Your printers. No cloud. Your rules.
Self-hosted command center for Bambu Lab — from one A1 to a 40-printer farm.
🎮 Try the Live Demo • Features • Screenshots • Quick Start • Documentation • Discord • Contributing
Spin up your own private Bambuddy in ~10 seconds — no install, no signup, 30-minute session.
"Bambuddy is the companion app that Bambu Lab should have built from day one." — Adam Conway, XDA-Developers
Two leading 3D-printing publications independently concluded that Bambuddy's feature set already exceeds Bambu's own cloud:
"The features seem to exceed those provided by Bambu Lab's own cloud." — Fabbaloo
"The list of functions seems so extensive that it even goes beyond what Bambu Lab offers in its own cloud." — 3Druck.com
Print from anywhere in the world — Bambuddy's new Proxy Mode acts as a secure relay between your slicer and printer:
- 🔒 End-to-end TLS encryption — FTP, file transfer, and camera are transparently proxied with the printer's real TLS certificate
- 🛡️ Optional Tailscale integration — per-VP toggle + Docker socket mount surface the host's Tailscale IP on the VP card, so you know which
100.x.x.xto paste into the slicer when you want a virtual printer reachable over your tailnet (setup). Bambuddy's self-signed CA import is still required on the slicer side: Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer validate printer TLS against a bundled BBL CA (not the system trust store), and their Add Printer dialog is IP-only (no hostname to match an LE cert against), so a publicly-trusted cert can't help on either dimension. Tailscale's role is the private tunnel (reachability from anywhere, no port forwarding), not cert-import elimination. - 🌍 No cloud dependency — Direct connection through your own Bambuddy server
- 🔑 Uses printer's access code — No additional credentials needed
- ⚡ Full-speed printing — Transparent TCP proxy, only MQTT is decrypted for IP rewriting
Perfect for remote print farms, traveling makers, or accessing your home printer from work.
No desktop slicer required. Drop an STL or 3MF into Bambuddy's File Manager, hit Slice, and the result lands as a ready-to-print .gcode.3mf in the same folder — without ever opening Bambu Studio or Orca Slicer.
- 🍰 One-click slicing — Slice from any browser. The job runs server-side in a tiny sidecar container, progress streams back as a toast, and the sliced file appears in your library when it's done.
- 📱 Slice from your phone or tablet — Bambuddy's PWA + the new server-side slicer means you can drop an STL in from mobile and queue a print without ever touching a desktop.
- 🎒 Bring your own profiles — Import a
Printer Preset Bundle(.bbscfg) exported from Bambu Studio: pick a curated printer + process + filament triplet from a dropdown in the Slice dialog, no more juggling JSON files. - 🔁 Same dispatch as the rest of Bambuddy — The sliced output flows into the existing queue / plate-picker / AMS-mapping path, so all the regular conveniences (multi-printer dispatch, AMS routing, scheduled prints) just work.
Optional but recommended — drop the slicer-api/ Compose stack next to your Bambuddy install and the Slice button lights up everywhere.
- Own your data — All print history stored locally, no cloud dependency
- Works offline — Uses Developer Mode for direct printer control via local network
- Full automation — Schedule prints, auto power-off, get notified when done
- Multi-printer support — Manage your entire print farm from one interface
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Plus: Configurable slicer (Bambu Studio / OrcaSlicer) • Customizable themes (style, background, accent) • Mobile responsive • Keyboard shortcuts • Multi-language (EN/DE/JA/IT) • Auto updates • Database backup/restore • System info dashboard
Spin up your own private Bambuddy with simulated printers and pre-loaded print history. Click around freely — it's your sandbox. ~10 seconds to spawn, 30-minute session, no signup.
Prefer a video walkthrough?
Click to watch the demo on YouTube
Click to expand screenshots
Real-time printer monitoring with AMS status
Print archive with 3D preview and project assignment
Re-print with AMS filament mapping preview
Built-in timelapse editor with trim, speed, and music
Group related prints into projects
Project detail view with assigned archives
Project timeline and print history
Print scheduling and queue management
Schedule prints for specific date and time
Customizable statistics dashboard
Maintenance tracking per printer
Configure maintenance types and intervals
Bambu Cloud filament profiles
Edit filament preset settings
Pressure advance (K-factor) profiles
Edit K-factor profile settings
General configuration and integrations
Smart plug control and energy monitoring
Multi-provider notification system
API keys and webhook endpoints
Virtual printer configuration
Virtual printer appears in Bambu Studio/Orca Slicer
MQTT debug logging for troubleshooting
Quick power plug control in sidebar
- Python 3.10+ (3.11/3.12 recommended)
- Bambu Lab printer with Developer Mode enabled (see below)
- "Store sent files on external storage" enabled in Bambu Studio/OrcaSlicer
- Same local network as printer
Option A: Pre-built image (fastest)
mkdir bambuddy && cd bambuddy
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/maziggy/bambuddy/main/docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -dOption B: Build from source
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
docker compose up -d --buildOpen http://localhost:8000 in your browser.
Multi-architecture support: Pre-built images are available for
linux/amd64andlinux/arm64(Raspberry Pi 4/5).
macOS/Windows users: Docker Desktop doesn't support
network_mode: host. Edit docker-compose.yml: comment outnetwork_mode: hostand uncomment theports:section. Printer discovery won't work - add printers manually by IP.
