Are you having trouble loading your webcam stream in OctoPrint? Are you seeing the “OctoPrint webcam stream not loaded” error? Don’t worry—we can help! There are many reasons why your webcam stream can fail to load; we will walk you through troubleshooting and fixing the issue step-by-step.
OctoPrint is essential software for 3D printing. One key feature is adding a webcam to your 3D printer so you can monitor and control it from anywhere. Many plugins can also use the webcam, like OctoEverywhere, which uses the webcam for free AI print failure detection, notifications, live streaming, and more.
Here are the steps to diagnose OctoPrint webcam stream not loaded issues:
Check OctoPrint Plugin Compatibility
Some OctoPrint plugins are known to have webcam compatibility issues. The Obico plugin, for example, changes your webcam configuration dynamically, which can cause problems when OctoPrint tries to load the webcam stream.
Try disabling or removing plugins that impact your webcam to ensure they aren’t the cause of your issue.
Note: The OctoEverywhere plugin does not affect your webcam configuration. Our plugin was explicitly designed to work with various webcams without impacting them. So you don’t have to worry about OctoEverywhere causing issues. 🥰
Ensure The Camera Is On And Connected
OctoPrint supports many webcams, such as IP-based network webcams, USB-based webcams, and the Raspberry Pi Camera Module. Each camera is different, but you first want to ensure the webcam is on and connected.
- USB Webcams— If your webcam plugs directly into the USB port of your Raspberry Pi running OctoPi, ensure the camera is fully connected. It might help to unplug the camera, power down the device, plug it into a different USB port, and restart it. You can also try plugging the USB camera into a desktop or laptop to ensure the camera works correctly.
- Raspberry Pi Camera Module – If you use the Raspberry Pi Camera Module, connect the webcam via the header cable to the Raspberry PI. Remember that the ribbon cable header and connection on the Raspberry Pi are fragile, so take care when inserting and removing the cable. Always ensure the Raspberry Pi is off before removing or adjusting the cable.
- Network-Based Webcams—If you use a webcam independent of your OctoPrint device connected to your home network, ensure the camera is on and connected. If possible, connect the webcam via Ethernet to your router, but Wi-Fi will also work. Most routers have a control website you can access to see a list of connected devices.
Ensure The Webcam Server Is Running
If you’re using a USB webcam or Raspberry Pi Camera Module, you must run software on your OcotPrint device to allow webcam streaming. This software controls the webcam, captures image frames, and sends them out via the network.
OctoPrint usually uses camera-streamer or webcamd, an OctoPrint webcam server. Both pieces of software run as a service on your device, meaning they can always run in the background. Use the command sudo systemctl status to list all of the services on your device and check if they are running. If they aren’t, you can use sudo systemctl restart <name> to restart them or simply reboot the device to fix them.
Ensure You Have The Correct Network Webcam IP
If you’re using a network-connected webcam, you will need the camera’s IP address or local hostname to configure the OctoPrint webcam. But you must be careful because the IP address of your webcam can change over time. Home networks use a protocol called DHCP, which allows devices on the network to ask for an IP address from your home router. The IP address is leased from the router only for a limited period. When the time limit is up, the device must ask for a new IP, where it can get the same IP back or a different IP.
To check the streaming and snapshot URLs for your network webcam are valid, simply put the URL into your browser and see if you get a snapshot or webcam stream. If your web browser can show the snapshot or stream, then you know the webcam is powered on, connected, and able to stream.
Check Your OctoPrint Webcam Config
The final item to check is your OctoPrint webcam configuration. To find your OctoPrint webcam settings, open the OctoPrint web page, select the wrench icon in the top right, and select “Classic Webcam” in the left list of settings options.
The settings you want to focus on are “Streaming URL” and “Snapshot URL.” The stream URL is used in the OctoPrint webcam view, and the snapshot URL is used for timelapse videos and by various plugins.
If you’re using a Raspberry Picam or USB webcam plugged into the same device, the URL should be relative, meaning it should start with /webcam/... and not http://.... For most USB webcam or Raspberry Pi Camera Module setups, the streaming URL will be /webcam/?action=stream, and the snapshot URL will be /webcam/?action=snapshot. If those links don’t work for you, check how your local webcam service is set up and what URLs you need to use.
If you’re using a network-based webcam, the URL should be an absolute URL, which should start with http://. The format should be something like http://<IP address>/<path to stream>. You can find the IP address of your camera using the camera app or by looking the device up on your router’s admin website. To find the streaming path and optional port, search on Google for something like <you webcam name> jmpeg streaming URL.
Still Having Issues? Get Community Help!
One of the most unique aspects of the 3D printing community is how open, kind, and ready to help everyone is. If you tried the steps above and your webcam still isn’t loading in OctoPrint, reach out to a 3D printing community!
Our OctoEverywhere 3D printing Discord server is a fantastic community to join for help or to participate in 3D printing discussions. We welcome everyone, whether users are new to the hobby or experts who have been printing 3D for years. We have an established group of 3D printing experts who are happy to help with questions anyone has!
A step-by-step guide to fix the webcam streaming not working in OctoPrint error. We cover USB and network webcams and the Raspberry Pi Camera Module.
