Ability to change printer name on Form2

Feature Requests & Ideas
1

It seems silly to me that I even have to ask this, but I have searched online and this forum and the only discussions I have seen about changing printer names all say that you cannot change the name on the Form2.

Quite simply this is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I have 11 different 3D printers in my University’s lab space and a colleague in another lab has another 10 and we are trying to merge the networks. It is completely unacceptable that we cannot customize the names on Formlabs printers like we can every other brand. I am seriously considering expanding to both the Form Fuse and Form Cell and it would be ridiculous for me to have to make this a significant point in those future purchases.

More than willing to chat to discuss…

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2

The printer name doubles as the serial number. So of course they use it for various purposes just as Epson would (tracking, inventory, record keeping, support/warranty).

Seeing as how you are such a big customer of theirs (and potentially much much larger with your eyes on Fuse and Cell), maybe you could contact someone prior to your upcoming purchases and customize your name(s). Doesn’t help you with the printers you already have, however. Might be worth a phone call and a conversation.

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To be fair, the name displayed in preform and in the dashboard could be customized without actually changing the serial number.

Formlabs just doesn’t want to implement this feature… and that’s fine in principles, they are entitled to their own opinion (and they probably have their own reasons / priorities to not be working on that), except when your client is in a professional setting that doesn’t allow for frivolities like a machine named FrivolousWobbegong or SpinyLumpsucker (I just made that up but I’ve seen worse), or has a setup that requires to precisely manage how things are called or referred as in order to just be able to work properly.

4

This exactly my point. The name “could be customized”. The choice to have the name double as a serial number is Formlabs’ decision, not the customer, and clearly there are downsides to this. Formlabs is clearly targeting a multi printer environment (e.g. Form Cell). Too not allow printer customization is short sighted in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I really like what Formlabs is doing and the Form2 is light years better than the other SLA (or FDM for that matter) printers we have.

Not to get too far off topic, but the idea of any sort of tracking has issues for me. I work in a DOD environment and advise DOD customers. We will never have printers connected to the internet so I have not even been able to register my Form2. Another printer vendor (will not mention but rhymes with FakerShot) acknowledges this and makes available a non-internet version of their software. Currently Preform works fine as is but I personally am very leary about more internet functionality. I realize it is great for general consumers but it will be a non-starter eventually for some organizations.

I already have a face to face meeting scheduled with Formlabs where I will discuss this.

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5

To be fair, their naming scheme has has pissed a few people off (those not liking their name) but for the most part its just cosmetic or annoying. However in your case I understand how it could cause issue.

I am super glad to hear you have a face to face with FL. You are an edge case for sure, but I am glad they are open to working with you, and perhaps this potential functionality will be opened up to all of us one day. Now that’s progress!

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I hate my printers serial

7

I do wish I could change it as well. GOOFYEMU is not something I would have chosen.
I also use mine in a space that does not have net connectivity so it is not registered and only uses Preform on a non connected laptop.

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8

Mine is fancysandpiper WTH?

9

Sheesh- of all the stupid things to whine about.

Do any of you know the Serial Number of any of your other devices? No- you would have to look them up.

What possible difference does it make what the damn thing is NAMED as long as they are unique?

Do you REALLY NEED the ‘freedom’ to invent your very own unimaginative naming conventions? Will that REALLY Improve the operation of your printers?

Tell me… is it UNACCEPTABLE that your Employees come with their own preset names and won’t let you rename them, too?

If you can Deal with the fact that Staff come with their own names…, I think you can deal with the fact that a GIZMO comes with its own name.
Spend $19.95 on a label maker and just stick a nametag on each printer… just like all your staff have nametags.

Non-problem solved.

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10

Most of the time the serial number is only referenced in an obscure part of the machine (both software and hardware wise). When I hook up my phone with a local network I can choose what names it appears under, it doesn’t show the IMEI or another kind of identification number.

