Logic changes to make use of gcode buffering improvements

[woutgg]

With the modifications to print3d's GCodeBuffer (details here, integration in progress), it is now possible for the server to perform several sanity checks while appending code as well as rejecting new code when the buffer is full.

Steps to take

For this to work though, the client should undergo some changes:

• API docs on the wiki should be updated with the new metadata fields (in requests) as well as new possible errors (in responses);
• it should handle errors when sending GCode - this is currently being ignored, see here;
• moreover, it should deal with rejections when the buffer is full, possibly by exposing getMaxBufferSize through the API somehow, so the client can fill up the buffer and wait until it drops below a certain percentage (e.g. to 100%, back to 60%, fill back up again, etc.);
• although not something to be done in the client itself, with a small change in print3d, accuracy of printing progress could be improved (details here);
• it should send sequence number (and perhaps also total number of chunks) with each GCode part, to fix Check print/stop parts order #226 (so we can leave the stop button enabled - it is currently disabled while sending).

Related issues

Where appropriate, links are marked with 'unsure'.

• print3d / unresponsiveness
  • crash - When printing the Doodle3D WiFi-Box sometimes crashes  #280, which references
    API unresponsive doodle3d-firmware#11 and
    Print3D crash print3d#21
  • (unsure) stops printing - Stops printing, in buffering state print3d#33
  • (unsure) big makerbot print - Makerbot: Bigger print sending fails print3d#6 (fixed in the
    meantime?)
  • slow makerbot printing: Printer starts creeping in middle of print - Repetier FW #93 (fixed in the meantime?)
  • makerbot print does not finish sending: Doesn't finish sending print to Makerbot?  #177 (fixed?)
  • (unsure) sending big files: Issue when sending big file doodle3d-firmware#13 (quite old, fixed?) (closed)
• stopping a print
  • check print parts order: Check print/stop parts order doodle3d-firmware#16, referenced by Check print/stop parts order #226 and Stopping right after pressing print #35 (all fixed?)
  • check printer state before sending data: Check state before sending more data?  Doodle3D-API#5
• progress reporting - Set total lines manually doodle3d-firmware#51 and equivalent: Set total lines manually print3d#31
• logging - extend&unify: Unify and extend logging facilities #243 (fixed?)
• tmpfs/memory-related (can be fixed using buffer_full fail response)
  • buffer full: API:printer/print should return error when no more space available #240 (fixed?)
  • sketch disk usage: Disk usage issue doodle3d-firmware#50 (unrelated)
  • sending large files: Sending large gcode files to DoodleBox Doodle3D-API#15
• miscellaneous
  • gcode repeated: API repeats code #231 (might be easier to inspect now?)

[peteruithoven]

See branch: https://github.com/Doodle3D/doodle3d-client/commits/feature/buffer-full-retry

[woutgg]

• API documentation changes are in the printer section.
• Handling gcode send failures in the client implemented here.
• Handling buffer full failures: changes in the client, firmware and print3d.
• An overview of changes for sending total lines can be found in this issue: Report more accurate printing progress print3d#34.
• Sending sequence numbers from the client is implemented here.

Only recent changes have been mentioned here, they should make a good starting point to find older changes (mainly in firmware and print3d) which facilitate the new ones though.