Home Panel

The Home Panel is your printer dashboard — a fully customizable grid of widgets spread across multiple pages, like home screens on a phone. You choose what appears, where it goes, how big each widget is, and can rearrange everything with drag-and-drop.
The Widget Grid
Section titled “The Widget Grid”Your dashboard is built from widgets — individual cards that display printer information and controls. Widgets live on a flexible grid:
- The grid is 8 columns by 5 rows on standard and large screens (6x4 on small screens)
- Each widget occupies one or more grid cells
- Widgets cannot overlap — the grid enforces clean layouts
- Everything saves automatically and persists across restarts and updates
When you first launch HelixScreen, a default layout is created with your printer image, print status, tips, and commonly used widgets. From there, you can customize everything.
Multiple Pages
Section titled “Multiple Pages”Your dashboard can have multiple pages of widgets — just like home screens on a phone. Each page has its own independent grid layout.
Navigating Between Pages
Section titled “Navigating Between Pages”- Swipe left or right anywhere on the widget grid to move between pages
- Dot indicators at the bottom of the screen show which page you’re on and how many pages you have
- If you only have one page, the dots and swiping are hidden — it works exactly like a single-page dashboard
The Main Page
Section titled “The Main Page”One page is designated as the main page (the first page by default). This is the page shown when you first connect to your printer or navigate to the Home panel.
Home button behavior:
- From any other panel, tapping the Home button takes you back to the Home panel — to whichever page you were last viewing
- Tapping Home again while already on the Home panel jumps to the main page
- So the main page is always at most two taps of the Home button away
Adding a Page
Section titled “Adding a Page”- Enter Edit Mode (long-press the widget grid)
- Swipe to the last page — a ”+” tile appears
- Tap the ”+” to create a new empty page
- You can have up to 8 pages maximum
- Exit Edit Mode and start adding widgets to your new page
Page Limit
Section titled “Page Limit”The dashboard supports up to 8 pages. Once you reach the limit, the ”+” tile no longer appears.
Edit Mode
Section titled “Edit Mode”Edit Mode is how you customize your dashboard layout. While in Edit Mode, all normal widget interactions (tapping to open overlays, etc.) are disabled so you can freely rearrange things.
Page swiping in Edit Mode: Swiping between pages is disabled while in Edit Mode so you can drag widgets without accidentally changing pages. The one exception is swiping past the last page to reach the ”+” add-page tile. When you exit Edit Mode, normal page swiping is re-enabled.
Entering Edit Mode
Section titled “Entering Edit Mode”Long-press (press and hold for about half a second) anywhere on the widget grid. You’ll see:
- A faint grid of dots appears showing the underlying grid structure
- Corner brackets appear on the widget under your finger, indicating it’s selected
- All normal widget tap actions are disabled — you can touch anything without triggering it
The widget you long-pressed is automatically selected and ready to drag. You can start moving it immediately without lifting your finger.

Selecting a Widget
Section titled “Selecting a Widget”- Tap any widget to select it — animated corner brackets appear at its edges
- The corner brackets pulse gently to indicate the active selection
- Tap empty space to deselect the current widget
- Only one widget can be selected at a time
Moving a Widget
Section titled “Moving a Widget”- Select a widget by tapping it (or it’s auto-selected when you enter Edit Mode)
- Press and drag the widget to a new position
- As you drag, a snap preview appears showing where the widget will land:
- Blue/accent preview = valid drop position
- Red preview = invalid position (would overlap another widget or go off-grid)
- Release to drop the widget — it snaps into the grid position with a smooth animation
- If the position is invalid, the widget returns to its original spot
A faint outline stays at the widget’s original position while dragging so you can see where it came from.
Resizing a Widget
Section titled “Resizing a Widget”Not all widgets are resizable — some (like Power and Shutdown) are always 1x1. For widgets that support resizing:
- Select the widget by tapping it
- Look for thin edge lines along the sides of the selected widget — these are the resize handles
- Drag from any edge to resize in that direction
- As you drag, two previews appear:
- A thin border follows your finger exactly (pixel-tracking)
- A grid-snapped preview shows the final size
- The widget snaps to valid grid sizes based on its constraints:
- Each widget has a minimum and maximum size (see the widget table below)
- Resizing stops at the grid boundary
- Resizing stops if it would overlap another widget
- Release to apply the new size — the widget rebuilds at its new dimensions
Some widgets adapt their content based on size. For example, the Digital Clock shows just the time at 1x1, adds the date at 2x1, and shows uptime too at 2x2 or larger.
