Here’s what Bambu will and won’t promise after its controversial 3D printer update.

Bambu Lab, the company that makes my favorite 3D printer, has had a really tough week. Now I have answers to some of my questions, and I think you will appreciate them too. But first, some backstory.

Since last Thursday, some creators have pledged to no longer purchase Bambu printers and have even removed some 3D models from their online repositories. The company said it would add a new proprietary authentication mechanism that could prevent third-party tools from being used. You can control your printer remotely.

You can still save files to an SD card and physically place them in the printer, or use Bambu’s proprietary cloud, but the old school method of printing remotely from a third-party slicer is no longer available, unless you download a new slicer. The exclusive Windows and Mac “Bambu Connect” desktop app acts as an intermediary between the slicer and Bambu hardware.

Bambu initially said this optional You can choose not to install the update, but the company has designated it as the following update: necessary One is to protect your printer from remote hacking. However, some owners immediately saw this as a potential bridge to Enshittification.

They noted how Bambu printers can already detect whether you’re using an official filament roll, and imagined a future where Bambu could prevent the use of third-party filament at all. They believe Bambu is already planning a subscription service for its print farm software that would require regular cloud activations, and they envisioned a future where Bambu printers would stop working if they didn’t pay.

Bambu denied these and many other fears in a subsequent “Setting the Record” blog post, explaining that the new tool does not require Internet access or a user account. – “Developer mode” to maintain local access to the printer without new proprietary authentication at your own risk. Unfortunately, the ability to access your printer via the cloud may be disabled in that mode.

Meanwhile, Bambu has done itself no favors by preventing people from using the Wayback Machine to research changes, censoring criticism of the company on its subreddit, and claiming that Orca Slicer’s developers are collaborating with Bambu. In fact, it’s the perfect way to continue printing directly from popular third-party slicers, even if they don’t commit to support.

Additionally, Bambu’s own security for the new Bambu Connect app helps ensure that hackers have already extracted the private keys and authentication certificates, or Bambu gives users the right to block new print jobs until the printer is operational. This didn’t work. The automatic download of the firmware update has been completed according to the Terms of Use.

Anyway, the real question here is: is Do these turn Stepping Stone into more of an urbanization, or at least into a walled garden?

Below are the questions I sent to Bambu and the responses I received through spokesperson Nadia Yaakoubi.

1) Does Bambu publicly promise not to require a subscription to control printers and print over a home network?

For the current product line, yes. No subscription is required to control or print to the printer over your home network. However, in the future there may be certain business scenarios (e.g. 3DP vending machines) that require an exception, but this applies to completely different applications and customer requirements. If these product lines are released, we will clearly announce them prior to launch.

1c) Does Bambu publicly commit not to add existing printer features behind the subscription?

2) Does Bambu publicly commit to never restrict the use of third-party filaments in any way, shape, or form?

For the current product line, yes. We have no plans to restrict the use of third-party filament in any way.

3) Does Bambu publicly promise to never monitor files and printouts transferred between users and printers over their home networks?

Let’s clarify how this works:

• LAN mode: Nothing is transmitted through our servers.
• Cloud Mode: Users control their privacy through “secret printing”. When enabled, no print history will be recorded and files will not be saved to the cloud.
• Cloud features: For features like reprinting, files are temporarily stored in the cloud so users can access their print history. Under no circumstances will we examine print files/models without the express consent of the customer.

Bambu also agreed to add a new developer mode. Some users are concerned that this move is only temporary and that Bambu could simply remove developer mode and claim it’s too big of a security risk, or that there aren’t enough users to justify keeping it.

4) Will Bambu publicly commit to permanently maintaining developer mode via local MQTT, live streaming and FTP and not removing it in future updates or shipping batches of the X1, P1, A1 and A1 Mini?

yes. However, if serious security issues arise in the future, adjustments may be required to address them. Users can choose whether to update their printer firmware at any time.

5) Will Bambu publicly commit to providing and maintaining local developer mode in future printers?

We can’t promise features for future printers that don’t exist. However, we will clearly communicate all relevant details to our customers before they make their purchasing decision.

6) Will Bambu publicly commit to allowing current and future printers to be permanently controlled remotely over a LAN without user accounts or Internet access?

For current models: Yes. Although we aim to maintain this functionality in future products, we do not believe it is responsible to apply a particular technical approach indefinitely. However, we will clearly communicate all relevant details to our customers before they make their purchasing decision.

Bambu announced that Bambu Connect will integrate with third-party slicers like Orca, but some users are confused why they need an app like Bambu Connect when they can add more secure authentication to the printer itself. The printer generates security tokens/API keys instead of creating a proprietary middleman authentication app.

7) Has Bambu considered and rejected an interoperable way to secure printers, such as tokens?

7b) Does Bambu commit to changing its authentication system to an interoperable system? If Bambu rejected an interoperable secure authentication system, why?

If your software communicates and interacts with our cloud systems, it makes sense for us to have a say in how the software operates. As highlighted in the blog post, unauthorized third-party software has long posed ongoing challenges to the stability of cloud services and systems.

Although we believe that most developers act with good intentions, users are often unaware of the complexities hidden in such software and its security requirements. Due to the lack of transparency in all software, interoperable security authentication systems are insufficient to fully address these issues. Our goal is to secure the entire Bambu Lab product ecosystem, giving all users confidence that our products are secure and easy to use without worrying about complex network configurations. And with the changes completed, we’re one step closer to integrating third-party access in a secure way.

8) Is it true that the developers of Orca Slicer did not actually collaborate with Bambu on the integration and that Bambu announced its involvement without approval?

We have been in ongoing discussions with SoftFever, the developer of Orca Slicer, since January 14th regarding firmware updates and potential integration into the new release. The term ‘working together’ can be ambiguous. More specifically, messages are exchanged, files are sent, and receipt is acknowledged with an indication that they will be reviewed.

9) Will panda touch and similar accessories still work in developer mode?

We ensure that ports/channels are open, but implementation is up to third-party developers.

9b) Is Bambu answering the company’s questions?

Since launch, we have received many inquiries from third-party software developers, including BigTreeTech. devpartners@bambulab.com. We are currently in the process of finalizing our response. It’s worth noting that a March 2024 blog post warned third-party developers: “If you are developing a device that controls the entire printer, including the heating elements and motion system, do not expect long-term support unless you receive prior approval. This applies especially to for-profit organizations.”

10) Do you allow users to roll back to previous firmware, for example if they accidentally upgraded without understanding the limitations?

yes. Firmware rollback was and always will be possible.

11) Will a private key leak change your plans?

No, this does not change our plans and we have taken immediate action.