Linux users: If you get "permission denied" errors, either prefix commands with
sudo(e.g.,sudo docker compose up -d) or add your user to the docker group.
Docker Configuration & Commands
Environment Variables:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
TZ |
UTC |
Your timezone (e.g., America/New_York, Europe/Berlin) |
PORT |
8000 |
Port BamBuddy runs on (with host networking mode) |
DEBUG |
false |
Enable debug logging |
LOG_LEVEL |
INFO |
Log level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR |
Data Persistence:
| Volume | Purpose |
|---|---|
bambuddy.db |
SQLite database with all your print data (not used with PostgreSQL) |
archive/ |
Archived 3MF files and thumbnails |
logs/ |
Application logs |
Updating:
# Pre-built image: just pull the latest
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
# From source: rebuild after pulling changes
cd bambuddy && git pull && docker compose up -d --buildDaily Beta Builds:
Beta builds with the latest fixes are pushed regularly to the same beta version tag:
# Pull the current beta
docker pull ghcr.io/maziggy/bambuddy:0.2.2b1
# or from Docker Hub
docker pull maziggy/bambuddy:0.2.2b1Use Watchtower to automatically update when new daily builds are pushed.
Note: Beta builds use version tags like
0.2.2b1— they are never tagged aslatest. Your stable installation won't auto-update to a beta unless you explicitly pull a beta tag.
Useful Commands:
# View logs
docker compose logs -f
# Stop/Start
docker compose down
docker compose up -d
# Shell access
docker compose exec bambuddy /bin/bashCustom Port:
ports:
- "3000:8000" # Access on port 3000Reverse Proxy (Nginx):
server {
listen 443 ssl http2;
server_name bambuddy.yourdomain.com;
ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_read_timeout 86400;
}
}Note: WebSocket support is required for real-time printer updates.
Network Mode Host (required for printer discovery and camera streaming):
services:
bambuddy:
build: .
network_mode: hostNote: Docker's default bridge networking cannot receive SSDP multicast packets for automatic printer discovery. When using
network_mode: host, Bambuddy auto-detects your network subnet and can discover printers via subnet scanning in the Add Printer dialog.
# Clone and setup
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Run
uvicorn backend.app.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000Open http://localhost:8000 and add your printer!
Need detailed instructions? See the Installation Guide
Developer Mode allows third-party software like Bambuddy to control your printer over the local network.
- On printer: Settings → Network → LAN Only Mode → Enable
- Enable Developer Mode (appears after LAN Only Mode is enabled)
- Note the Access Code displayed
- Find IP address in network settings
- Find Serial Number in device info
Note: Developer Mode disables cloud features but provides full local control. Standard LAN Mode (without Developer Mode) only allows read-only monitoring.
In Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer, enable "Store sent files on external storage" so that print files (3MF) are saved to the printer's SD card. Bambuddy needs these files to extract thumbnails and 3D model previews.
- Open Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer
- Go to the Device tab for your printer
- In Print Options, enable Store Sent Files on External Storage
Full documentation available at wiki.bambuddy.cool:
- Installation — All installation methods
- Getting Started — First printer setup
- Features — Detailed feature guides
- Troubleshooting — Common issues & solutions
- API Reference — REST API documentation
| Series | Models |
|---|---|
| X1 | X1, X1 Carbon, X1E |
| X2 | X2D |
| H2 | H2D, H2D Pro, H2C, H2S |
| P1 | P1P, P1S |
| P2 | P2S |
| A1 | A1, A1 Mini |
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Backend | Python, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy |
| Frontend | React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS |
| Database | SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL |
| 3D Viewer | Three.js |
| Communication | MQTT (TLS), FTPS |
Contributions welcome! Ways to help:
- 📝 Document — Improve the wiki and guides (urgently needed!)
- Test — Report issues with your printer model
- Translate — Add new languages
- Code — Submit PRs for bugs or features
Not sure where to start? Reach out on Discord or email martin@bambuddy.cool — I'll help you find something that fits.
# Development setup
git clone https://github.com/maziggy/bambuddy.git
cd bambuddy
# Backend
python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
DEBUG=true uvicorn backend.app.main:app --reload
# Frontend (separate terminal)
cd frontend && npm install && npm run devSee CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
AGPL-3.0 License — see LICENSE for details.
- SpoolEase by yanshay — early inspiration for NFC-based spool tracking and AMS inventory concepts
- Bambu Lab for amazing printers
- The reverse engineering community for protocol documentation
- All testers and contributors
Bambuddy stays independent because real people support it directly. If Bambuddy makes your printers more useful, please consider:
- GitHub Sponsors — five recurring tiers from $5/mo (Backer) to $500/mo (Corporate). Supporter+ ($15/mo) get access to a private sponsors space with a monthly newsletter and early release notes. Patron+ ($35/mo) vote on the quarterly roadmap. Sustaining Sponsor+ ($150/mo) get a direct async email line for technical questions (~2-3 business days). Corporate ($500/mo) get priority email response (next business day), README header logo, sitewide footer logo on bambuddy.cool, and Press page placement.
- Ko-fi — one-time tip or recurring.
Sponsors get listed in BACKERS.md. Need commercial support (SLA, multi-printer consulting)? Email martin@bambuddy.cool.
Made with ❤️ for the 3D printing community
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