Adding a Widget
Section titled “Adding a Widget”There are two ways to add widgets:
- While in Edit Mode, long-press on an empty area of the grid
- The Widget Catalog opens
The Widget Catalog shows all available widgets in a scrollable list. Each entry shows:
- Widget name and description
- Size badge (e.g., “2x1”)
- Widgets already on your dashboard are dimmed and labeled “Placed”
Tap any available widget to add it. HelixScreen places it near where you long-pressed, or finds the best available spot if that area is occupied. If the grid is completely full, you’ll need to remove a widget first.

Removing a Widget
Section titled “Removing a Widget”- Select the widget you want to remove
- A trash icon appears — drag the widget to the trash, or tap the delete button
- The widget is removed from your grid
Removing a widget doesn’t delete any data — you can always add it back from the Widget Catalog.

Configuring a Widget
Section titled “Configuring a Widget”Some widgets have settings you can change directly from Edit Mode. When you select one of these configurable widgets, a gear icon appears in the upper-left corner (the trash icon is in the upper-right).
Configurable widgets:
| Widget | What the gear button does |
|---|---|
| Temperatures | Toggles between Stack and Carousel display mode |
| Fan Speeds | Toggles between Stack and Carousel display mode |
| Temperature Sensors | Toggles between single-sensor and Carousel display mode |
| Fan | Opens the fan picker — choose which fan to monitor |
| Temperature Graph | Opens a configuration modal — toggle sensors on/off and customize series colors |
| Macro Button 1–5 | Opens the macro picker — choose which macro to assign |
| Clog Detection | Opens the Clog Detection config modal — set detection source, mode, and thresholds |
To configure a widget:
- Enter Edit Mode (long-press the widget grid)
- Tap the widget you want to configure — corner brackets and action buttons appear
- Tap the gear icon in the upper-left corner
- For Temperatures/Fan Speeds: the widget immediately switches between Stack and Carousel mode. Tap the gear again to switch back.
- For Macro Buttons: a picker overlay opens listing all available Klipper macros. Tap a macro to assign it — the button updates immediately.

Resetting to Defaults
Section titled “Resetting to Defaults”Tap the Reset button in the Edit Mode toolbar to restore the default widget layout. This resets all pages back to a single page with the default layout — any extra pages you created are removed. Widget positions and sizes are reset, and the default set of enabled widgets is restored. Your per-widget settings (like display mode preferences) are preserved.
The default layout places:
- Printer Image in the top-left (2x2)
- Print Status below it (2x2)
- Tips across the top-right (4x2)
- Remaining enabled widgets auto-fill the rest of the grid
Exiting Edit Mode
Section titled “Exiting Edit Mode”- Tap the Done button in the toolbar
- Or navigate away to any other panel — Edit Mode exits automatically and saves your changes
Available Widgets
Section titled “Available Widgets”Sizes are listed as columns x rows. For example, “2x1” means 2 columns wide and 1 row tall.
