3.1.1 Creating your Polar Cloud account

Creating a Polar Cloud account is a first step in establishing your Polar 3D environment, as the Polar Cloud is the central hub and command center of the environment. (Note that initial Polar Cloud account creation is also described in Section 1.1: Connecting the Polar3D printer to the Polar Cloud via WiFi of the Polar3D Printer Guide; see step 9.)

1.

For the Polar Cloud, you will need a Google account, a Facebook account, a Microsoft Live account, or a Microsoft Office 365 account. If you do not already have any such account, you will need to make one. (For instance, a Google account is very easy to create: go to www.gmail.com.) The Polar 3D support article Linking Your Current Email Address to a Google, Microsoft, or Facebook Account has additional details.

2.

Go to polar3d.com on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) to get to the landing screen (shown in Figure 3.1) and click on the blue “SIGN UP” button (towards the mid left) to bring up a sign up screen as shown in Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5: Polar Cloud sign up screen

Click on the account that you’re going to use for Polar Cloud access (Google, Facebook, Microsoft Live, or Microsoft Office 365): that will create your Polar Cloud account!

3.

The first time you log in to the Polar Cloud (and possibly on occasion afterward, if the Polar Cloud has been updated with new sharing features), you may get asked whether you wish to permit the Polar Cloud to make use of certain sharing/access and classroom features; an example such screen if you are logging in with Google is shown in Figure 3.6; an example such screen if you are logging in with Facebook is shown in Figure 3.7; an example such screen if you are logging in with Microsoft is shown in Figure 3.8. After you make your choice, you’re done creating your account!

Figure 3.6: Polar Cloud account Google access screen

Figure 3.7: Polar Cloud account Facebook access screen

Figure 3.8: Polar Cloud account Microsoft Live access screen

Once you’re signed in, the Polar Cloud home page should appear, looking similar to that shown in Figure 3.3 (on large displays) or Figure 3.9 (on narrow displays).

(Note that you can always return to this home page by clicking on the cloud icon towards the upper left of Polar Cloud screens.)

If you have a brand new Polar3D printer, see Chapter 1: Get connected to the Polar Cloud of the Polar3D Printer Guide to get started on setting up your new printer. If you have a new FlashForge Inventor II printer, see the FlashForge Inventor II: Connecting to the Polar Cloud guide; if you have a new DREMEL 3D45 printer, see the Dremel 3D45: Connecting to the Polar Cloud guide; if you have a new OctoPrint controlled printer, see Securely Put Any Printer onto the Polar Cloud guide.

If you are a new Polar Cloud member at a site that already has 3D printers ready to share, go to Chapter 9 to learn how to possibly use and share existing 3D printers in the Polar Cloud.