Reporter sliced in OrcaSlicer with timelapse on, sent the job to a VP
queue, started from the queue, and got no timelapse video. Their
dispatch chain itself was correct (queue item -> scheduler -> MQTT
command honors `timelapse`); the gap was at queue-add time.
The VP's `_add_to_print_queue` reads `default_timelapse` (and the four
other print-option settings) from the workflow settings card. That was
introduced in #1235 to stop column-level defaults from winning. But it
also discarded the slicer's actual choice carried on the MQTT
`project_file` command, which all the slicers (Studio / Handy / Orca)
ship as `timelapse: true|1`. Result: a user with the new-install value
`default_timelapse=false` had to either flip the global setting or
edit every queue item by hand, even though their slicer's "Print
options" UI clearly said "record timelapse".
Investigation went wider than #1403 because Martin's hypothesis was
"the print options modal isn't respected either." Cross-checking
86 captured P1S `project_file` commands across the support packages
shows 46 from the queue scheduler and 33 from background_dispatch
emitting `"timelapse": true` correctly to real printers - the modal +
re-print path is intact end-to-end. The slicer-side gap was the only
real bug. Two unrelated dead-code issues turned up in the same dig and
are folded in below.
Fix (VP queue inheritance)
- `on_print_command` in the VP manager now stashes the slicer's
project_file dict keyed by filename, then signals an asyncio.Event.
- `_add_to_print_queue` checks the dict first; if empty, creates the
event and waits up to 2 s for it before reading the settings
fallback. Each option flows through per-field - slicer value wins
if present, else the existing settings default (so users who
explicitly set `default_timelapse=true` in their VP workflow card
still get that on slicers that don't send a print command).
- MQTT field naming preserved exactly: `bed_leveling` (single L) on
the wire stays mapped to `bed_levelling` (double L) on the Bambuddy
column. Integer 0/1 from H-family slicers and bool true/false from
P1/X1 slicers both coerce via `bool()`.
- Capture is gated on `mode == "print_queue"` so immediate / review /
proxy modes keep their pre-fix no-op `on_print_command` and don't
accumulate stashed entries over the VP's uptime.
- Wait is also skipped when there's no MQTT server attached
(`self._mqtt is None`), so unit tests that invoke
`_add_to_print_queue` directly don't pay the 2 s tax.
- Capture is consumed on use so the dict stays bounded.
- `printer_manager.get_status(...).get(...)` against a `PrinterState`
dataclass that has no `.get()` method.
- Every print option discarded (timelapse, bed_levelling, AMS mapping).
The route 500'd before ever reaching the printer. Rewritten to mirror
`POST /print-queue/{item_id}/start`: clear `manual_start=False` on the
next pending queue item and let the scheduler dispatch with the
queue's stored options intact. Response shape preserved.
Side-bug b: vibration_cali default drift in background_dispatch
- `ReprintRequest.vibration_cali` and `FilePrintRequest.vibration_cali`
both default to `True` (matches Bambu Studio behavior for X1/P1).
- Both `_process_job` call sites read
`job.options.get("vibration_cali", False)`.
Cosmetic today because the frontend always sends the field, but a
latent landmine for any future caller that bypasses the schema. Both
sites flipped to `True`.
Real-printer prints broadcast archive_created from the MQTT print_start
handler, which the Archives page listens for to invalidate its query
cache. The VP file-receive paths created the archive in the DB but
never emitted the event, so the new card only appeared after a tab
switch triggered refetch-on-focus.
Added a small _broadcast_archive_created helper on VirtualPrinterInstance
and called it from _archive_file (immediate mode) and _add_to_print_queue
(queue mode). Review mode is unaffected — it creates a PendingUpload,
not a PrintArchive. Broadcast errors are swallowed at debug level so a
transient WebSocket issue can't break the file-receive flow.
Bambuddy's VP supports two slicer flows: Send (file upload only — what
queue/immediate/review modes are designed for) and Print (file upload
+ start-print, intended for proxy mode). When a user clicks Print
against a non-proxy mode the VP must still respond gracefully — the
file is fine to receive, just the start-print never happens. Instead
the slicer wedged at "Downloading...(0%)" and blocked the next
dispatch with "The printer is busy with another print job".
Cause: on_file_received transitioned gcode_state PREPARE -> IDLE
directly. Print-flow slicers watch the state cycle and only release
their in-flight-job lock on PREPARE -> ... -> FINISH (or FAILED).
PREPARE -> IDLE looks like "printer abandoned my job" and keeps the
prior job pinned in the slicer's memory.