Printer Info & Status
Section titled “Printer Info & Status”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printer Image | Your printer’s photo. Tap to open the Printer Manager overlay where you can change the name, image, and see hardware info. | 2x2 | 1x1 | 4x3 | Yes | — |
| Print Status | Current print progress with filename, percentage, ETA, and elapsed time. Tap to open the full Print Status overlay when printing, or navigate to the file browser when idle. | 2x2 | 2x1 | 4x3 | Yes | — |
| Print Stats | Print history statistics — total prints, success rate, and total print time. Tap to open the full print history overlay. | 2x2 | 2x1 | 3x2 | Yes | — |
| Job Queue | Shows the number of queued print jobs. Tap to open the Job Queue Manager modal (see Job Queue Manager below). | 2x2 | 2x1 | 4x3 | Yes | — |
| Digital Clock | Current time and date. Respects your 12/24-hour preference from display settings. Content adapts to size: time only at 1x1, time + date at 2x1, time + date + system uptime at 2x2+. | 2x1 | 1x1 | 3x3 | Yes | — |
| Notifications | Shows pending notification count with a severity badge (info/warning/error). Tap to open the notification history overlay. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | — |
| Tips | Rotating helpful tips about 3D printing and HelixScreen features. Tap any tip to see the full article. Tips rotate automatically. | 4x2 | 2x1 | 6x2 | Horizontal only | — |
| Network | Current network connection status — WiFi signal strength (with bar indicator) or Ethernet. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | — |
| Camera | Live webcam feed from your MJPEG stream. Tap to go fullscreen. Automatically detects webcams configured in Moonraker. See Camera Widget below for setup tips. | 2x2 | 1x1 | 4x3 | Yes | Webcam configured |
Temperature & Climate
Section titled “Temperature & Climate”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle Temperature | Live nozzle temperature with an animated heating icon that pulses when the heater is active. Tap to open the temperature graph overlay. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | — |
| Bed Temperature | Live bed temperature with current and target readings. Tap to open the temperature graph overlay. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | — |
| Temperatures | Stacked view showing nozzle, bed, and chamber temperatures in one widget. Each row shows current temp and target. Also available in Carousel mode (see Display Modes below). Tap any reading to open the temperature graph. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 3x2 | Yes | — |
| Temperature Sensors | Monitor additional temperature sensors (chamber, enclosure heater, etc.) in a single-sensor or carousel view. You can add multiple instances, each configured to a different sensor. Also available in Carousel mode. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | Extra temp sensors |
| Temperature Graph | Live temperature chart with configurable sensor series. Shows colored lines for each sensor with optional target setpoint lines. Content adapts to size — larger sizes show legends, axis labels, gradients, and temperature readouts. Tap to open the full-screen graph overlay. Configure which sensors to display via the gear icon in Edit Mode. You can add multiple instances. | 2x2 | 1x1 | 6x4 | Yes | — |
| Preheat | Quick preheat buttons with material selection. Tap a material to instantly set nozzle and bed temperatures to that material’s profile. | 3x1 | 2x1 | 4x1 | Horizontal only | — |
| Humidity | Enclosure humidity reading from a connected sensor. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | Humidity sensor |
| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fan Speeds | Part cooling, hotend, and auxiliary fan speeds at a glance. Fan icons spin when running. Also available in Carousel mode with arc slider controls. Tap to open the Fan Control overlay. You can add multiple instances. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 3x2 | Yes | — |
| Fan | Monitor a single fan’s speed. Tap to open a fan picker to choose which fan to display. You can add multiple instances, each showing a different fan. Configure via the gear icon in Edit Mode. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | — |
Filament & Material
Section titled “Filament & Material”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Spool | Shows the currently loaded Spoolman spool — displays the spool color, material type, brand, and remaining weight. Tap to edit the active spool. At compact sizes (1x1) shows just the colored spool icon; at wider sizes shows material details alongside. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 4x2 | Yes | Spoolman configured |
| AMS Status | Mini view of your multi-material spool slots showing filament colors and status. Tap for the full AMS panel. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | AMS/MMU detected |
| Filament Sensor | Filament runout detection status. Shows whether filament is loaded. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | Filament sensor |
| Width Sensor | Live filament width reading from a diameter sensor. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | Width sensor |
