Prusa Timelapse

A TypeScript CLI service that automatically monitors PrusaLink API for print jobs and creates timelapse videos using RTSP camera feeds.

Features

• Automatic Monitoring: Polls PrusaLink API to detect print start/finish events
• RTSP Capture: Captures frames from RTSP camera streams using ffmpeg
• Video Assembly: Assembles captured frames into MP4 videos
• Configurable Notifications: Execute custom commands when timelapses complete
• State Management: Handles multiple prints and prevents conflicts
• Graceful Shutdown: Proper cleanup of processes and temporary files

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16+ OR Docker
• ffmpeg (installed and available in PATH when running natively, included in Docker)
• Access to PrusaLink API
• RTSP camera stream from your 3D printer

Installation

Native Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Build the project:

   npm run build

4. Copy the example configuration:

   cp config/config.example.json config/config.json

Docker Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Copy the example configuration:

   cp config/config.example.json config/config.json

3. Edit config/config.json with your settings
4. Build and run with Docker Compose:

   docker compose up -d

Configuration

Edit config/config.json with your settings:

{
  "prusaLink": {
    "host": "192.168.1.100",
    "port": 80,
    "apiKey": "your-api-key-here"
  },
  "timelapse": {
    "rtspUrl": "rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/live",
    "captureInterval": 30,
    "outputFramerate": 30,
    "outputDirectory": "./timelapses",
    "tempDirectory": "./temp"
  },
  "notification": {
    "command": "echo 'Timelapse completed: {outputPath}'"
  },
  "pollInterval": 10
}

Configuration Options

PrusaLink Settings

• host: IP address or hostname of your Prusa printer
• port: PrusaLink web interface port (usually 80)
• apiKey: PrusaLink API key (obtain from printer web interface)

Timelapse Settings

• rtspUrl: RTSP URL for camera stream
• captureInterval: Seconds between captured frames (e.g., 30 = 1 frame every 30 seconds)
• outputFramerate: FPS for the final video (e.g., 30)
• outputDirectory: Directory to save completed timelapse videos (created automatically if needed)
• tempDirectory: Directory for temporary frame storage (created automatically if needed)

Notification Settings

• command: Shell command to execute when timelapse completes
  • Use {outputPath} placeholder for the video file path
  • Use {outputDir} placeholder for the output directory
  • Examples:
    • "echo 'Timelapse ready: {outputPath}'"
    • "curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{{\"text\":\"Timelapse completed: {outputPath}\"}}' https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/SLACK/WEBHOOK"

Monitoring Settings

• pollInterval: Seconds between API status checks (recommended: 5-15)
• watchdogTimeout: Maximum seconds without seeing PRINTING state before auto-stopping capture (0 = disabled, default: 3600 = 1 hour)

Usage

Native Usage

Start the Service

# Using npm script
npm start config/config.json

# Or directly with node
node dist/index.js config/config.json

# Or after installing globally
npm link
prusa-timelapse config/config.json

Stop the Service

Press Ctrl+C to gracefully stop the service. The service will:

• Stop any active timelapse capture
• Complete video assembly if frames were captured
• Clean up temporary files
• Send notifications

Docker Usage

Start the Service

# Start in background
docker compose up -d

# View logs
docker compose logs -f

# Stop the service
docker compose down

Docker Commands

# Rebuild after changes
docker compose build

# Restart service
docker compose restart

# View service status
docker compose ps

How It Works

1. Monitoring: The service polls the PrusaLink /api/v1/status endpoint
2. Detection: When printer state changes from non-PRINTING to PRINTING, capture starts
3. Capture: ffmpeg captures frames from RTSP stream at specified intervals
4. Assembly: When printing finishes, ffmpeg assembles frames into MP4 video
5. Notification: Configured command executes with video path information

File Structure

├── src/
│   ├── index.ts              # CLI entry point
│   ├── api/
│   │   └── client.ts         # PrusaLink API client
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── index.ts          # Configuration loading/validation
│   ├── monitor/
│   │   └── index.ts          # Print monitoring service
│   ├── timelapse/
│   │   └── index.ts          # Timelapse capture/assembly
│   └── types/
│       ├── api.ts            # API response types
│       └── config.ts         # Configuration types
├── config/
│   └── config.example.json   # Example configuration
├── dist/                     # Compiled JavaScript
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Troubleshooting

ffmpeg Not Found

Ensure ffmpeg is installed and in your PATH:

ffmpeg -version

Authentication Issues

• Verify PrusaLink credentials in config/config.json
• Check that PrusaLink web interface is accessible
• Some printers may use digest authentication instead of basic

Camera Connection Issues

• Test RTSP URL with: ffplay rtsp://your-camera-url
• Verify camera is properly configured in PrusaLink
• Check network connectivity to camera

Permission Issues

• Ensure write permissions for output and temp directories
• Create directories manually if needed:

  mkdir -p timelapses temp

Development

Building

npm run build

Development Mode

npm run dev

Testing

npm test

License

ISC

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

Disclaimer

This software is provided as-is. Always test in a safe environment and ensure proper backups of your Prusa printer configuration.