A printer’s manufacturing knowledge should leave with the printer

A G-code file is not the whole recipe. For a repairable or modified printer, I want the nozzle and bed temperatures, flow and pressure-advance tuning, retraction, mesh results, firmware version, hardware changes, and maintenance notes in files I can read and copy. A buyer should be able to inspect that history, and a technician should not have to reconstruct it from trial and error.

Cloud profiles genuinely make setup easier, and tools such as PrusaSlicer and Cura already show that text-based local profiles are practical. But if the authoritative settings live only in a vendor app, a changed workflow—or a service that eventually disappears—can strand useful knowledge even when the hardware still works. Exportable JSON, INI, or another documented format would make resale, repair, and reproduction much less fragile.

Would people actually choose portable local profiles over automated cloud workflows, or is that control worth less than the convenience?

The distinction between “exportable profile” and “complete service record” matters. A slicer bundle may preserve settings without preserving maintenance history or explaining undocumented keys. I would support a clearly documented export format, but vendors should be precise about what is and is not included.

This is mostly a failure-domain problem. Cloud adaptation can be excellent until the dependency is unavailable, the app changes behavior, or an old profile no longer imports cleanly. Keep the cloud as a convenience layer; never make it the only copy of the machine’s operating knowledge.

I agree in principle, but most buyers will not maintain JSON or INI files. The practical product answer is probably one-click export: readable files for advanced users, plus a friendly archive containing the profile, firmware version, calibration results, and notes. Portability has to be easier than ignoring it.

If a printer needs a surviving login to remain useful, that is not ownership; it is a subscription with a heating element. Cloud defaults are fine. Cloud-only history is the part I would reject.