| Clog Detection | Filament clog and flow health monitor. Shows a clog/flow arc meter, and a buffer sync meter on Happy Hare printers. Tap to open the Buffer Status detail modal. Configurable via the gear icon in Edit Mode. See Clog Detection Widget below. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x2 | Yes | AMS/MMU detected |
Lighting
Section titled “Lighting”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED Light | Quick on/off toggle for your printer’s LEDs. Tap to open the full LED Control Overlay with color picker, brightness, effects, and WLED controls. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | LEDs configured |
| LED Controls | One-tap shortcut to open the LED color and brightness controls overlay directly. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | LEDs configured |
Controls & Automation
Section titled “Controls & Automation”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macro Button 1–5 | One-tap buttons to run configured macros. Up to 5 independently configurable slots. Assign a macro to each via the gear icon in Edit Mode. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 2x1 | Horizontal only | — |
| Macros | One-tap shortcut to open the Macros panel for browsing and executing Klipper macros. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | — |
| G-code Console | One-tap shortcut to open the G-code Console overlay for sending commands and viewing Klipper responses. See G-code Console Widget below. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | — |
| Power | Toggle all selected Moonraker power devices (PSU, lights, etc.) with one tap. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | Power devices |
| Power Device | Toggle an individual Moonraker power device. You can add multiple instances, each bound to a different device. Shows the device name, state, and a customizable icon. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | Power devices |
System
Section titled “System”| Widget | Description | Default | Min | Max | Resizable | Hardware Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutdown/Reboot | Shutdown or reboot your printer’s host system. Shows a confirmation dialog before acting. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | — |
| Firmware Restart | Restart the Klipper firmware. Useful when Klipper enters SHUTDOWN state. This widget automatically appears during firmware errors even if disabled. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | — |
| Lock Screen | Locks the screen immediately with PIN protection. Only appears in the Widget Catalog after setting a PIN in Settings > Security. | 1x1 | 1x1 | 1x1 | No | PIN set in Settings |
Hardware-Gated Widgets
Section titled “Hardware-Gated Widgets”Some widgets depend on specific hardware being detected by Klipper. If the hardware isn’t present:
- The widget won’t appear in the Widget Catalog
- If hardware is detected later (plugged in, configured), the widget becomes available automatically
- If hardware is removed after placing a widget, the widget hides automatically but keeps its grid position — it reappears if the hardware returns
| Widget | Required Hardware |
|---|---|
| Camera | Webcam configured in Moonraker (crowsnest, camera-streamer, etc.) |
| AMS Status | AMS, AFC (Box Turtle), Happy Hare, ACE (Anycubic ACE Pro), or compatible MMU system |
| Clog Detection | AMS, AFC, Happy Hare, or compatible MMU with clog/flow detection |
| LED Light / LED Controls | Any LED strip configured in Klipper (neopixel, dotstar, output_pin) |
| Power / Power Device | Moonraker power devices (PSU control, smart plugs) |
| Filament Sensor | [filament_switch_sensor] or [filament_motion_sensor] in Klipper |
| Humidity | [temperature_sensor] with humidity capability |
| Width Sensor | [hall_filament_width_sensor] in Klipper |
| Temperature Sensors | Extra [temperature_sensor] entries beyond nozzle and bed |
Display Modes: Stack vs. Carousel
Section titled “Display Modes: Stack vs. Carousel”The Temperatures, Fan Speeds, and Temperature Sensors widgets each support two visual modes:
Stack Mode (Default)
Section titled “Stack Mode (Default)”Compact vertical rows showing all values simultaneously. Each row has an icon, current reading, and target (if applicable). Best when you want to see everything at once without swiping.
Carousel Mode
Section titled “Carousel Mode”Full-size swipeable pages with one item per page. Indicator dots at the bottom show which page you’re on. Swipe left and right to browse.
Temperatures carousel — each sensor (nozzle, bed, chamber) gets its own full-size page with a large animated icon and temperature readout. The nozzle icon pulses when heating. Tap any page to open the temperature graph overlay for that sensor.
Fan Speeds carousel — each fan gets an interactive page with a 270-degree arc slider. Drag the arc to change fan speed directly, without opening a separate control panel. The fan icon spins at a speed proportional to the actual fan RPM.

Switching Modes
Section titled “Switching Modes”Long-press the grid to enter Edit Mode, select the Temperatures, Fan Speeds, or Temperature Sensors widget, and tap the gear icon in the upper-left corner. Each tap toggles the mode. Your preference is saved per widget and persists across restarts.