Here it appears on Preform, on the dashboard as well as on the local network. This can have a very unprofessional look in certain situations (some people won’t appreciate having something like “Select FlatulentWobbegong and click OK” in a work instruction).
It also makes it a bit harder to keep track of which printer is where/which when you have several. Of course you could write down the names assigned to your printers and make notes as to their location/function/etc… but at that point what does it cost formlabs to just allow us to stick a nickname to the printers in preform & the dashboard ?

I agree that saying it is “unacceptable” is a bit far fetched (some people are self-important like that when speaking with service/product providers) but it is definitely not understandable why Formlabs doesn’t allow this, and it is IMHO a perfectly valid request to have.

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yeah… its the imperious tone that got to me… but also just the idea that this factors AT ALL into anyone’s life enough to consider it important.

But I seriously do not think it has the slightest effect on the appearance of professionalism. Either you do good work, or you don’t… the Name of a device on your network is immaterial.

I name my computers and mobile devices and in 30 years no one has ever asked, remarked, or even noticed the names i have assigned them. Not even the guys I hired to operate them.

people get these ideas in their heads… that something inconsequential bothers them… and then act like its a form of suffering. My printer being named RemakableCrow, rather than “SLA PRINTER II” makes not one whit of quantifiable difference in my life… my business… or my pocket.

Sure- ASK- but don’t act like its a make or break issue of import.

its a quibble. nothing more.

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On that, we agree.

Whether it’s a quibble or not really depends on the workplace your’e in though. Some structures, big or small, will accept easily that kind of stuff, other won’t.

13

I started this discussion and perhaps was a little over the top, but the discussion has gone off track of my original point. My desire to rename printers is not out of vanity and I would submit it is a professional and important issue, at least in my case.

I have over 20 printers in a lab environment with over 50 users and quickly growing all managed by 1 technician. Many (actually most) of my users are remote users and send print jobs from outside the lab and then retrieve the parts later. It is clearly far more logical to be able to send prints jobs to “FDM1, FDM2, …SLA1, SLA2…etc.” than random names Yes all of my printers have physical labels but again from remote sessions logical custom printer names is highly desirable.

Secondly, I still believe it was short sighted to not anticipate this issue in a large scale printing environment which Formlabs clearly envisions (e…g Form Cell).

Finally, despite numerous previous posts questioning/requesting the issue, the answer is essentially “we do not allow custom names because they are used as serial numbers.” I still believe that is not a satisfactory answer. An answer that said “we considered a change but do not think it is worth it” or “maybe in the future” makes more sense to me than just saying “you cannot rename them”.

I appreciate the comments but to belittle the request solely as a vanity request is as offensive to me as my statement that the issue was unacceptable may have been to others. Like every other issue today there are only 2 sides with no middle ground…

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14

I did not say it was vanity…
I said it was immaterial to the operation of any number of printers. And a tad excessive to claim prenamed printers as unacceptable. Really? You gonna Return all your Form 2s if they won’t comply?

FDM1, FDM2, SLA1, SLA2 offer absolutely no more reasonable functionality than naming them Fred, Bruce, Wanda, and Phil. Though I am willing to bet that none of your FDM printers have names that would be mistaken for one of your Form2s.

Names are nothing but arbitrary labels we use to symbolize identity. The only difference is the LETTERS used in the symbology.
And the only real functionality is that the names are unique to each device so as to tell them apart.

I would bet your ONE technician would have a much easier time managing and dealing with formlabs over issues with units where the Name IS the serial number- rather than having to keep track of separate names that have no correlation to the serial numbers.

The only argument offered is that a more stodgy and less distinctive naming convention would be more professionally seemly…?

That the Form2 is immediately discoverable on your network by the name that the manufacturer can deal directly with you regarding maintenance over is a FEATURE not a bug… one that actually lightens the workload on your technician.

Being able to come up with your own names… that will have no relation to the machine’s actual serial number is quite literally adding complexity… not resolving it.

