This article will show you how to attach and enable a webcam for a U1 or M3 3D printer.
Introduction
You can attach a webcam to a MakerGear M3 or U1 printer to enable timelapses or remote viewing. Timelapses can be useful for debugging prints, quality assurance, or for presentation purposes.
Note: Remote viewing is done through Octoprint, so you will be limited to viewing from anywhere that you can access Octoprint, i.e. your local network.
Requirements:
- Time - 10-15 minutes
- Hardware - MakerGear M3 or U1 3D printer.
- Hardware - Compatible USB webcam.
- Software - OctoPrint for MakerGear.
What You'll Learn:
- How to check if your webcam will work.
- How to enable the webcam in Octoprint.
- How to enable time-lapse.
- How to change webcam settings.
Before You Begin:
- Follow all "Getting Started" instructions listed in your User Guide.
- Follow all configuration, connection, and login instructions to access your M3's control interface.
Getting Started
Step 1
Most USB webcams will work with MakerGear printers, but some may not. We highly recommend the Logitech C615, as we've done the most testing with this model. You can find a a list of Octoprint tested webcams here, but these have not specifically been tested with an M3, so there may still be incompatibilities.
Step 2
Plug your webcam into one of the USB ports on your printer
M3
Plug the webcam into one of the four USB ports on the back of your printer below the Z-Stage.
U1 Option 1 (External)
For webcams outside the printer, you can use the External USB port on the side of the U1 to plug your camera into.
U1 Option 2 (Internal)
For webcams inside the printer, we recommend routing your USB cable through the front left wire hole. You may need to remove the grommet to get the usb cable in.
Open the electronics panel and connect the USB cable into the spare single open port on the Raspberry Pi.
Step 3
In Octoprint, open the settings panel
Step 4
Click on "MakerGear Setup" and then "Octoprint interface options" 
Step 5
Click "Enable Webcam" and then click 'Save'
Step 6
In Octoprint, click on the power icon, then choose 'Reboot System'. You should also close your browser window, and open a new one, or refresh your window.
Step 7
To check your webcam, so to the 'control' tab. You should see a webcam view above the control panel.
Timelapse Notes
Timelapses can be controlled through the 'Timelapse' tab in Octoprint. Timelapses settings can only be changed while a print is not active.
Timelapses can be set based on z-movement or based on time. Once you've chosen your timelapse option, you will see several options to fine-tune your timelapse.
Click 'Save Changes' to temporarily save your settings until the next reboot. If you want your settings to stay permanent across reboots, click 'Save as default' before clicking 'Save changes'
After your print is done, octoprint will render the time-lapse images into a video. Do not reboot or start a new print while a timelapse rendering progress.
Once Octoprint has finished rendering the timelapse, you can download it from the "Timelapse" tab.
Configuration Notes
Webcam configuration options can be found in
Octoprint -> Settings -> Webcam & Timelapse
Most options should be left as-is, but you may want to adjust
-Stream aspect ratio
-Flip Webcam horizontally
-Flip webcam vertically
-Rotate webcam 90 degrees counter clockwise
-Enable OctoPrint watermark in timelapse movies
Depending on your camera and mounting setup.
Stream notes
You can access the webcam outside of octoprint by adding :8080 to the end of your printers URL. For example
http://m3printer08q32.local:8080
This page will look different on U1s and M3s.
Related Links