Widget Interactions
Section titled “Widget Interactions”While not in Edit Mode, widgets respond to taps and other gestures:
| Widget | Tap Action |
|---|---|
| Printer Image | Opens Printer Manager overlay |
| Print Status | Opens Print Status overlay (printing) or File Browser (idle) |
| Print Stats | Opens print history overlay |
| Job Queue | Opens Job Queue Manager modal |
| Digital Clock | — (display only) |
| Notifications | Opens notification history |
| Tips | Opens the full tip article |
| Network | — (display only) |
| Camera | Opens fullscreen camera view |
| Nozzle Temperature | Opens temperature graph overlay |
| Bed Temperature | Opens temperature graph overlay |
| Temperatures | Opens temperature graph for the tapped sensor |
| Temperature Sensors | — (display only) |
| Temperature Graph | Opens full-screen temperature graph overlay |
| Preheat | Sets nozzle and bed temperature to the tapped material profile |
| Humidity | — (display only) |
| Fan Speeds (stack) | Opens Fan Control overlay |
| Fan Speeds (carousel) | Drag the arc slider to adjust speed directly |
| Fan | Opens fan picker to select which fan to display |
| AMS Status | Opens AMS panel overlay |
| Filament Sensor | — (display only) |
| Width Sensor | — (display only) |
| Clog Detection | Opens the Buffer Status detail modal |
| LED Light | Opens LED Control Overlay |
| LED Controls | Opens LED Control Overlay |
| Macro Button | Runs the configured macro immediately |
| Macros | Opens the Macros panel overlay |
| G-code Console | Opens the G-code Console overlay |
| Power | Toggles all selected power devices |
| Power Device | Toggles the individual power device |
| Shutdown/Reboot | Shows confirmation, then shuts down/reboots |
| Firmware Restart | Restarts Klipper firmware |
| Lock Screen | Locks the screen immediately; requires PIN to unlock |
Job Queue Manager
Section titled “Job Queue Manager”Tap the Job Queue widget to open the queue manager — a full-screen modal for managing your print queue.
Queue State
Section titled “Queue State”At the top, you’ll see the current queue state:
- Queue: Ready — the queue is active and will auto-print jobs in order
- Queue: Paused — the queue is paused; queued jobs won’t start automatically
Tap the Start or Pause button to toggle the queue state.
Job List
Section titled “Job List”Below the state indicator, all queued jobs are listed with:
- Filename — the name of the queued G-code file
- Time queued — how long the job has been waiting (e.g., “Queued 2h 15m ago”, “Just queued”)
Actions
Section titled “Actions”Start a print: Tap any job in the list. If the printer is idle, the job is removed from the queue and printing begins immediately. If the printer is already printing, HelixScreen will let you know.
Delete a job: Tap the trash icon on the right side of any job row. The job is immediately removed from the queue.
Close: Tap the X button in the top-right corner to close the modal.

Sync with Other Interfaces
Section titled “Sync with Other Interfaces”The job queue is managed by Moonraker, so jobs added from Mainsail, Fluidd, or the Moonraker API appear here automatically. Likewise, jobs deleted or started from HelixScreen are reflected in those other interfaces.
Clog Detection Widget
Section titled “Clog Detection Widget”The Clog Detection widget monitors your filament path health in real time — detecting clogs, flow issues, and buffer sync problems. It only appears when a compatible filament system is detected (Happy Hare, AFC, or another MMU with clog detection).
What It Shows
Section titled “What It Shows”The widget displays a carousel with one or two pages depending on your hardware:
Page 1 — Clog/Flow Arc Meter (always shown)
A 270-degree arc gauge that fills based on your clog or flow detection reading. The color shifts from green (healthy) through orange (warning) to red (danger) as the value increases. A red danger zone arc shows the warning threshold, and a peak marker tracks the highest reading seen.
The meter adapts to your detection backend:
| Backend | What the meter shows |
|---|---|
| Encoder | Clog percentage (0–100%) — how much the encoder reading deviates from expected |
| Flowguard | Symmetrical flow deviation (−100 to +100) — negative means tangle risk, positive means clog risk |
| AFC | Buffer fault proximity (0–100%) — how close the buffer is to a fault condition |
Page 2 — Buffer Sync Meter (Happy Hare with sync feedback only)
A visual representation of the physical buffer plunger position. Two nested rectangles show the buffer housing and plunger — the plunger slides up or down to indicate filament tension:
- Center position = balanced, healthy tension
- Shifted up = filament under compression (being pushed)
- Shifted down = filament under tension (being pulled)
- Color shifts from green → orange → red as the bias increases
A percentage label shows the exact bias reading (e.g., “+5%”, “−10%”). Swipe between pages using the indicator dots at the bottom.
