Hello community, I’ll try to be brief. My 13 year old son got a 3d printer as a gift, and I’d like to learn alongside him. We have 0 experience. However, I am a data scientist, so lots of professional Python experience, if that helps. We’re a foss/Linux family so my questions are:
What tools are the best to learn for 3d printing for me? I am ready to learn CAD programming. Can you all recommend a tech stack and resources to learn it?
Cura is worth the learning curve along with a raspberry Pi running Octaprint if you have a raspberry pi or old computer lying around.
Then I would recommend downloading some files using Thangs so you can dial in your slicer settings. Then I wpuld start with the CAD.
Edit: Added Thangs.
I have a home lab running two docker hosts, does it need to be dedicated hardware, or would this work?
Octoprint just runs in docker, you need to connect the printer to a USB port.
If the printer runs a Marlin variation as firmware (Ender probably does), you can run octoprint on a Raspberry pi or more powerful stuff. Running in docker should be doable, you just need to route the serial-usb connection into the container running ocotoprint. Klipper user with Mainsail on a RPI4 here, no experience with a dockerized octoprint.
The most slicers have some calibration prints to tune flow/temperature etc. Do them before starting that 9 hour print job…