Fix: transition PREPARE -> FINISH with prepare_percent=100. The 1-Hz
periodic status push broadcasts the new state to every connected
slicer within a second. Send-flow slicers don't watch this state so
the change is a no-op for them; Print-flow slicers see the FINISH
they were waiting for and unwedge.
Prints sent from a slicer to a VP in print_queue mode arrived in the
queue with bed_levelling / flow_cali / vibration_cali / layer_inspect /
timelapse set to the SQLAlchemy column defaults, ignoring the user's
workflow page settings entirely. The manual POST /print-queue endpoint
reads these from the request body (frontend pulls them from settings
before submitting), but manager._add_to_print_queue constructed the
PrintQueueItem without touching any of those fields.
Read default_bed_levelling and the other four settings via get_setting
and pass them explicitly. _bool_setting helper handles the None ->
AppSettings default fallback.
The Tailscale toggle was supposed to obtain a publicly-trusted Let's Encrypt
cert via `tailscale cert` so users wouldn't need to import Bambuddy's CA into
the slicer. End-to-end testing showed this was always going to fail:
- Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer refuse hostname input in the Add Printer
dialog (IP-only).
- Their printer-MQTT trust path validates only against the bundled BBL CA
store (`printer.cer`), NOT the system trust store. Confirmed against
ClusterM/open-bambu-networking's clean-room reimplementation:
`mosquitto_tls_set(BBL_CA)` + `verify_peer=1` + `tls_insecure=true` —
chain validation against BBL CA only, hostname check intentionally
skipped (because Bambu's printer cert CN is the device serial).
- LE certs don't chain to BBL CA, so the slicer rejects with the
well-known "-1" before any hostname/IP logic runs.
The cert-import step is unavoidable; LE provisioning was dead code for slicer
connections. Pivot:
- Toggle stays as an informational marker — when ON, the VP card surfaces
the host's Tailscale IP + MagicDNS hostname so users know what to paste
into the slicer.
- Cert is always self-signed (signed by `bbl_ca`).
- Tailscale exposure is via the existing bind_ip dropdown, which already
includes `tailscale0` IPs.
- Tailscale's role is strictly network reach — same trust burden as LAN.
Backend cuts:
- `tailscale.py`: `provision_cert`, `ensure_cert`, `cert_needs_renewal`,
`_FQDN_RE`, `_HTTPS_DISABLED_RE`, `TS_CERT_EXPIRY_THRESHOLD_DAYS`,
`cryptography` import. Keep `get_status` and `TailscaleStatus`.
- `certificate.py`: `ts_cert_path`, `ts_key_path`, `use_tailscale_cert`.
- `manager.py`: `tailscale_fqdn` field, `_cert_renewal_task`,
`_cert_restart_task`, `_cert_renewal_loop`, `_restart_for_cert_renewal`,
`_cancel_renewal_task`, `_cancel_restart_task`. Simplify
`_resolve_cert_and_advertise` to a sync method that just generates the
self-signed cert. Drop `tailscale_disabled` from the change-detection
diff (toggle is informational — no service restart needed).
- `routes/virtual_printers.py` + `routes/settings.py`: drop the
`tailscale_not_available` 409 guard on toggle-enable.
Frontend cuts:
- `VirtualPrinterCard.tsx`: FQDN/IP display sourced from
`multiVirtualPrinterApi.getTailscaleStatus()` (host-level) when toggle
is ON, instead of `printer.status.tailscale_fqdn` (cert side-effect,
no longer populated). Drop the `tailscale_not_available` toast handler.
- `api/client.ts`: drop `tailscale_fqdn` from the VP status type.
- i18n: rewrite `tailscaleDisabled.description` in all 8 locales to drop
the "no cert import" promise. Remove `toast.tailscaleNotAvailable` key.
Docs:
- Wiki `features/virtual-printer.md`: rewrite the entire Tailscale section
— remove the LE-cert + HTTPS-Certs-toggle + tailscale-cert-operator
steps, document the toggle as informational, keep the Docker socket
mount + LXC TUN troubleshooting (those still apply for daemon
reachability).
- README: drop "the Tailscale benefit here is the tunnel, not cert-import
elimination" framing in favour of "surfaces the IP for paste into
slicer; CA import unchanged because BBL CA store, not system trust
store, is what gets validated".
Tests:
- `test_tailscale.py`: reduced to surviving `get_status` cases (binary
missing, command fails, success, empty DNSName, malformed JSON).
- `test_virtual_printer.py::test_sync_from_db_restarts_on_tailscale_disabled_change`
→ `test_sync_from_db_does_not_restart_on_tailscale_toggle` (toggle is
informational; `remove_instance` must NOT be called).