Tapping the Widget
Section titled “Tapping the Widget”Tap the Clog Detection widget to open the Buffer Status modal — a detailed read-only view of your filament path health:
Happy Hare printers show:
- Filament tension description (e.g., “Slight tension”, “Balanced”)
- Spool motor state
- Gear sync status
- Clog detection mode and flow rate
- Full-size buffer meter visualization
AFC printers show:
- Advancing/trailing buffer state
- Distance to fault (in mm)
- Fault detection status
Configuring Clog Detection
Section titled “Configuring Clog Detection”In Edit Mode, select the Clog Detection widget and tap the gear icon to open the configuration modal:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Detection Source | Auto (recommended), Encoder, Flowguard, or AFC |
| Detection Mode | Auto or Manual — in Manual mode, a G-code command is sent to the firmware |
| Detection Length | Filament distance threshold (Manual mode only) |
| Danger Threshold | Override the computed danger zone percentage |
Auto mode is recommended — HelixScreen automatically selects the best source based on your detected hardware.
G-code Console Widget
Section titled “G-code Console Widget”The G-code Console widget gives you quick access to a full-featured command console for sending G-code commands directly to Klipper.
Opening the Console
Section titled “Opening the Console”Tap the G-code Console widget on the Home Panel. A full-screen console overlay opens with your recent command history.
Using the Console
Section titled “Using the Console”Sending commands:
- Type a G-code command in the text field at the bottom (e.g.,
G28,M114,FIRMWARE_RESTART) - Press Enter to send
Navigating history:
- Press the Up arrow to recall previous commands
- Press the Down arrow to move forward through history
- Commands are loaded from Moonraker’s G-code store (up to 200 entries)
Reading output:
- Commands you sent appear in the scrolling log
- Klipper responses appear below each command
- Error messages are highlighted in red
- Color-coded output from plugins like AFC and Happy Hare is preserved
- Periodic temperature status messages (T:/B: reports) are filtered out to reduce noise
Scrolling:
- The console auto-scrolls to the newest entry as responses arrive
- Scroll up manually to pause auto-scroll and read older output
- Scroll back to the bottom to resume auto-scrolling
Grid Layout Details
Section titled “Grid Layout Details”Grid Dimensions
Section titled “Grid Dimensions”The grid adapts to your screen size:
| Screen Width | Grid Size | Total Cells |
|---|---|---|
| 480px and below | 6 columns x 4 rows | 24 |
| 481-700px | 6 columns x 4 rows | 24 |
| 701px and above | 8 columns x 5 rows | 40 |
Auto-Placement
Section titled “Auto-Placement”When widgets don’t have an explicit position (newly added, or after a reset), HelixScreen places them automatically:
- Larger widgets (multi-cell) are placed first to ensure they get contiguous space
- Smaller widgets (1x1) fill the remaining gaps
- Placement scans from top-left to bottom-right
What Happens on Upgrade
Section titled “What Happens on Upgrade”When you update HelixScreen and new widgets are added:
- Your existing layout is preserved — nothing moves
- New widgets are appended with their default enabled/disabled state
- If a new widget is enabled by default, it auto-places into available grid space
- If the grid is full, new widgets stay disabled until you make room
If you downgrade and a widget type no longer exists, it’s silently removed from your layout. Upgrading again restores it.
Active Tool Badge
Section titled “Active Tool Badge”On printers with a toolchanger (IDEX, multi-head, tool-changing systems), the Home Panel displays an active tool badge:
- Shows the current active tool (e.g., “T0”, “T1”, “T2”)
- Updates automatically when tools are switched during a print or via macros
- Color-coded to match the tool’s filament color (if configured via Spoolman or AMS)
- Only visible on multi-tool printers — single-extruder printers won’t see this
Emergency Stop
Section titled “Emergency Stop”The red Emergency Stop button in the top bar halts all printer motion immediately. By default, a confirmation dialog appears before executing. You can disable the confirmation in Settings > Motion > E-Stop Confirmation.
