Auto-Matching Queue Items to Printers

The SimplyPrint platform features a powerful and intuitive system for automatically matching your 3D print jobs with the appropriate printers. In this article, we will break down the process and criteria of auto-matching, to help you understand how SimplyPrint ensures your printing operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Auto-Matching is a big part of our AutoPrint: put your 3D printer on autopilot feature and Print Queue!

Criteria for Auto-Matching

When matching a queue item or file to a printer, the rule is, that the printer must contain ALL tags that the file has, but the printer may tags that the file or queue item does not have.

Our auto-matching system bases its matching process on the following parameters:

Printer Availability: Is the printer online and ready to accept new print jobs? If the printer is occupied or offline, it won't be selected for new jobs until it's available again.

Material Type and Color: Matches the required material's type (like PLA or ABS) and color for the print job with what is available on the printer. For instance, if the job requires red ABS, it'll match only with printers loaded with red ABS. This feature is paired with the Multi Material Method color mapping feature; Multi Material Mapping: Bambu Lab AMS support

Nozzle Size: Matches the required nozzle size for the print job with what is installed on the printer. For example, if a job needs a 0.6mm nozzle, it will only be matched with printers equipped with a 0.6mm nozzle.

Custom Tags: Printers and print jobs can both have custom tags. These can specify unique capabilities or requirements. A print job will only be matched with a printer if the printer contains all of the job's custom tags.

Gcode Analysis: The system checks the specific instructions in the Gcode file (the file that instructs the printer on what to print) to ensure the printer is capable of performing those operations.

Print Size: Checks if the size of the object to be printed fits within the printer's build volume. A job to print a large object won't be sent to a printer with a small print bed.

Print Temperatures: Matches the required temperatures for printing the material with what the printer can provide. If a job needs a printing temperature that a printer can't achieve, they won't be matched.

Material Quantity: Checks if there's enough of the required material left on the assigned spools for the printer to complete the print job. If a print job needs a lot of material, it won't be matched with a printer that's low on filament.

Understanding Tags and Their Role in Matching

Tags provide critical data points for the auto-matching process. Whether they specify nozzle size, material data, or contain custom requirements, tags help ensure that each print job is matched with the most capable printer.

Here are some key points to understand about tags and their role in matching:

Nozzle Size: If a queue item tag specifies a nozzle size, only printers with that exact nozzle size will match with the queue item. For example, if a queue item tag reads "Nozzle size: 0.6", only printers with a 0.6mm nozzle size will auto-match with this queue item.

Material Data: For material data, both material type and color must match. If a queue item tag specifies "Material: PLA, Color: Blue", only printers equipped with blue PLA filament will be matched with this job. It's important to note that we match based on the color name, not the color code.

Custom Tags: Custom tags can specify any additional requirements or capabilities. Printers can have more custom tags than a queue item, but they must contain all of the queue item's custom tags to be matched. For instance, if a queue item has the custom tags "High Precision" and "Fast Print", only printers with both these tags will be auto-matched with this queue item.

No Tags: If a queue item has no tags, the system defaults to matching the print job with a printer based on other standard criteria such as Gcode analysis, print bed size, print temperatures, etc.

With SimplyPrint's auto-matching system, you can be confident that your print jobs are always matched with the most suitable printer, improving efficiency and reducing manual oversight.

Updated on: 21/12/2023