DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface

gtj0

Around the beginning of the year I was getting a little frustrated trying to find the "right" way to control my printer from the printer itself. I have a PanelDue but the layout just doesn't fit my work process and while I can, and have, modified the firmware to be closer to what I wanted, it just wasn't enough. So then I spent some time trying to figure out if there were a way to allow the PanelDue's layout to be controlled from a config file and quickly realized that while the PanelDue is great at what it does, dynamically laying out the UI isn't one of them. Then I had an epiphany. Just before Christmas I bought an Amazon Fire 7" Tablet for $79 as a backup to my trusty Nexus 7. It's got a Chromium based HTML5 browser. Can you see where I'm headed? No? Look at these screenshots...

0_1550458494310_Screenshot_2019-02-17_19-23-35_localhost.png

0_1550458528216_Screenshot_2019-02-17_18-34-16_localhost.png

0_1550458561188_Screenshot_2019-02-17_15-47-52_localhost.png

So now I have a UI that's close to what I want but that's not the best part. Every one of the tabs, buttons, labels, etc. were configured in 1 config file. This way you can get the layout you want.

Here's a sample config for the 2 heater widgets...

// Minimal config for  the Bed using the built in defaults.
{
	"id": "bed_heater",
	"type": "heater",
	"enabled": true,
	"label": "Bed",
	"position": {
		"my": "left top",
		"at": "right top",
		"of": "#heater_labels"
	},
	"button_defaults": {
		"style": {
			"height": "2.5em"							
		}
	},
	"tolerances": [
		{"limit": 2, "style": {"background": "lightgreen"}},
		{"limit": 5, "style": {"background": "yellow"}},
		{"limit": 999, "style": {"background": "red"}}
	],
	"heater_index": 0
},
// Extended config for Extruder 1
//  These use the new, as yet unreleased,  M308 command.
{
	"id": "extr1_heater",
	"type": "heater",
	"enabled": true,
	"label": "Extr 1",
	"position": {
		"my": "left top",
		"at": "right top",
		"of": "#bed_heater"
	},
	"style": { "width": "100px" },
	"button_defaults": {
		"style": {
			"height": "2.5em"
		}
	},
	"state_styles": [
		{"background": "gray", "color": "white"},
		{"background": "green", "color": "white"},
		{"background": "lightgreen", "color": "black"},
		{"background": "red", "color": "black"},
		{"background": "voilet", "color": "black"}
	],
	"tolerances": [
		{"limit": 2, "style": {"background": "lightgreen"}},
		{"limit": 5, "style": {"background": "yellow"}},
		{"limit": 999, "style": {"background": "red"}}
	],
	"heater_index": 1,
	"status_level": 1,
	"current_temp_field": "${status.temps.current[1]}",
	"active_temp_field": "${status.temps.active[1]}",
	"standby_temp_field": "${status.temps.standby[1]}",
	"state_field": "${status.temps.state[1]}",
	"state_commands": {
		"off": "M308 P1 T0",
		"standby": "M308 P1 T1",
	        "on": "M308 P1 T2"
	},
	"set_temp_commands": {
		"standby": "M308 P1 R${value}",
		 "active": "M308 P1 S${value}"
	}
},
// Need another extruder, just cut and paste another one.

I've got about another weeks worth of work before I push a release up to GitHub. I need to come up with a decent file browser layout for starting prints and I need to remove a lot of embarrassing debug code. In the mean time, comments and questions will be welcomed.

To be clear... DueUI is NOT meant to replace the DWC or the PanelDue. It fits somewhere between the 2 and is completely independent from them. Installing DueUI doesn't affect the DWC in any way. Installation is as easy as using the DWC to upload the DueUI zip file. In fact, you don't even need to install DueUI on the Duet at all. Any device that has a reasonably functional web server, like a Raspberry Pi, will do.

Martin1454

looking foward to see the results!

T3P3Tony

@gtj0 nice! should be helpful for those people who want to use a smaller screen on a tablet and have a simpler interface.

PuterPro

Looking great! I've been pondering this very thing, controlling from a spare Fire 8" tablet.

I look forward to trying it when I'm up and running (I'm in Debugging stage of my CR-10S conversion to Maestro).

thwe

I'am also looking foward to see the results and hope we could test asap

gtj0

I'm writing documentation as we speak. First beta release on Saturday.

thwe

Hello Georg,

first of all many thanks for your extensive documentation and your great work.

I have now installed the DueUI on the DuetWifi and started.
I use it on a Samsung GT-N8010 (Note 10.1 inches) with Chrome as a browser.