LED Controls
Section titled “LED Controls”Tap the LED widget to open the LED Control Overlay — a full control panel for all your printer’s lighting. What you see depends on your hardware.
Strip Selector
Section titled “Strip Selector”If you have more than one LED strip configured, a row of chips at the top lets you pick which strip to control. The overlay heading updates to show the selected strip name.
Color & Brightness (Klipper Native LEDs)
Section titled “Color & Brightness (Klipper Native LEDs)”For neopixel, dotstar, and other Klipper-native strips:
- Color presets: 8 preset swatches — White, Warm White, Orange, Blue, Red, Green, Purple, Cyan
- Custom color: Tap the custom color button to open an HSV color picker. Pick any color — HelixScreen automatically separates it into a base color and brightness level
- Brightness slider: Adjust from 0-100%, independent of color selection
- Color swatch: Shows the actual output color (base color adjusted by current brightness)
- Turn Off: Stops any active effects and turns off the selected strip

Output Pin Lights
Section titled “Output Pin Lights”For [output_pin] lights (auto-detected by naming convention):
- PWM pins: Brightness slider from 0-100%
- Non-PWM pins: Simple on/off toggle
- Color controls are hidden since output pins don’t support color
LED Effects
Section titled “LED Effects”If you have the klipper-led_effect plugin installed:
- Effect cards appear for each available effect, filtered to the currently selected strip
- The active effect is highlighted with an accent border
- Stop All Effects button kills all running effects at once
- Tap any effect card to activate it
WLED Controls
Section titled “WLED Controls”For WLED network-connected strips:
- On/Off toggle to control the strip power
- Brightness slider from 0-100%
- Preset buttons for each WLED preset — fetched directly from your WLED device, with the active preset highlighted
Macro Device Controls
Section titled “Macro Device Controls”Custom macro devices you’ve configured in LED Settings appear with controls matching their type:
- On/Off devices: Separate “Turn On” and “Turn Off” buttons
- Toggle devices: A single “Toggle” button
- Preset devices: Named buttons for each preset action
Camera Widget
Section titled “Camera Widget”The Camera widget shows a live view from your webcam. It works with any MJPEG stream configured in Moonraker (crowsnest, camera-streamer, ustreamer, etc.).
- Make sure your webcam is working in Mainsail or Fluidd first
- Open Edit Mode on the Home Panel (long-press)
- Tap + to open the Widget Catalog
- Add the Camera widget
- Resize to your preferred size (up to 4x3)
Tap the camera feed to open a fullscreen view. Tap again or press back to return.
Performance Tip
Section titled “Performance Tip”For the best camera streaming performance on Raspberry Pi, install libturbojpeg0:
sudo apt install libturbojpeg0This enables SIMD-accelerated JPEG decoding, which is 3-5x faster than the built-in software decoder. HelixScreen detects and uses it automatically — no configuration needed. Without it, the camera still works fine, just with slightly higher CPU usage.
Note: This only applies to Raspberry Pi. The installer attempts to install this package automatically, but if it fails (e.g., offline install), you can add it later with the command above.
Printer Manager
Section titled “Printer Manager”Tap the Printer Image widget to open the Printer Manager overlay. This is your central place to view and customize your printer’s identity.
Changing the Printer Name
Section titled “Changing the Printer Name”- Tap the printer image on the Home Panel to open the Printer Manager
- Tap the printer name (shown with a pencil icon) — it becomes an editable text field
- Type your new name (e.g., “Workshop Voron”, “Printer #2”)
- Press Enter to save, or Escape to cancel
The name defaults to “My Printer” if left empty. It’s saved to your config file and persists across restarts.
Auto-import: If you’ve already named your printer in Mainsail or Fluidd, HelixScreen automatically picks up that name on first connection — no need to re-enter it.
Sync: When you rename your printer in HelixScreen, the new name is automatically pushed to Mainsail and Fluidd so all your interfaces stay in sync.
