Live reloading / remote procedure call API

[lynaghk]

Is there an existing issue for this feature request?

• I have searched the existing issues

Is your feature request related to a problem?

I'd like to programmatically control a running GUI instance of OrcaSlicer to do things like reload parts from STEP files, slice, and read various outputs (any warnings, generated gcode, filament length used, etc.).

My initial use case is "livereloading": Use Orca to visualize parts generated by "code CAD" tools like Bulid123d or Manifold so that when I press a button in my code editor the part file is generated and Orca shows the change automatically.

More broadly, having a defined API would allow for programmatic feedback loops for stuff like generative geometry / topology optimization.

Which printers will be beneficial to this feature?

All

Describe the solution you'd like

I've used Autodesk Inventor's API via Windows COM from Python scripts to script that CAD tool (details):

inventor_scripting.mp4

However given Orca's cross platform nature I expect it'd probably make more sense to do some kind of JSON RPC over unix domain sockets or a local webserver (potentially adding a hook to the CLI for convenience).

I understand there are a gazillion design decisions here and lots of questions about the desired API surface, backwards compatibility, etc.

I'll have a go at implementing something for my own immediate needs now, but I wanted to raise the question in case those more familiar with the project would like me to explore a specific direction.

Thanks, and have a great day!

Describe alternatives you've considered

No response

Additional context

No response

[seafella]

If you dig in to some customization that you're willing to share please update the thread with your progress! I am in the process of making the switch to OrcaSlicer and I was surprised that there is no api