- `test_virtual_printer_api.py::TestVirtualPrinterTailscaleGuardAPI` →
`TestVirtualPrinterTailscaleToggleAPI` (single test asserts both
directions succeed and daemon is never consulted).
- `VirtualPrinterCard.test.tsx`: mock now stubs `getTailscaleStatus`;
FQDN-copy block drives data through that query.
DB column `tailscale_disabled` is kept (persists toggle state) — Postgres-
safe column drop is harder; future cleanup can remove if the toggle goes
away entirely. LE cert files on disk (`virtual_printer_ts.{crt,key}`) are
left in place per VP — harmless residue, manual cleanup if desired.
Verified: ruff clean, 2484 backend unit tests pass, 17 frontend VP-card
tests pass, frontend build succeeds, live service restart confirms VPs
serve `issuer=CN=Virtual Printer CA` on the Tailscale interface — slicer
trusts the user-imported bambuddy CA and skips hostname checks, so MQTT
connection succeeds end-to-end.
Edward's diagnosis was exact: the manual /print-queue/ POST extracts
filament requirements from the 3MF and writes
required_filament_types + filament_overrides + ams_mapping onto the
queue item, but the VP queue-mode write path skipped all of that.
Net effect: scheduler reached its model-only-matching fallback and
auto-dispatched onto whatever printer was free regardless of loaded
colour.
Extract the scheduler's existing _get_filament_requirements 3MF
parser into a shared helper so the VP path can reuse it. VP's
_add_to_print_queue now populates required_filament_types
unconditionally (cheap; helps the scheduler reject obvious type
mismatches) and writes filament_overrides with force_color_match:
true per consumed slot when a new per-VP queue_force_color_match
toggle is on. Default off to preserve current behaviour for
upgraders.
UI: new toggle on VirtualPrinterCard, mode-gated to print_queue,
mirroring the existing auto-dispatch toggle. i18n: en + de
translated, other 6 locales seeded with English copy.
Schema: one nullable column on virtual_printers
(queue_force_color_match BOOLEAN, default 0/FALSE).
11 new backend tests (8 for the extracted parser, 3 for the VP
write path) + 6 new frontend tests (toggle render gating, default
state, click posts queue_force_color_match in update body).
Existing scheduler tests pass against the refactored helper.
README, CHANGELOG, website features page, and wiki virtual-printer
page all updated.
Slicer-uploaded archives picked up their display name from the 3MF's
embedded print_name (the creator-baked title); users who renamed a job
in BambuStudio's "Send to printer" dialog never saw that name surface
because the FTP filename was only used as a fallback when metadata was
empty.
Settings -> Virtual Printer now exposes an Archive name source toggle
(Metadata / Filename, default Metadata) that flips precedence in
ArchiveService.archive_print via a new prefer_filename_for_name param.
All four VP-sourced archive paths read the new
virtual_printer_archive_name_source setting and forward the flag:
_archive_file, _add_to_print_queue, POST /pending-uploads/archive-all,
POST /pending-uploads/{id}/archive.
BambuStudio connects to undocumented proprietary ports 2024-2026
on A1/P1S models during the print flow. The proxy wasn't forwarding
these ports, causing connection refused (RST) and triggering the
access code dialog instead of printing. MQTT and FTP worked fine —
port 2024 was the sole blocker.
Added transparent TCP pass-through proxies for ports 2024-2026,
following the same pattern as the existing FileTransfer (6000) and
RTSP (322) proxies. Silently ignored on models that don't use them.
The closed-source bambu_networking DLL validates TLS connection parameters
and rejects connections where the certificate doesn't match the printer's
real BBL CA certificate. The TLS-terminating proxy presented Bambuddy's
own certificate, causing X1C/X1 prints to silently fail after verify_job.
Switch to transparent TCP proxying for FTP, FileTransfer, Camera, and FTP
data — only MQTT remains TLS-terminated (required for IP rewriting). The
slicer now gets end-to-end TLS directly with the printer's real certificate.
Changes:
- SlicerProxyManager uses TCPProxy for FTP (990), FileTransfer (6000),
Camera (322), and pre-listens on FTP data ports (50000-50100)
- Only MQTT (8883) uses TLSProxy for IP rewriting
- Remove debug logging from MQTT and FTP proxy code
- Fix install.sh missing AmbientCapabilities=CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE
- Update module docstring, migration docs, README proxy description
- Add tests verifying transparent proxy architecture
When the slicer and printer are on different VLANs, Bambu Studio could
not send prints through the proxy because the printer's real IP leaked
through MQTT payloads, the bind protocol forwarded the real printer's
identity, file transfer and camera ports were not proxied, and FTP
data connections raced the TLS handshake on zero-byte uploads.
