GCodePrintr Version 2.5 is Now Available for Android Users

There really are apps for just about anything. I’m continually amazed by the range and complexity of tasks that we can now do with just a few clicks of our smartphones. I’ve finally come to admit that my smartphone is, in fact, smarter than I am, but I’m okay with that, because it’s perfectly willing to share its knowledge. Without my Night Sky app, I’d never have been able to identify most of the constellations I see at night; the same goes for my plant identification app. Not only do apps allow us to learn with just the touch of a button, but they also give us more freedom when it comes to other technologies, such as 3D printing.

Mathias Dietz, prolific developer of apps, has been diligently working on improving his GCode 3D printing applications to make 3D printing more mobile and accessible. When GCodePrintr Version 2.0 was released a year ago, it was met with a great deal of enthusiasm from users who had already been using the first version of the app. GCodePrintr allows users to print wirelessly from their Android devices using Bluetooth, and has been praised as being more compatible with 3D printers than desktop computers are. Since its introduction, the app has gained over 2,000 users, who will be pleased to hear that the latest iteration, GCodePrintr Version 2.5, has just been released.

 “Version 2.5 comes with many improvements and several new features, which will help to maximize the capabilities of your 3D printer,” says Dietz. “Many features are based on input from the GCodePrintr community: Thanks for your feedback!”

The new version includes the following additions and improvements:

• Tasker Intergration
• New 3d View
• New Tutorial guide
• German translation
• New “Recent Files” dialog
• New “Fit to Screen” Zoom feature
• New Macros – Filament change macro
• New “Print completion Dialog” and Sharing feature
• Easy way to enter Temperatures
• Macro special keywords
• CH341 serial chip support
• Support for non-square and custom bed size
• Paint non-print moves (travel) as full lines (for CNC)

Another new feature allows for the extruder to be moved aside when the print job is paused, thus avoiding getting filament blobs on the print. The app also remembers the original position of the extruder, so that it can then be automatically moved back to the precise point it was at when it was paused. This should make changing filaments mid-print significantly easier.

The app is available for $4.50 on Google Play, along with Dietz’s other 3D printing apps: GCodeSimulator, GCodeInfo, and GCodeTouch3D (currently in beta release). Dietz continues to welcome feedback from the users of his apps, either through Google Plus or directly at gcode@dietzm.de; he promises to fix any issues as quickly as possible.  Discuss this software in the GcodePrintr 2.5 forum on 3DPB.com.