MAKERATORY HELP
Learn Makeratory by doing real work.
Makeratory is built around your actual workshop data. These guides explain the workflow, then send you directly to the screen where the work happens.
Getting Started
The guided setup is the fastest path to a useful Makeratory workspace. It records progress and lets you leave and return without starting over.
- Add the workshop.
- Add a printer and its filament-loading equipment.
- Add filament and mark at least one roll as loaded.
- Create a product and its filament recipe.
- Run Print Finder for a real capacity result.
Optional nice-to-have: once the core workshop is useful, set up Quick Capture in Settings. Makeratory will generate a private Quick Capture address you can save as a phone contact so ideas, tasks, and notes can be sent into your account without opening the app.
Quick Capture
Quick Capture is a private note inbox inside Makeratory for ideas, tasks, reminders, and shop notes that you do not want to lose. You can create a note directly on the Quick Capture screen or send one to your private Quick Capture address from your phone's email or text-to-email workflow.
Set it up once: open Settings, find Quick Capture, generate your private Quick Capture address, copy it, and save it as a phone contact such as “Makeratory Quick Capture.” Treat the address like a private key. If it is exposed, regenerate it in Settings.
Organize while you capture: add hashtags such as #idea, #task, #work, #personal, or #urgent. Makeratory stores those as categories and removes the hashtags from the displayed note body.
Carrier-generated messages may arrive as email content or as a text attachment. Makeratory extracts the note, routes it to the owner of the private Quick Capture address, and protects against duplicate provider message IDs.
Open Quick Capture → · Manage private Quick Capture address →
Printers & filament equipment
Add each physical printer once. Give it a recognizable name, select the closest model, and record lifetime hours when useful for maintenance tracking.
Every printer can use an external spool position. Add AMS, multi-spool, or multi-toolhead equipment when that equipment exists in your real setup. Loaded filament should be assigned to the specific printer, equipment, and slot so Print Finder knows what is immediately available.
Manage filament directly from Printer Fleet: expand Filament equipment, select any configured slot, and Makeratory will show the roll currently assigned there. From the slot dialog you can load an available spool, move a roll from another loading position, replace the current roll, or unload the slot. The Filament inventory updates to the same location automatically.
Filament inventory
Use one spool record for each physical roll you want to track. Makeratory can track brand, material, color, remaining amount, purchase information, and whether the roll is stored or loaded.
For Print Finder, the most important distinction is availability: a stored roll contributes to inventory, while a correctly assigned loaded roll tells Makeratory that a printer can use it now.
Open filament inventory → · Read the general filament inventory guide →
Products, BOMs & Production Groups
A product is the finished item you sell or stock. Its BOM or recipe tells Makeratory what is consumed to make one unit.
Add filament requirements by material, color, and amount. Add non-printed supplies when the item also needs hardware, packaging, magnets, inserts, or other purchased parts. Production Groups let related recipe requirements be organized when a product has multiple printable pieces or grouped production needs.
Accurate recipes improve Print Finder, material cost estimates, production consumption, and finished-goods tracking.
Print Finder
Print Finder answers a practical question: what can I make with what I have? It compares product recipes with your available filament and printer-loading state.
If a product does not appear or capacity is zero, check that the product has a filament recipe, the needed filament exists, and the relevant roll is assigned as loaded when immediate printer capacity is required. The result also identifies limiting or missing filament so you know what is blocking additional units.
Production workflow
Use Production after the product recipe is correct. A production run connects what you plan to make with the materials consumed and the finished quantity produced.
The useful sequence is: choose the product, plan the quantity, run the job, record actual completion, and keep consumption and finished inventory aligned. Scheduling is available when you need to coordinate work across printers rather than simply record completed batches.
Finished inventory
Finished inventory represents completed products that are available to sell or allocate. Record production before relying on finished-stock counts, and record sales so stock leaves inventory through the normal workflow.
Stock targets can help you decide what needs replenishment before an event or busy sales period.
Sales & finance basics
Sales records connect finished products to revenue. Finance tracks the broader business picture, including expenses that are not captured by a product recipe alone.
Use product BOM costs for repeatable unit-cost inputs, sales for what customers actually bought, and finance for operating expenses. The goal is useful shop visibility, not accounting-system complexity.
Record sales → · Open Finance → · Use the pricing calculator →
FAQ & troubleshooting
How do I set up Quick Capture from my phone?
Open Settings, generate your private Quick Capture address, save it as a phone contact, then send a note using your phone's email or text-to-email capability. Add hashtags if you want Makeratory to categorize the note automatically.
What if my private Quick Capture address is exposed?
Regenerate it in Settings. The previous private address should no longer be treated as trusted once it has been exposed.
Why is filament missing from Print Finder?
Confirm the roll is active, has the expected material and color, and is assigned to the correct printer/equipment/slot when the recipe requires currently loaded capacity.
Why does a product show no capacity?
Check that the product has a complete filament recipe and that matching filament exists. Print Finder will identify missing or limiting materials when possible.
Do I need to add an AMS or other feeder?
No. The external spool position is always valid. Add extra filament equipment only when it reflects the printer setup you actually use.
How do I see or change what is loaded in an AMS slot?
Open Printer Fleet, expand Filament equipment on the printer, then select the slot. The slot dialog shows the current roll and lets you load, move, replace, or unload filament without going back to the Filament page.
Where do magnets, hardware, packaging, and other parts go?
Add them under Supplies, then include the required quantity in the product's non-printed-parts recipe.
Can I change a printer later?
Yes. Printer details can be edited after setup. Use the printer screen rather than creating a duplicate machine.
Can I come back to Getting Started?
Yes. Setup progress is saved. The onboarding page and Getting Started prompts resume at the next incomplete milestone.
Where do I manage my subscription or workspace members?
Workspace Settings contains subscription status, billing access, invitations, roles, and workspace administration.
Looking for general 3D-printing calculators and reference material instead? Visit Makeratory Resources →