Guilherme Razgriz is a brazilian 3D prototyper, art director and a strong advocate of the use of open source tools to create graphics. Active participant of several projects of open source communities, he is the maintainer of the Gimp no Brazil portal. He spoke at Joomla Day Brasil 2018 about his project of using Joomla to control remotely a 3D printer.

JCM: Describe your career path, what's your background?  What paths have you taken and where are you careerwise now?

Guilherme Razgriz: I usually describe my professional career as a great journey that began in 1997, in my teens. I started as an administrator of Linux servers until I discover Joomla! 1.5. Then I was interested in creating really functional projects for the web where I would not to work on a Terminal window. I graduated in advertising and marketing. Despite doing well in my area, I still did not feel complete. In 2007, when for the first time I started teaching video and image editing, things started to change. In 2012 I decided to take a bigger step, after discovering the world of additive manufacturing and prototyping. I realized then, that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!

JCM: How and when did you first find about Joomla?

I found Joomla when it was still called "Mambo". Its simplicity and robustness made me adopt it as standard CMS for my web applications.

JCM: What in Joomla attracted your attention?

Its simplicity and speed in assembling modules and articles increased my work productivity around 60%.

JCM: During Joomla Day Brasil you presented an integration between Joomla and 3D printing. Can you talk a little bit about what this integration is?

Under the tutelage of Joomla CMS I uploaded a module with a Octoprint interface, which is a platform to control of 3D printers remotely. With it, a job can be started and small adjustments can be made from afar, while monitoring printers over the web with a webcam.

JCM: How did you come up with this idea?

I thought about it as I discovered the possibilities that can be created with the use of Joomla custom modules without the need of installing a lot of plugins.

JCM: What resources did you use to develop this integration?

I used simple HTML and Octoprint webcam embed to upload streaming.

JCM: What Joomla resources help this integration happen?

The Joomla custom module system of modules allowed me to integrate almost anything inside the platform.

JCM: What is the advantage of remotely controlling a 3D printer?

The main advantages are the release of the user to leave for longer periods of time without neglecting the equipment and to be able to help other teams thousands of miles away!

JCM: Have you also developed other types of integration?

I am now trying to make the same kind of integration possible for laser cutting machines and milling cutter.

JCM: Are you aware of any other integration projects similar to what you have developed?

Yes, some of my students implemented a similar solution in Portugal.

JCM: What tips would you give to anyone who wants to create/develop integrations with Joomla or other CMS?

The first tip is to analyze the code you are going to put there, look for vulnerabilities and unnecessary lines, always keep your system up to date and do the same with the ecosystem that allows the CMS to operate with content, such as PHP version.
 
JCM: Feel free to add information that you find relevant about this subject

I believe that Joomla CMS is a platform with incredible features to be explored, especially with regard to IoT (Internet of Things) and can offer much more than just websites or e-commerce stores! We can discover much more TOGETHER!
 
Guilherme Razgriz can be found on Twitter: @razgrizbox, Instagram: @razgrizbox or @l3dbrasil or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This article has been proofread by Shirielle Williams