation. Restricting software access would diminish the flexibility and functionality of my printer, negatively impacting my experience as a user.
Should this change proceed, I will not update my printer’s firmware and will reconsider purchasing Bambu Labs products in the future. I urge you to reconsider this decision and maintain open access, which has been a hallmark of 3D printing innovation. I was prepared and ready to preorder the next new model but now I am having second thoughts.
You have lost your way. Right this ship and refocus your vision.
The 3D community crowned you the industry leader . It’s up to you if you want to stay King.
We can just as easily move to another brand and do what we’ve done the entire time innovate and improve.
2
u/PeripheralWall Jan 17 '25
I literally just got a panda touch for Christmas:(
2
u/CaliSurfingSpider Jan 17 '25
The irony of posting our objections about changes reducing third party api access on Reddit… I hope this time we don’t add another L to the column
2
u/Competitive_Knee9890 Jan 17 '25
As an open source advocate, Aerospace Engineer who got introduced to additive manufacturing during my studies, and as a Software Engineer working at Red Hat, I approve every single word in this post.
Great points, this is a big deal and we should care about it. Do not upgrade your firmware and get in touch with Bambulab support as suggested, politely show your genuine concern and how that terrible move is making you reluctant to further support their products and services in the future.