PSA: OctoPrint Connection plugin in Cura 4.2 and 4.2.1

[ahoeben 1,948]

I'm having to answer the same question in multiple places, multiple times a day, so I guess I need to do some explaining.

An updated version of the OctoPrint Connection plugin is needed for Cura 4.2 and 4.2.1. This updated version of the plugin has been submitted to the Marketplace, but at this time is still awaiting approval. For the time being, you can download the version that is compatible with Cura 3.5 all the way to Cura 4.2.1 here:

http://files.fieldofview.com/cura/OctoPrintPlugin-v6.1.0-2019-08-02T07_23_49Z.curapackage

Download the file and drop it onto a running Cura application window. Then restart Cura.

 

Update: An updated version of the OctoPrint Connection plugin is now available in the MarketPlace.

 

Each version of the OctoPrint Connection plugin has an built-in check to see what version of Cura it is running on: It specifies a minimum and maximum version it is compatible with. I check the plugin with each released version of Cura before submitting a version that is specifically marked as compatible with that version of Cura. I started doing this more than a year ago because on multiple occasions the plugin got the rug pulled from underneath it by changes to Cura between versions; at more than one point, having the previous version of the plugin installed with the new version of Cura would have stopped Cura from starting, even leading to certain versions of the plugin having to be specifically blacklisted in Cura.

 

I normally try to update the plugin during the beta period for a new version of Cura, so that the updated version of the plugin is available through the Marketplace when the stable version is launched. In this case I submitted the updated version a week before the launch of the stable version. Unfortunately, the time between the launch of the beta and stable versions of Cura is a busy time for the Cura team, so approval of new plugins sometimes gets delayed. There was an additional issue with the "contributors portal" where new versions of plugins are submitted which has further delayed the release of the updated plugin.

 

I will discuss with the Cura team if my additional compatibility checks are still necessary so this hopefully will no longer be an issue going forward.

Edited August 2, 2019 by ahoeben

[nallath 1,120]

We're trying to stabilise the API's (we did a piss poor job on that before), so i hope that these checks wont be necessary anymore.

[kjbourgault 0]

I got the newest version of OctoPrint Connection plugin from marketplace and it sees my printer, but never connects. I can click the button but nothing executes. After several failures, I tried the drag-and-drop of the older July version (http://files.fieldofview.com/cura/OctoPrintPlugin-v6.0.0-2019-07-18T12_32_22Z.curapackage). I am running Cura 4.2.1 (off appimage) running on Ubuntu 18.4.3.

Try as I might, I cannot get the 'connect' button to work. I can see my printer. I can request an API, but I cannot get it to connect. I have tried several flavors of API to include the generic, the app specific, and even one for my specific login. I have edited the RPi's yaml and put the API key directly into the octopi code... Nothing.

Flummoxed.

[ahoeben 1,948]

7 hours ago, kjbourgault said:

I can click the button but nothing executes.

 

By "the button", do you mean the "Connect" button in the "Connect to OctoPrint" dialog? It looks like that button has lost some of its magic. It does seem to connect, but then doesn't close the window as it used to do. After pressing the button, (at least for me) nothing may seem to happen but the OctoPrint instance should be connected. I'll fix it so something happens again.

[kjbourgault 0]

I can confirm that the API function is working. It was giving me nothing with regard to feedback, but I figured something was working when I tabbed to the connect button and hit return and the screen closed. Eventually I made it to the log file and saw all was well.

 

I blame years of conditioning, as I was paralyzed by the lack of a prompt/smiley face telling me that I was successful.