Bee-Slicer-CLI Documentation

Table of Contents

1. Project Overview
2. Features
3. Requirements
4. Installation
5. Usage
   • Interactive Menu
   • Direct Commands
   • USB Permissions Setup
6. Project Structure
7. How It Works
8. Technical Details
9. Troubleshooting
10. Comparison with Docker Version
11. Source Code

Project Overview

Bee-Slicer-CLI is a standalone command-line interface tool for managing BEETHEFIRST and BEETHEFIRST+ 3D printers. Unlike the original Docker-based version, this tool runs directly on your system using Python 2.7, making it much simpler to set up and use.

The tool provides a complete solution for 3D printing workflows including file transfer, temperature management, and printer calibration, all without requiring Docker containers.

Features

1. Print from G-code file - Transfer and print G-code files directly to SD card
2. Load filament - Heat nozzle to 215°C and extrude 50mm of filament
3. Unload filament - Heat nozzle to 215°C and retract 50mm of filament
4. Calibrate Printer - Interactive wizard for bed leveling (Z-offset and screw adjustments)
5. Monitor print progress - Passive monitoring of ongoing prints
6. Automatic environment setup - Sets up Python 2.7 environment with required dependencies on first run
7. Cross-platform support - Works on x86_64 (Miniconda) and ARM64/Raspberry Pi (virtualenv)

Requirements

• BEETHEFIRST or BEETHEFIRST+ printer connected via USB
• Linux operating system (tested on Arch Linux)
• USB permissions configured (see setup instructions below)
• Internet connection (first run only, to download Miniconda if needed)

Installation

No complex installation required! Simply clone the repository and make the script executable:

git clone https://github.com/CMDR-Shrine/Bee-Slicer-CLI.git
cd Bee-Slicer-CLI
chmod +x print.sh

The first run will automatically set up the Python environment and install required dependencies.

Usage

Interactive Menu

Run the script without arguments to access the interactive menu:

./print.sh

This displays:

BEETHEFIRST STANDALONE PRINTER CLI

Select an option:
  1) Print from G-code file
  2) Load filament (heat + extrude)
  3) Unload filament (heat + retract)
  4) Monitor print progress (passive)
  5) Calibrate Printer (Bed Leveling)
  6) Exit

Direct Commands

You can also run commands directly:

# Print a G-code file
./print.sh /path/to/your/print.gcode

# Load filament
./print.sh load

# Unload filament
./print.sh unload

# Monitor print progress
./print.sh monitor

# Start calibration
./print.sh calibrate

USB Permissions Setup

Configure USB permissions for your user:

Arch Linux:

sudo usermod -a -G uucp $USER

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

Install udev rules:

sudo cp config/99-beeverycreative.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
sudo udevadm trigger

Verify printer detection:

lsusb | grep BEEVERYCREATIVE

Project Structure

Bee-Slicer-CLI/
├── print.sh              # Main CLI wrapper script
├── config/               # Configuration files
│   └── 99-beeverycreative.rules  # udev rules for USB permissions
├── src/                  # Python source code
│   ├── print.py          # Print G-code files
│   ├── load.py           # Load filament utility
│   ├── unload.py         # Unload filament utility
│   ├── calibrate.py      # Printer calibration wizard
│   ├── monitor.py        # Print progress monitor
│   └── beedriver/        # USB printer driver library
├── API.md                # beedriver API documentation
├── README.md             # Project README
├── LICENSE               # License file
└── CRITICAL_FIXES.md     # Critical fixes documentation

How It Works

Print Workflow

1. Connect to BEETHEFIRST printer via USB
2. Analyze G-code file (read temperature commands, count lines)
3. Transfer file to SD card as “ABCDE” (prevents file accumulation)
4. Heat nozzle to target temperature (from M104/M109 commands)
5. Initialize SD card with M21 command
6. Select file with M23 abcde (lowercase filename)
7. Start print with M33 (BEETHEFIRST-specific command)
8. Monitor print status with M32 command

BEETHEFIRST-Specific Commands

The BEETHEFIRST firmware uses custom G-code commands:

• M21 - Initialize SD card
• M23 - Select SD file (must be lowercase!)
• M33 - Start SD print (replaces standard M24)
• M32 - Query print session variables (progress monitoring)

Important: Unlike standard Marlin firmware, BEETHEFIRST uses M33 to start SD prints instead of the standard M24 command.

Technical Details

Platform Support

• x86_64: Uses Miniconda Python 2.7 environment
• ARM64/aarch64 (Raspberry Pi): Uses system Python 2.7 + virtualenv

Dependencies

Automatically installed on first run:

• Python 2.7
• pyusb==1.0.2 (USB communication)
• pyserial==2.7 (serial communication)

Architecture Detection

The script automatically detects your system architecture and uses the appropriate Python setup:

# x86_64 systems
# Uses: ~/miniconda3/envs/beethefirst (Miniconda)

# ARM64 systems (Raspberry Pi)
# Uses: .venv_py27 (virtualenv)

Troubleshooting

“No printer found”

1. Check USB connection: lsusb | grep BEEVERYCREATIVE
2. Verify USB permissions: ls -l /dev/bus/usb/001/*
3. Ensure you’re in the correct group (uucp or dialout)
4. Try unplugging and replugging the USB cable

“Resource busy”

Another program is using the printer:

# Check what's using the printer
sudo lsof /dev/bus/usb/001/* 2>/dev/null

# Stop BEEweb if running
docker stop beeweb-server

Print doesn’t start

1. Verify G-code has M104/M109 heating commands
2. Check file transfer completed successfully (100% in output)
3. Wait for heating phase to complete
4. Confirm M23 returned “File opened: ABCDE”
5. Check M33 response returns “ok”
6. Monitor M32 output for print session variables (A, B, C, D values)

“Command not found: conda”

Delete ~/miniconda3 and run again - the script will reinstall Miniconda2.

Comparison with Docker Version

Source Code

Main CLI Script (print.sh)

#!/bin/bash
#
# BEETHEFIRST Standalone Printer CLI
# No Docker required - uses Miniconda Python 2.7 environment (x86_64)
# or system Python 2.7 + virtualenv (ARM64/Raspberry Pi)
#

# ... (full script content shown above)

Python Print Module (src/print.py)

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#
# Print G-code file to BEETHEFIRST printer
#

import sys
import os
import time
import re

# Add beedriver to path
sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'beedriver'))

from beedriver import beecommand

def print_gcode(filename):
    """Print a G-code file to the printer"""
    # Implementation details...

if __name__ == "__main__":
    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
        print("Usage: python print.py <gcode_file>")
        sys.exit(1)

    print_gcode(sys.argv[1])

For complete source code and API documentation, visit the Bee-Slicer-CLI GitHub repository.