V0.4 Troubleshooting
Octolapse is a big and complicated piece of software that must run on many different printers, firmwares, operating systems, etc. All software contains bugs, and Octolapse is no exception. Your issue could also be a simple configuration problem.
Whatever trouble you are experiencing, I want to get it fixed! To help speed this process up, I've created some troubleshooting steps for some common and not-so-common problems.
In addition to this Wiki, there are many ways you can find help for common Octolapse issues. A few of these will be mentioned here.
When starting a print with Octolapse enabled, you may see an error notification. This notification should include a help button. Always Read the Provided Help. In general all of the information you need to correct problems is available if you click the help buttons or help links:
Octolapse uses an integrated help system that contains a wealth of information. In addition to the Help buttons shown above, you will find help links all throughout the interface. Here are a few examples:
Clicking on one of the help icons will open a popup that will look similar to this:
Please let me know if the help files need improvements or corrections!
If the integrated help system doesn't solve your problem, there are a few other things to try:
- This guide is a good place to start.
- Try posting on the Octoprint Community Forum in the Plugins category. Be sure to include as much information as you can, including logs, your OctoPrint/Octolapse versions, other installed plugins, and anything else you think would be useful. You're more likely to have your problem solved if you include all of the information. I am on this forum a quite a bit, so don't be surprised if I answer you!
- Try the Octoprint subreddit. I'm on there a lot too. However, I have found that the Octoprint forum usually has more experienced users. Still, this is a good resource.
- If all else fails, or if you are certain that you have found a bug in Octolapse (I want to fix these), consider creating an issue in the Octolapse Github repository. I spend a LOT of time researching issues (I've closed over 450 so far), so please try to exhaust all other options first. Technical support issues are better handled in the forums, but if you are desperate and fill out the ticket completely, I'll most likely try to help :)
Below are some primary categories that will help you locate the specific troubleshooting guide for your particular issue:
If you are having trouble installing Octolapse, please see this installation troubleshooting guide.
If you are having trouble getting your printer profile configured, read this guide.
Many issues that at first glance don't appear to be connected to your printer profile are in fact deeply connected. If you are experiencing any of the following issues, they are likely due to problems with your printer profile:
- Octolapse isn't taking any snapshots
- Octolapse takes snapshots, but your extruder isn't in the right position
- You are missing many snapshots at the beginning of your print (usually the first 5mm, but sometimes more)
- Lots of blobs or zits appear in your print (also see the print quality issues below)
Lots of issues that are cross-referenced in other guides will link back to the printer profile troubleshooting document. If you aren't sure if your printer profile is correctly configured, please check out the above guide anyway, because it might be related.
Please note that installing new firmware (like upgrading from Marlin 1 to Marlin 2) may require changes to your printer profile, else you may experience poor print quality (blobs/zits).
There are hundreds of different kinds of cameras, and some have specific requirements. Even the position of your camera may require changes to your camera profile. If you are having any of the following problems:
- Camera won't pass the Test within the camera profile
- Can't enable custom image preferences
- Image is rotated or flipped incorrectly
- Can't view the camera stream within custom image preferences
- Image quality is poor, or there is flickering in the rendered timelapse
check out this guide for webcams, or this guide for DSLR cameras.
Important Note Regarding DSLR Cameras and Octolapse: I spend an extraordinary amount of time dealing with DSLR issues. It is an extremely complex piece of Octolapse involving the interaction and synchronization of many different pieces of software, scripts, and external hardware. Unfortunately I only have access to one DSLR camera, and it is not likely I have the same one as you. I also am not the creator of, nor do I maintain gphoto2 (which is a great and hugely complex piece of software), so I can't promise I'll be able to assist you with problems with that software, ESPECIALLY for the newest cameras. Using a DSLR is an advanced feature and not something I'd recommend for anyone who doesn't have much experience with Octolapse. It also adds quite a bit of time to each snapshot and may reduce print quality a lot unless your printer/slicer is perfectly tuned and Octolapse is 100% correctly configured. Please do NOT use a DLSR unless you understand this and are willing to put in quite a bit of time into getting it working with your specific camera. If you do decide to use a DSLR, make sure that Octolapse is running perfectly BEFORE trying to use a DSLR. In other words, it definitely should NOT be the first thing you attempt. If it sounds like I'm trying to scare you away, I actually am :)
If your extruder isn't in the place you think it should be in your timelapse video, you may have a stabilization issue. Typically this is actually a problem with your printer profile (specifically the printer volume). See this guide for help with this issue.
Rendering issues include the following issues:
- Camera image looks great, but the rendered video is of low quality
- Rendering fails with an error message
- My print ended, but I can't find the timelapse video anywhere
- I can't get the rendering overlay or watermark to work If you have any of these issues, or if you suspect a rendering problem, see this guide
If you notice lots of zits, blobs, or protrusions when using Octolapse, but NOT when printing with Octolapse disabled, you may be able to reduce or eliminate most of these problems. An enormous amount of effort has gone into minimizing print quality impacts and artifacts when using Octolapse. Many problems were solved since v0.3.4 was released, so if you are using an old version of Octolapse, the first thing you want to do is upgrade to the latest version. Also, make sure your printer profile is correctly configured.
If that doesn't help, see this comprehensive guide that should help you to minimize print quality impacts.
I will try to keep these guides updated with the latest issues and fixes, but I can only post fixes for common problems that I'm aware of. If you have scoured the wiki for answers but still have come up empty handed, see this guide for reporting a new issue.