Introduction
PrintHQ Bridge is a lightweight app that connects your 3D printers on your local network to the PrintHQ cloud dashboard. It runs on your computer, server, or Docker container and continuously syncs printer status, camera feeds, and print data to the cloud.
What Bridge Does
- Discovers printers on your local network automatically (Bambu Lab, Elegoo, and more via network broadcast)
- Connects to each printer using its native protocol (MQTT, REST API, WebSocket, TCP, etc.)
- Monitors real-time telemetry: temperatures, fan speeds, print progress, layers, filament usage, speed
- Streams camera feeds from your printers to the dashboard
- Syncs all data to your PrintHQ dashboard so you can monitor from anywhere
- Controls printers remotely: pause, resume, stop, start prints, adjust temperatures
- Uploads files and starts prints directly from the dashboard
- Detects print failures using on-device AI (spaghetti, warping, stringing, blobs, under-extrusion)
- Tracks print history and filament consumption automatically
- Excludes failed objects mid-print without canceling the entire job (Bambu Lab, Klipper)
How It Works
Your Printers (LAN) → PrintHQ Bridge (your PC) → PrintHQ Dashboard (cloud)Bridge runs locally on your network, communicating directly with your printers. It pushes status updates, camera frames, and print data to the PrintHQ cloud. Your printers never need internet access — Bridge handles all communication.
Three Ways to Run
- Desktop App (recommended) — Native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Includes system tray, auto-updates, and a built-in web UI. Runs in the background automatically.
- Docker — For headless servers, Raspberry Pi, NAS, and Unraid. Runs as a container with persistent config storage.
- CLI Mode — Terminal-based dashboard for advanced users and debugging.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-printer support | Monitor unlimited printers from a single Bridge instance |
| Auto-discovery | Finds Bambu Lab, Elegoo, and other printers on your network automatically |
| Camera streaming | Live camera feeds relayed to the cloud dashboard |
| Remote printing | Upload and start prints from the dashboard |
| AI failure detection | On-device YOLOX model detects 5 types of print failures |
| Print tracking | Automatic print history, duration, and filament usage logging |
| Object exclusion | Skip failed objects mid-print (Bambu, Klipper) |
| Material system | AMS, CFS, and filament slot tracking with spool inventory |
| Auto-updates | Desktop app checks for and installs updates automatically |
| Custom subnets | Scan additional network ranges for VLAN setups |
Next Steps
- Installation — Download and install Bridge
- Quick Start — Get up and running in 5 minutes
- Printer Setup Guides — Find your printer brand and follow the setup guide