We're honored by the increasing number of projects launched to improve the performance of Bambu Lab printers. Everyone appreciates a thriving ecosystem where diverse individuals and companies collaborate to enhance a product.

As a young company that has just completed the first round of our product launches, with X1, P1, and A1 representing the Gen. 1 of the Bambu Lab family, we acknowledge that our hardware and software infrastructures are still in the early stages of development. SDK is not complete and desired stability of our API has yet to be attained.

The discovery of the X1 Plus firmware and subsequent email exchanges have prompted us to prioritize our ecosystem infrastructure. But this will take quite some time to be beta tested and launched. Nevertheless, we started everything by collaborating with the X1 Plus team to roll out the Third Party Firmware plan to give our users the freedom of choice.

For the past two months, Bambu Lab and X1 Plus have been working closely together to make everything happen. X1 owners can install the Official Rootable Firmware (also known as Firmware R) on their printers, as well as X1 Plus.

We want to start by making it very clear that X1 Plus is not offered by, maintained by, or supported by Bambu Lab, and if you install X1 Plus or any other custom firmware on your printer, it is very possible that you can damage your printer. If you root your printer and install custom firmware, you will forfeit your warranty support.

Bambu Lab will make a best-effort attempt to support printers with custom firmware that have had genuine hardware failures as a result of manufacturing defects, but this cannot be guaranteed; if you install custom firmware, make sure that you understand the consequences described on this page.

Our principles

Before we roll out the API and SDK, which are at least a year away from being ready, we've already embarked on a few collaborations. I want to share our principles and outline the constructive ways to join our ecosystem, as well as what approaches could be counterproductive.

1. Safety and Security is the Top Priority

• If your contribution is as simple as a new spool holder or build plate, you are certainly welcome, as these components pose no harm other than the occasional spaghetti. However, if you're creating hotend components for the mass market that draw power from the toolhead and can heat up to 300 degrees, it's a serious matter, and we urge you to contact us for testing and certification.
• For those who have developed popular programs enabling home assistants to monitor printers and send alerts, we will endeavor to make our firmware compatible with these programs, despite not having an official and stable API for now. We will inform you whenever new firmware may affect your program and try our best to avoid the misfunction of your features.
• If you're developing a device that controls the entire printer, including heating elements and motion systems, please do not expect long-term support if it hasn't been approved by us in advance. This is particularly true for-profit organizations.
• If you provide aftermarket parts that draw power from the printer, please let us know so we can confirm the power supply can handle it. If too much power is drained, the system can become unstable and this can lead to damage or failures.
  As an example, we have received many reports of failed AP boards caused by the use of over-powered LED lights, and the Tool Head board damaged caused by third-party heaters that pull too much power, outside of the design specifications.

2. Respect Everyone's Intellectual Property

• Innovation is our livelihood, and we are committed to defending it. We respect others' intellectual property and expect the same in return. Copying our design will not be viewed as a friendly gesture. If you are a for-profit organization and need to use our IP, please make sure we have an agreement before your launch.

3. Communication is Key

• Constructive collaborations are built on trust, which begins with good communication. We are passionate about the ecosystem and eager to explore all possibilities with everyone, particularly those who share our maker ethos. The situation with the X1 Plus demonstrates the power of constructive communication. While we may or may not be able to support every project, we will at least provide clarity on our position and manage expectations – not just yours, but also our customers'.

X1 Plus Launch

As Joshua from the X1 Plus team aptly expressed, "Neither of our teams truly knows what will happen next, or how much development will come from the community." Despite this uncertainty, both parties maintain an optimistic outlook on our collaboration and have unwavering faith in the potential of the community.

This sentiment is rooted in our shared experiences during the collaborative development and testing phases of the official rootable firmware and X1 Plus firmware, where we distinctly sensed the mutual admiration between engineers, drawn together by their respective skills and expertise.

To get started with the Bambu Lab custom firmware plan, you can find instructions here.