How to Create the Best 3D Printing Time-Lapse Videos With Octolapse

Octolapse is an OctoPrint Server plugin that you can install to create those awesome stabilized 3D printing time-lapse videos where the printer nozzle stays in one place and the 3D printed object seems like it’s growing by itself.

It’s really fun with loads of customization options and presets that can further enhance the time-lapse videos of your 3D prints. Below, we’ll detail everything you need to do to get started.

Things You Will Need

You will need the following to get started.

• An OctoPrint Server installed on Raspberry Pi. You may also use an old Android device as an OctoPrint server.
• A camera module for Raspberry Pi. You may also use an HD or 4K USB webcam for recording high-definition time-lapse. Android users can use the built-in front or rear cam to record the time-lapse.

Install the Octolapse Plugin

After setting up your OctoPrint server, check the printer connectivity and follow the steps below to install the Octolapse plugin.

Open and login to the OctoPrint server, and then click the Settings (wrench icon).

Click Plugin Manager > Get More and then search for the Octolapse Plugin.

Click on Install to proceed.

After the Octolapse plugin is installed, close the Plugin Manager and restart the OctoPrint server using the Restart Now button at the top right. Click Confirm when the prompt appears, and then wait for the reboot.

Click Reload Now after 1-2 minutes. This will load the OctoPrint server web interface.

At this point, we have successfully installed the Octolapse plugin.

Set Up Octolapse for Your 3D Printer

Once the camera is detected and selected under Octolapse, continue following the below steps to configure the Octolapse plugin for your particular 3D printer. We will set up Octolapse for the Ender 3 V2 for this guide.

Here are the instructions:

1. Click the + icon in the Printer section and then enter your printer details, such as name and description.
2. From the Make option, choose the brand and model if listed. You will see a prompt at the top right to overwrite the settings; click OK. This will load the pre-configured 3D printer’s settings and click Save. However, if the model you use isn’t listed, keep it as Not Selected.
3. In the Slicer Type, choose the slicer you use.
4. Launch your slicer program and then manually copy the values to the Octolapse Extruder settings. Then click Save.
5. Keep all settings as default, and then make sure you have selected the right camera.

Connect the Camera

After installing the Octolapse plugin on our OctoPrint server, we need to connect a webcam or Raspberry Pi camera to the Raspberry Pi. Once the camera is connected via USB or camera port, click the Octolapse option and select the webcam or connected camera from the drop-down.

Using Octolapse on Android With Octolapse

If the video quality is low resolution, you can edit the camera properties to increase the resolution. Alternatively, you can install Octo4A or OctoPrint for Android app on your old or retired Android smartphone to run the OctoPrint server and record the Octolapse (time-lapse) videos using the high-quality smartphone camera.

After installing the OctoPrint on your smartphone, follow these steps:

1. Start the OctoPrint server and then visit the IP address at port 5000.
2. Make sure the printer is connected to the OctoPrint server running on your Android via USB OTG. Then, follow the steps discussed earlier to install the Octolapse plugin. The steps remain the same.
3. Once installed, go to the Settings on your OctoPrint for Android app and turn on Enable camera server.
4. Tap on the Camera source and select the camera you want to use for recording the 3D printing time-lapse (Octolapse) videos. You can also choose the resolution.
5. You may also lower the FPS to save the battery on your Android device. Otherwise, use a USB with Power Delivery when using OctoPrint for Android.
6. Finally, disable the autofocus settings and open the web interface on your PC.

Make sure to test the camera and add it to Octolapse. Go to Settings > Octolapse and click on Camera to access the settings.

You may edit the default webcam settings or add a new camera. Click on Test Webcam to ensure the camera server is up and running.

Add Script to Your Slicer

If you use Cura, Creality3D, or any other slicer, make sure to add the script to your printer settings in the slicer program. The steps to add the script in Cura and Creality3D slicer are as follows:

1. Open the Cura or Creality 3D slicer and go to Settings.
2. Choose Printers > Manage Printers and select your local 3D printer.
3. Click Machine Settings. In the Start G-code section, paste the following code at the top.

; Script based on an original created by tjjfvi (https://github.com/tjjfvi) ; An up-to-date version of the tjjfvi's original script can be found ; here: https://csi.t6.fyi/ ; Note - This script will only work in Cura V4.2 and above! ; --- Global Settings ; layer_height = {layer_height} ; smooth_spiralized_contours = {smooth_spiralized_contours} ; magic_mesh_surface_mode = {magic_mesh_surface_mode} ; machine_extruder_count = {machine_extruder_count} ; --- Single Extruder Settings ; speed_z_hop = {speed_z_hop} ; retraction_amount = {retraction_amount} ; retraction_hop = {retraction_hop} ; retraction_hop_enabled = {retraction_hop_enabled} ; retraction_enable = {retraction_enable} ; retraction_speed = {retraction_speed} ; retraction_retract_speed = {retraction_retract_speed} ; retraction_prime_speed = {retraction_prime_speed} ; speed_travel = {speed_travel}

Once added, click Close > Close.

Now, you can start slicing the 3D object you want to print and upload the G-code to the OctoPrint server for printing.

Record Time-Lapse With Octolapse Automatically

Now, whenever you start printing via the OctoPrint Server, the OctoPrint displays or previews the snapshot plan. It tells you where the print head will be when the Octolapse takes the snapshots.

Click Accept and Continue.

This will start the 3D printing process and OctoPrint will begin taking the snapshots. It will combine these snapshots to create a seamless time-lapse video of your 3D-printed object.

When the printing is complete, click the Videos and Images… button to download the time-lapse video created by Octolapse.

Read More: How to Create the Best 3D Printing Time-Lapse Videos With Octolapse – MakeUseOf