Camera Streaming¶

Monitor your prints visually with live camera streaming directly from your Bambu Lab printer.

Live Streaming¶

Bambuddy provides MJPEG video streaming from your printer's built-in camera.

Opening the Camera¶

1. Click the camera icon on any printer card
2. A new window opens with the live feed
3. The stream starts automatically

Stream Controls¶

Snapshot Mode¶

For lower bandwidth usage, use snapshot mode:

• Captures a single frame on demand
• Click refresh to get a new snapshot
• Ideal for cellular connections or slow networks

Technical Details¶

How Streaming Works¶

graph LR
    A[Printer Camera] -->|RTSP| B[ffmpeg]
    B -->|MJPEG| C[Bambuddy API]
    C -->|HTTP Stream| D[Browser]

1. Printer exposes camera via RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)
2. ffmpeg converts RTSP to MJPEG (Motion JPEG)
3. Bambuddy serves the MJPEG stream to your browser
4. Browser displays frames in an <img> tag

Requirements¶

Installing ffmpeg¶

sudo apt install ffmpeg

brew install ffmpeg

Camera Snapshots on Print Complete¶

Bambuddy can automatically capture a camera snapshot when prints complete:

1. Go to Settings > General
2. Enable Capture snapshot on print complete
3. Snapshots are saved to the archive

This creates a visual record of your completed prints!

Stream Settings¶

Frame Rate¶

The default frame rate is 10 FPS. You can adjust this in the URL:

/api/v1/printers/{id}/camera/stream?fps=15

Stream Cleanup¶

Bambuddy properly cleans up camera streams:

• Window close - Stream stops automatically
• Tab hidden - Stream pauses to save resources
• Page unload - ffmpeg process terminated
• Refresh - Old stream stopped, new one started

This prevents orphaned ffmpeg processes from consuming resources.

Troubleshooting¶

Stream Won't Start¶

1. Is the printer on? Camera requires power
2. Is camera enabled? Check printer settings
3. Is ffmpeg installed? Required for streaming
4. Is LAN Mode enabled? Required for camera access
5. Running in Docker? Try network_mode: host if having issues

Docker: Camera Not Working¶

If camera streaming doesn't work in Docker, try host network mode:

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  bambuddy:
    build: .
    network_mode: host
    # Remove the ports: section when using host mode

Note: Docker's default bridge networking with NAT works in most setups. Host mode is only needed if your network configuration prevents NAT'd traffic from reaching the printer.

Stream Freezes¶

• Network congestion or WiFi issues
• Try lowering the FPS
• Check printer WiFi signal strength
• Try snapshot mode instead

High Latency¶

MJPEG streaming typically has 1-3 seconds of latency. This is normal and due to:

• RTSP buffering
• ffmpeg processing
• HTTP streaming

Camera Shows Black¶

• Camera may be initializing
• Try refreshing the stream
• Check if camera works in Bambu Studio

API Endpoints¶

For developers and integrations:

Example: Embed in OBS¶

Use the stream URL directly:

http://your-bambuddy-server:8000/api/v1/printers/1/camera/stream

Add as a Browser Source or Media Source in OBS.

Tips¶