- Rewrite IP addresses in MQTT PUBLISH payloads (string + integer)
with proper packet framing and cross-chunk buffering
- Respond to bind/detect with VP identity via BindServer
- Add TLS proxies for port 6000 (file transfer) and 322 (RTSP camera)
- Buffer slicer FTP data during printer connection setup
- Advertise configured VP name in SSDP proxy
- Add cross-subnet SSDP wildcard listener for VPN setups
- Register UserEmailPreference model in models/__init__.py
- Add 11 unit tests for MQTT rewrite, IP conversion, SSDP name
When the slicer and printer are on different VLANs, Bambu Studio could
not send prints through the proxy because the printer's real IP leaked
through MQTT payloads, the bind protocol forwarded the real printer's
identity, the port 6000 file transfer tunnel was not proxied, and FTP
data connections raced the TLS handshake on zero-byte uploads.
- Rewrite IP addresses in MQTT PUBLISH payloads (string + integer)
with proper packet framing and cross-chunk buffering
- Respond to bind/detect with VP identity via BindServer
- Add TLS proxy for port 6000 (file transfer tunnel)
- Buffer slicer FTP data during printer connection setup
- Advertise configured VP name in SSDP proxy
- Add cross-subnet SSDP wildcard listener for VPN setups
- Register UserEmailPreference model in models/__init__.py
- Add 11 unit tests for MQTT rewrite, IP conversion, SSDP name
X1C and X1 virtual printers used legacy SSDP model codes
(3DPrinter-X1-Carbon, 3DPrinter-X1) that BambuStudio doesn't
recognize, causing "incompatible printer preset" errors when
sending prints. Changed to the correct codes (BL-P001, BL-P002)
that real printers report via SSDP.
Also fixed proxy mode auto-inherit storing printer display names
(e.g. "X1C") instead of SSDP codes, by adding a resolution layer
that maps display names to model codes.
DB migration auto-converts existing VPs on startup.
Virtual printers in Queue mode now have an "Auto-dispatch" setting.
When enabled (default), prints start automatically — preserving current
behavior. When disabled, prints are added with manual_start so they
wait for manual dispatch from the queue UI.
BambuStudio uses TLS on port 3002 for certain printer models (e.g. A1
Mini / N1). The bind server only spoke plain TCP on both ports, so the
TLS ClientHello was rejected as "invalid frame" and the slicer could
never discover or connect to the virtual printer.
Port 3002 now uses TLS (reusing the VP's existing certificate), port
3000 remains plain TCP. Also updated proxy-mode to use TLSProxy for
the port 3002 bind proxy instead of raw TCPProxy.
sync_from_db() skipped VPs already in self._instances without checking
if their config had changed. Mode, model, access code, bind IP, remote
interface IP, and target printer changes were silently ignored until
manual toggle off/on or full restart. Now detects config drift and
restarts affected instances.
Multiple Virtual Printers:
- Each VP gets a dedicated bind IP with independent FTP, MQTT, SSDP, and Bind services
- New VirtualPrinter DB model, CRUD API (/api/virtual-printers), React UI
- VirtualPrinterList, VirtualPrinterCard, VirtualPrinterAddDialog components
- Per-instance TLS certificates (shared CA), 11 printer models, all 4 modes
- Auto-incremented serial suffixes, network interface override per VP
Dual Bind/Detect Ports (#445):
- Listen on both ports 3000 and 3002 for slicer bind/detect handshake
- Different BambuStudio/OrcaSlicer versions use different ports
- Applies to BindServer (server mode) and SlicerProxyManager (proxy mode)
- Updated Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml, firewall rules in wiki
Also:
- Rewrote VP test suite for new multi-instance architecture (75 tests)
- Rewritten "How it works" section with 3-step workflow explanation
- Updated all 5 locales (en, de, ja, fr, it)
- Updated wiki and website for multi-VP + dual ports
- New multi-VP screenshot
Recent BambuStudio/OrcaSlicer updates require a bind/detect handshake on
port 3000 before connecting via MQTT/FTP. Without this, slicers cannot
discover or connect to the virtual printer in any mode.
- Add BindServer for server modes (immediate/review/print_queue)
- Add TCPProxy for raw TCP forwarding (proxy mode)
- Update Dockerfile (EXPOSE 3000) and docker-compose.yml (bridge port)
- Add 10 new tests for BindServer protocol and integration
The remote_interface_ip setting only worked in proxy mode but was
completely ignored in server modes (immediate/review/print_queue).