I could already initiate the first movements. In the next weeks I will deal with the settings and the customizing of the interface.

As soon as I find my way and acquire a certain competence, I will actively participate in this project with questions and suggestions for improvement as far as my free time permits.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

gtj0

@thwe Thanks!. That's a nice tablet. Makes me sorry I sold my Nexus 10 last year.

gtj0

If no one's noticed...
https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/9257/dueui-1-0-0-alpha-is-available-for-testing

DaveA

I'll assume that I'm doing something wrong but here it is. I've got DueUI installed and it's displaying valid temperature and position information. What I cannot do is initiate any action. If I click on Home All I see a G28 in the upper text window but the printer doesn't home. Same for any other button.
Did I miss a setup step somewhere?

gtj0

@davea Check settings. You probably have "Don't Send GCode. Log Only" checked (green). For normal operation it should be off (red).

thwe

@gtj0 said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

@davea Check settings. You probably have "Don't Send GCode. Log Only" checked (green). For normal operation it should be off (red).

… that it will be - with me all orders are executed first.

Also, I've created ATX ON / OFF buttons -> runs!

Unfortunately, the themes do not seem to be so uniform: after switching between themes, the fields are slightly shifted

Values at the heaters are only displayed as soon as I have switched on my 24V supply (ie ATX ON).

After an ATX-OFF, the status is not updated.

Depending on the theme, the key cross for XY is also shifted, the midpoints are not exactly on top of each other.
But it can also be on my 10.1 inch tablet ... no matter, you can adapt - but you should stay with a theme!

Otherwise, the beginning is really good

gtj0

@thwe said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

@gtj0 said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

@davea Check settings. You probably have "Don't Send GCode. Log Only" checked (green). For normal operation it should be off (red).

… that it will be - with me all orders are executed first.

Also, I've created ATX ON / OFF buttons -> runs!

The next alpha will expose the "checkbox" widget that the buttons in settings use. This way you can have a single button that toggles the ATX power state.

Values at the heaters are only displayed as soon as I have switched on my 24V supply (ie ATX ON).

After an ATX-OFF, the status is not updated.

I'll check on that today.

Unfortunately, the themes do not seem to be so uniform: after switching between themes, the fields are slightly shifted

Depending on the theme, the key cross for XY is also shifted, the midpoints are not exactly on top of each other.
But it can also be on my 10.1 inch tablet ... no matter, you can adapt - but you should stay with a theme!

Unfortunately, I have no control over the themes but I thought all of the themes except for "Base" were consistent. "Base" is basically "no theme" so the contents may shift when you switch between "Base" and any other theme. Does refreshing the browser between theme switches help at all?

For the XY Axis issue, try this for the Y axis position...

"position": {"my": "center center", "at": "center center", "of": "#jog_x" }

and see if it works. That should align the 2 center blank buttons. For me, it works on some devices but not others.

Otherwise, the beginning is really good

Thanks!

DaveA

@gtj0 Yep, that was it. Thanks.

gtj0

@davea The ATX issue is that I forgot to add a status for "O" (off) to the
status map at the bottom of the config file.

Add...

"O": {"label": "Off","style": {"background": "red","color": "black"}},

to the status_map object after the entry for "H".

thwe

@gtj0 said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

Does refreshing the browser between theme switches help at all?

No, there are little differents from hight of Buttons and so on.
Never mind, now I use only theme BASE as my Basic.

Other feedback:
After pressing STOP, the printer stops as expected immediately - but then the DWC asks "The firmware still reports to be stopped after an emergency stop." and must be answered there - unfortunately not on DueUI. Even pressing the "RESTART" button on the DueUI does not help.

Is there a solution here?

gtj0

@thwe said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

@gtj0 said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

Does refreshing the browser between theme switches help at all?

No, there are little differents from hight of Buttons and so on.
Never mind, now I use only theme BASE as my Basic.

Other feedback:
After pressing STOP, the printer stops as expected immediately - but then the DWC asks "The firmware still reports to be stopped after an emergency stop." and must be answered there - unfortunately not on DueUI. Even pressing the "RESTART" button on the DueUI does not help.

Is there a solution here?

Hmmm. On my Duet, when I send M112, the Duet restarts by itself and is ready again in about 15 seconds. Try it with the DWC disconnected and see what happens on DueUI.

thwe

@gtj0 said in [Preview] DueUI: An Alternate Web Interface:

Hmmm. On my Duet, when I send M112, the Duet restarts by itself and is ready again in about 15 seconds. Try it with the DWC disconnected and see what happens on DueUI.

Without a connect from DWC to the Duet every is OK.