Polar3D printers, some other types of printers, and OctoPrint servers have a local web interface; for such printers (as well as for OctoPrint controlled printers), the Polar Cloud includes a “LOCAL UI” button on the printer dashboard and printer management screens displayed to printer managers.
Clicking on the “LOCAL UI” button (or gear icon towards the upper right) of a specific printer’s dashboard screen (see Figure 9.5) or management screen (see Figure 9.9) will cause the Polar Cloud to attempt to open a connection itself to the printer’s local web interface, using what the Polar Cloud believes to be the printer’s IP address on your local network. Note that only a printer owner or manager may connect to the printer local web interface through the Polar Cloud. If your local network allows such access back from the Internet (which may or may not be the case), then you can access all of the printer’s local web interface while still in the Polar Cloud. (However, if your local network does not allow such Internet access, then the Polar Cloud connection attempt to the printer’s local web interface will not succeed; in that case, you will only be able to access the printer’s local web interface by connecting directly to the printer while on your local network. For instance, for Polar3D printers, see Chapter 3: The Polar3D printer local web interface of the Polar3D Printer Guide.)
However, note that once you have initially connected your printer to the Polar Cloud (as discussed for Polar3D printers in Chapter 1: Get connected to the Polar Cloud of the Polar3D Printer Guide), there is seldom much subsequent need or interest in accessing the printer’s local web interface; for printers managed through the Polar Cloud, use of the printer local web interface might occur only for occasional manual operations or for printer re-configuration purposes. Sustained use of the printer’s local web interface occurs primarily when instead controlling the printer directly from a device connected via local WiFi (as discussed for Polar3D printers in Section C.1: Wireless direct connection and printing of the Polar3D Printer Guide).
See Chapter 3: The Polar3D printer local web interface of the Polar3D Printer Guide for details on the features and use of the Polar3D printer’s local web interface.
For information on the local web interface of other makes of printer, see the printer manufacturer’s documentation.