Python G-Code Tools library with complete* G-Code Reader and Writer

*as per 3D-Printing needs

This library is under development - method names, workflow and logic will differ between releases!

Ensure your printer software can catch illegal g-code moves, as this library has still very large amount of bugs! Also keep an eye on your print.

Installation

pip install GcodeTools

Available G-Code Tools

Feature	Status	command
Translate Gcode	✅	Tools.translate(gcode, Vector)
Rotate Gcode	✅	Tools.rotate(gcode, int)
Scale Gcode	✅	Tools.scale(gcode, Vector|float)
subdivide Gcode	✅	move.subdivide(step)
Get move's flowrate	✅	move.get_flowrate()
Set flowrate (in mm^2, use scale to set in %)	✅	move.set_flowrate(float)
Detect Gcode features	✅	block.layer, block.object, block.move_type
Split layers	✅	Gcode.layers[n]
Split bodies	🔜	Tools.split(gcode)
Insert custom Gcode	✅	Gcode.(insert, append, extend, __add__)
Read Thumbnails (raw PNG data)	✅	Tools.read_thumbnails(gcode)
Write Thumbnails (raw PNG data)	✅	Tools.write_thumbnail(gcode, data, width, height, textwidth)
Generate configuration files for slicer	✅	Tools.generate_config_files(gcode)
Convert from/to Arc Moves	❌	currently auto-translation to G1 in GcodeParser
Find body bounds	✅	Tools.get_bounding_box(gcode)
Trim unused Gcode	🔜	Tools.trim(gcode)
Offset Gcodes in time	❌
Create custom travel movement	❌
convert to firmware retraction	🔜	Tools.regenerate_travels(gcode)

Legend:

• ✅ Fully supported
• ❌ Not yet supported, to be implemented
• 🔜 Partially supported, to be implemented

More features soon! Feel free to open feature request

G-Code

Current G-Code object relation:

Gcode (list[Block])
│
├─ slicing config (precision, speed): Config
│
├─ single Gcode instruction: Block
│  │
│  ├─ Position: Vector
│  │
│  ├─ Other Gcode related properties
│  │
│  └─ Original command and if it's to be emitted: command, emit_command
└─ ...

In each block, every G-Code variable is contained. That means, blocks can be taken out of Gcode, rearranged, etc.

That however does not take move origin (move starting position) in count! That will be adressed in future.

Gcode structure and its components will be changing heavily during beta!

• Current target is to get rid of original command (work on trimmed Gcode) to decrease RAM usage and computation time
• Gcode is in the first tests of linked-list approach for simplification of iterating methods

G-Code Parser

from GcodeTools import Gcode

gcode = Gcode('file.gcode')

Progress Callback example implementation

my_tqdm = tqdm(unit="lines", desc="Reading Gcode")
update = lambda i, length: (setattr(my_tqdm, 'total', length), my_tqdm.update(1))
gcode = Gcode().from_file('file.gcode', update)

Example usage

Example to move objects that have benchy in their name, by translation vector. It will also trim gcode (minify).

from GcodeTools import Gcode, Tools, Vector, Config

verbose = False

config = Config(speed=1200) # initial speed before first Gcode's `F` parameter

gcode = Gcode('file.gcode', config=config)

out_gcode: Gcode = Tools.trim(gcode)

translation = Vector(-200, -100, 0)

for x in out_gcode:
    if 'benchy' in x.object.lower():
        x.move.translate(translation)

out_gcode.write_file('out.gcode', verbose)

Change tool to T1 when printing sparse infill, otherwise change to T0. For bridges set fan speed to 100%.

from GcodeTools import *

gcode = Gcode('file.gcode')

for block in gcode:
    if block.move_type == MoveTypes.SPARSE_INFILL:
        block.T = 1
    else:
        block.T = 0
    
    if block.move_type == MoveTypes.BRIDGE:
        block.fan = 255

gcode.write_file('out.gcode')

Plot histogram of flow ratios. Useful for checking arachne settings.

from GcodeTools import Gcode
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

gcode = Gcode('file.gcode')

flowrates = []
for block in gcode:
    if flowrate := block.move.get_flowrate():
        flowrates.append(flowrate)

plt.figure(figsize=(12, 6))
plt.hist(flowrates, bins=100)
plt.xlabel("Flowrate (mm E / mm XYZ)")
plt.ylabel("Frequency")
plt.title(f"Flowrate Distribution")
plt.grid(axis='y', alpha=0.75)
plt.show()
plt.close()

Generate configuration files for slicer

gcode = Gcode('gcode.gcode')

config = Tools.generate_config_files(gcode, './config')

Generate thumbnails (experimental, and in current version slow)

# For this feature you need to install additional package:
# pip install GcodeTools[thumbnails]

# If this code fails, try setting `backend` to one of: ['openGL3_glfw', 'openGL3_egl', 'openGL_mock']

backend = 'auto'

import GcodeTools
from GcodeTools.Thumbnails import gcode_thumbnails

gcode = Gcode('gcode.gcode')

img = gcode_thumbnails.Thumbnails.generate_thumbnail(gcode, backend=backend)
thumb_gcode = gcode_thumbnails.Thumbnails.set_thumbnail(gcode, img)

img.save('thumb.png')
thumb_gcode.write_file('out.gcode')

# gcode_thumbnails.Thumbnails.interactive(gcode, color_moves = True, backend=backend) # to open gcode viewer

Supported Slicers

Tested with:

• Prusa Slicer 2.8.1, 2.9.3
• Orca Slicer 2.1.1
• Super Slicer 2.5.59.12, 2.7.61.10
• Slic3r 1.3.0
• Cura 5.8.1
• Simplify3D 4.0.0
• Bambu Studio 2.0.3.54

	Any slicer	Cura	Prusa Slicer	Orca Slicer	Slic3r	Super Slicer	Simplify3D	Bambu Studio
Reading Gcode	✅
Keep track of coordinates	✅
Temperature control	✅
Fan control	✅
Spliting Objects	➖	✅	✅1	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Extracting features	➖	➖	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
Arc Moves	🔜2

Legend:

1: Turn on LABEL_OBJECTS
2: Arc moves currently automatically translate to G1 moves

• ✅ Fully supported
• ❌ Not supported, limited by slicer
• 🔜 To be implemented
• ➖ Partially supported, limited by slicer