Tip: You can also set the name directly in the config file under the
printer_namekey — see Configuration Reference.
Changing the Printer Image
Section titled “Changing the Printer Image”- Tap the printer image on the Home Panel to open the Printer Manager
- Tap the printer image again (marked with a pencil badge) to open the Image Picker
- The picker shows a scrollable list on the left and a live preview on the right
- Choose from one of three sources:
- Auto-Detect (default) — HelixScreen selects an image based on your printer type reported by Klipper
- Shipped Images — Over 25 pre-rendered images covering Voron, Creality, FlashForge, Anycubic, RatRig, FLSUN, and more
- Custom Images — Your own images (see below)
- Tap an image to select it — your choice takes effect immediately

Using Custom Printer Images
Section titled “Using Custom Printer Images”You can use your own printer photo or rendering:
Option A: Copy to the custom images folder
| Platform | Custom images directory |
|---|---|
| MainsailOS (Pi) | ~/helixscreen/config/custom_images/ |
| AD5M Forge-X | /opt/helixscreen/config/custom_images/ |
| AD5M Klipper Mod | /root/printer_software/helixscreen/config/custom_images/ |
| K1 Simple AF | /usr/data/helixscreen/config/custom_images/ |
Copy a PNG, JPEG, BMP, or GIF file into the directory, then open the Image Picker — your image appears under the Custom Images section.
Option B: Import from a USB drive
- Insert a USB drive containing image files into your printer’s host
- Open the Image Picker
- A USB Import section appears at the bottom showing images found on the drive
- Tap an image to import it — HelixScreen copies and converts it automatically
- Once imported, the image appears under Custom Images and the drive can be removed
Image requirements:
- Formats: PNG, JPEG, BMP, or GIF
- Maximum file size: 5 MB
- Maximum dimensions: 2048x2048 pixels (resize before importing if larger)
- HelixScreen automatically generates optimized display variants
Removing a custom image:
Delete the image files from the custom_images/ directory via SSH:
cd ~/helixscreen/config/custom_images/ # adjust path for your platformrm my-printer.png my-printer-300.bin my-printer-150.binIf the deleted image was active, HelixScreen falls back to auto-detect.
Software Versions
Section titled “Software Versions”Below the identity card, the overlay displays current software versions for Klipper, Moonraker, and HelixScreen, with update indicators when new versions are available.
Hardware Capabilities
Section titled “Hardware Capabilities”A row of chips shows detected hardware capabilities: Probe, Bed Mesh, Heated Bed, LEDs, ADXL, QGL, Z-Tilt, and others depending on your Klipper configuration.

Managing Multiple Printers
Section titled “Managing Multiple Printers”Requires beta features to be enabled and at least two printers configured.
When you have multiple printers configured, the Printer Manager overlay shows a Manage Printers button at the bottom. Tap it to open the printer management screen (same as Settings > Printers).
You can also switch printers directly from the navigation bar. When multiple printers are configured, a badge with your printer’s name appears in the nav bar. Tap it to see a quick-switch menu listing all your printers — tap any printer to switch instantly.
Adding Your First Extra Printer
Section titled “Adding Your First Extra Printer”- Enable beta features if you haven’t already
- Go to Settings > Printers (under the Printer section)
- Tap Add Printer
- The Setup Wizard launches — enter the new printer’s IP address and port, select hardware, and complete the wizard
- After the wizard finishes, you’re connected to the new printer
Switching Between Printers
Section titled “Switching Between Printers”Quick switch (fastest):
- Tap the printer name badge in the navigation bar (bottom of screen)
- Tap the printer you want to switch to
- HelixScreen reconnects and shows a “Connected to [name]” toast
From Settings:
- Go to Settings > Printers
- Tap the printer you want to switch to
- The active printer is marked with a checkmark
Removing a Printer
Section titled “Removing a Printer”- Go to Settings > Printers
- Tap the trash icon next to the printer you want to remove
- Confirm the deletion
- You cannot delete the printer you’re currently connected to, and you cannot delete the last remaining printer
Note: Removing a printer only removes it from HelixScreen. It does not affect the printer itself, its Klipper configuration, or Moonraker.
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