Makerbot Print

[clareq]

How do you install Makerbot Print for a classroom? The software installs to the user appdata and there is no option to install it anywhere else. I'm also having problems getting through the proxy to logon (and don't even talk to me about each student having to create an account!)

I thought that Makerbot was recommended for education. It seems very unfriendly to me!

[pcstru]

I thought that Makerbot was recommended for education. It seems very unfriendly to me!

Recommended by whom? They have a very poor reputation in the maker community both for build quality, support and their commercial tactics (trying to patent designs by makers).

[Joanne]

I've just installed it and moved the folder from AppData onto a shared area and I can run it from there. I haven't tried running it as another user or tried multiple connections... but could be worth a try?

[Fraserb82]

Hi Clareq,

 

I am having the same issues with proxy etc. Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.

 

Fraser

[pwhite42]

The new software seems to be a downgrade from the version we got a year and a half ago. I believe that one installed for all users. We bought a new Replicator + and I found out it only installed for the logged in user who had admin privileges. I installed it as my user. Made a shortcut to the desktop, which I cut and pasted to the Public Desktop in Windows 10. It appears to work, but I had to enter my credentials at least 4 times to do this and temporarily unhide system files. Hardly a user friendly install for a classroom setting!

[Fraserb82]

Hi pwhite42, I had all of the same issues that you are having. Can you imagine if you had to install this for a suite of PCs for pupils to use haha.

 

There were a number of steps I took to help the staff to use the software. First off for a short term fix I installed the older software called ‘Makerbot Desktop’. The good thing about this software is that it has a menu that you can tick for proxy settings. Why they removed this from the new software I will never know. From what I can tell, this software can do all the same things the newer one can.

 

After doing this it gave me some breathing space to work out a solution to the other problems and I had the time to talk to MakerBot support as well.

 

The best advice I can give is the following;

1. Install MakerBot Print and then move the install files to the top level of ‘C:\’ and then find the application in this folder called ‘makerbot-print’ and create a shortcut to this to the Public desktop. Test this out with any test accounts you can sign in with and make sure the user will be able to run the application ok.

2. From speaking to MakerBot support, to get around the proxy issue with the new software you need to replace a file that is created within each users appdata folder but first they need to launch the application to create the file that needs replaced (thanks MakerBot).

3. I created a batch file and put it in a folder on the Public Desktop with instructions for the user on when to use it. The file has the new file that has to replace the old one which gets rid of the sign in area of the MakerBot print software.

 

I have attached a zip folder that can be placed on the public desktop, it has simple instructions for the user and it has a copy of the file that needs replaced within appdata.

MakerBot.zip

[pwhite42]

Thanks, I only had to install it on 10 laptops. It seems to be working, so I am going to leave it alone. You'd think Makerbot would understand a major part of their target audience better and not take away features.