And I don’t see why you would be more mollified by the answer that they “considered” your proposal yet decided to stick with their intention to simplify service for everyone by making the serial numbers the names…
On what basis do you conclude that they DIDN’T consider your request before rejecting it?

Unique names may not be what you expect or are used to… but my printer had to be extensively troubleshot and eventually sent back for replacement- and I grew to appreciate that I did not have to turn the thing over to find and read off a serial number every time I contacted support.

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15

If you buy 10 printers and they are named

r6aHFeaTFZ
2e5x3LEUql
xGBVQojlOv
mbQLNX56WI
RpSzAWvsKk
tVqWrjBtsA
CjCTIt3Rm6
SXGDqmmrnQ
ijq7bYexvM
Q6Hicg3fcE

Does it still makes no more reasonable functionality ? I think you’re thinking in terms of programming and not human use. Yes any unique string is comparable to another. But for a human being it’s not logical and I now fully agree with @bradfordbaker : If I had to manage 20 printers (I’d like to see that BTW :stuck_out_tongue: ) I would say it’s a PITA not to be able to rename the printers, especially since it’s not difficult by any means for formlabs to implement a custom name in preform and the dashboard whilst keeping the fancy serial ID.

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Well- YEAH- and IF Formlabs was shipping printers with that kind of absurd naming convention I could Absolutely see that the names would be a problem.

But they AREN’T, are they?
Formlabs names are comprehensible and memorable ordinary words. A form of mnemonic device that is proven to work. They do so expressly to avoid the kind of idiocy that your list of nonsense text strings exemplifies.

Formlabs gives them names that are, as I pointed out, no harder to recall and associate than are the pre-set names of your Staff.
So your analogy fails in that if your EMPLOYEES came with the list of names you typed… then you would have a real problem dealing with them, wouldn’t you?
You compare a list of personal names I analogized, to a series of unpronounceable and random strings of meaningless characters.

And what is that list of names you wrote reminiscent of?

Why that looks like a list of all the random and meaningless Serial Numbers that all the OTHER gizmos in your office have and which your technician has to look up every time he has to deal with service issues. Because those devices serial number have no correlation to the name you gave the gizmo on your network.

Once more- you prove my point. The names being rational words AND the serial number SIMPLIFIES network setup- servicing- maintenance and human recall of a the specific printer that needs a new tank, or a cartridge of resin.

The demand that you be able to name them something else that you can show NO advantage over the names they come with- other than your Perception that the given names are not as “professional” - is revealed to be simply an idiosyncratic preference without rational justification.

That’s not a criticism… just an observation. I have plenty of idiosyncratic preferences about a lot of things…
i am willing to cop to the fact that they are mere preferences.

So just admit it… you simply really would rather be able to give them all names that are boring less imaginative.

But you won’t name them a random string of numbers and letters, either… you’ll pick words and numbers that you can pronounce and that are memorable… like people’s names.

Ergo- your ACTUAL list of names you would use and Formlabs list of names are functionally equivalent.
You are just the kind of guy who would name his own kid “Son Number 1” rather than “Raging Buffalo”.

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17

I have had mixed feelings about the name as a serial number. Over the years, I have grown to like them no matter how silly they may be. Here is a serial number of mine from a different manufacturers printer. It is absurd and means absolutely nothing:

4a2c080f503409203000280000001000

If I had 2 on my network, I would have no idea which was which without a cross reference cheat sheet with a real name written on it, and there is no way for me to modify it.

I will happily stick with the Formlabs naming convention.

18

This is absolutely a feature that must be included in the near future. Our printer arrived with the name “PrettyChick”… Aside from the blatant lack of professionalism in that name, we were quite upset to find that our printer came preloaded with a misogynistic nickname THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO CHANGE. I can only imagine what other “names” they have put out there, and they had better come up with a solution for this soon.

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“Chick” is referring to a baby chicken, not a woman.

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Just because you can see innuendoes at every turn doesn’t mean that the algorithm that formed the name can. Nor can you expect human checkers, who first language probably is not English, to be au fait with your particular slang/dialect.

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