Users with multiple NICs (LAN + Tailscale, Docker bridges) got wrong
auto-detected IP in SSDP broadcasts and TLS certificates.
Enable Bambu Studio on a remote network to print through BamBuddy
acting as a TLS-terminating proxy for both MQTT and FTP connections.
- Add TLSProxy base class and FTPTLSProxy with PASV response rewriting,
EPSV→PASV translation, PROT P/C tracking, and one-shot data proxies
- Add SlicerProxyManager to coordinate per-slicer MQTT + FTP proxy pairs
- Support additional SAN IPs in certificate generation for proxy mode
- Broadcast SSDP on LAN B so slicers discover the proxy as a printer
- Narrow FTP passive port range to 50000-50100 with retry logic
- Expose proxy ports (8883, 9990, 50000-50100) in Dockerfile
- Document passive port range in docker-compose.yml
- SSDP proxy for cross-network setups: select slicer network interface for automatic printer discovery via SSDP relay
- FTP proxy now listens on privileged port 990 (matching Bambu Studio expectations) instead of 9990
- For systemd: requires `AmbientCapabilities=CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE` capability
- Automatic directory permission checking at startup with clear error messages for Docker/bare metal
Introduces a new "Proxy Mode" for the Virtual Printer that enables
remote printing from anywhere in the world without VPN, port forwarding,
or Bambu Cloud dependency.
Bambuddy acts as a TLS relay between a remote slicer (Bambu Studio/
OrcaSlicer) and the local Bambu Lab printer:
Remote Slicer → Internet → Bambuddy Server → Local Network → Printer
The slicer connects to Bambuddy using the real printer's serial number
and access code. Bambuddy authenticates and relays all FTP (file transfer)
and MQTT (commands/status) traffic with end-to-end TLS encryption.
- No port forwarding required - printer stays safely on local network
- No VPN needed - connect from coffee shops, hotels, work, anywhere
- No Bambu Cloud dependency - fully self-hosted solution
- End-to-end TLS encryption on FTP (port 9990) and MQTT (port 8883)
- Works with Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer
- Uses real printer credentials for authentication
- Automatic printer selection from connected printers
- Add SlicerProxyManager class for TLS relay (tcp_proxy.py)
- TLS termination with auto-generated certificates
- Concurrent FTP and MQTT proxy servers
- Connection lifecycle management with proper cleanup
- Extend VirtualPrinterManager with proxy mode support
- New 'proxy' mode alongside archive/review/queue modes
- Target printer selection and credential management
- Add proxy configuration endpoints to settings API
- Add permission checks for proxy endpoints
- Add Proxy Mode card to Virtual Printer settings
- Target printer dropdown for proxy destination
- Real-time proxy status display (ports, target, running state)
- Full i18n support (English, German)
- Add network architecture diagram
- Add proxy mode section to README
- Add comprehensive guide to wiki
- Add prominent feature section to website
- Backend unit tests for SlicerProxyManager
- Backend unit tests for proxy mode configuration
- Frontend tests for proxy mode UI components
Closes#207#170
- Correct SSDP model codes: C11=P1P, C12=P1S, N7=P2S, C13=X1E
- Fix serial prefixes based on actual Bambu serial format
- Add confirmation modal for pending upload discard
- Sort model dropdown alphabetically, remove internal codes
- Add "Setup Required" warning with link to wiki documentation
- Update wiki with certificate installation and platform setup guides
Features:
- Configurable printer model for virtual printer emulation
- Supports X1 series (X1C, X1, X1E), P series (P1S, P1P, P2S),
A1 series (A1, A1 Mini), and H2 series (H2D, H2C, H2S)
- Dropdown in Settings > Virtual Printer to select model
- Model affects SSDP discovery and slicer compatibility
- Model change restarts virtual printer services automatically
Backend:
- Added VIRTUAL_PRINTER_MODELS mapping in manager.py
- Added virtual_printer_model setting in database
- New GET /api/v1/settings/virtual-printer/models endpoint
- Updated PUT /api/v1/settings/virtual-printer to accept model
Frontend:
- Added model dropdown to VirtualPrinterSettings component
- Status display shows selected model name
- Model change disabled while virtual printer is running
Tests:
- Added 3 unit tests for model configuration
- Updated frontend test mocks for getModels API
- Virtual printer appears in Bambu Studio/Orca Slicer via SSDP discovery
- Secure TLS/MQTT communication with auto-generated certificates
- Queue mode (pending uploads) or auto-start mode
- Configurable access code for authentication
- Docker support with network_mode: host and certificate persistence
- Fix backup/restore for virtual printer settings (auto-save no longer overwrites)
maziggy