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In Studio, choose Settings → Companion, or find Companion in Workspace search. The direct address is /studio?tool=companion. The center brings the selected connection, pairing controls, Studio slicer, release information and troubleshooting together.
Check connection asks only the selected connection method for status. It does not send a model, prepare a project, open a slicer, install an update or start a print. Folder compatibility uses a small status request in the approved connection folder. A saved browser approval alone does not establish that Companion is online.
Use the existing pairing controls to approve another browser or restore the chosen method. Folder permission still requires an explicit browser action; compatibility methods are never silently selected when the internet connection fails.
The current Companion works without a Nexlock account. When Nexlock accounts launch, you will use the same account for Studio and Companion.
You will sign in before pairing a browser or sending a project to your slicer. Browser pairing will still let you choose which browsers can use that Companion.
Install the current Windows Companion and configure your slicer in Slicer Setup. Keep Internet relay selected in Connection.
In Studio → Settings → Companion, or the inline Companion setup beside an export, choose Pair this browser, then click Open Companion when the invitation appears. Allow the browser to open the app. If that is blocked, copy the one-time pairing link, open Connection in the desktop app and choose Paste pairing link.
Compare the short code on the website with the request in Companion. Approve only the request you started and only when both codes match.
After approving, use Check connection to confirm availability. The browser remembers its approval, but a later status check must still reach Companion while it is running and online.
Configure and Test Open the installed slicer before sending your first project.
Normal Internet relay mode uses outgoing HTTPS requests to the Nexlock Companion service. It uses standard browser APIs for Firefox and other modern desktop browsers. You do not configure a listening port or grant browser access to a folder. The manual fallback copies only an expiring invitation link; the six-digit code is for comparison, not a reusable password. Internet access is required.
Project input and prepared results temporarily pass through this authenticated service. Access is scoped to your approved browser and Companion. Completed, cancelled and expired transfers are removed; the relay service is not a backup for Studio Projects or legacy saved parts. Transport encryption is HTTPS, not a claim of end-to-end encryption.
Local folder and legacy HTTP remain explicit Advanced compatibility options. Select the same option in the app and website. The app does not silently change to a local listener when the internet is unavailable.
The connection center reports the result of its latest check and when it was checked. A successful relay check uses the approved device’s reported status and recent heartbeat; a folder or legacy check uses the selected local connection. It does not establish that a slicer is running or that a printer is reachable.
Selected in Studio comes from the current Designer print settings. Configured in Companion lists enabled slicer applications reported by the desktop app. A matching slicer and supported recipe capabilities are prerequisites. Calibration’s Check installed profiles can inspect the exact printer/nozzle and material baseline before making samples; native preparation checks the profiles and transferred settings again for the actual project.
Keep Companion running during a transfer. An offline app, blocked network or interrupted service produces a retry instruction. Changing pairing or connection method requires a new check; an earlier successful result does not apply to the replacement connection. Restarting the app retains approved browsers; clearing browser storage requires pairing again.
The center shows an installed app build only when the selected connection reports it. Current internet relay can report this value; folder and legacy connections do not provide a trusted installed build. An unavailable value is not filled with the website’s latest release.
Latest published release comes from the validated release feed and is labeled separately from the installed build. Product version and internal app build are different values. The connection protocol number is not a product or app version.
If a newer app build is available, open Updates inside Companion, choose Check for updates, then review Install and restart. Use Software & setup for the verified installer and its signing and validation details. The website connection check never installs an update.
Copy diagnostics provides a limited connection summary for troubleshooting. It excludes pairing secrets, comparison codes, one-time links, device and client identifiers, local paths, project contents and arbitrary native error text. This summary describes website-observed status; it is not a print log or a completed slicer test.
If no approved connection is available, open the pairing controls, start an invitation and approve the matching code in Companion.
If Companion is unreachable, open the desktop app and check its Connection page. For Internet relay, check internet access on both sides, then repeat the website check.
For folder compatibility, restore access to the dedicated connection folder using its explicit reconnect action. For legacy compatibility, review the existing code and port in both places; the center does not scan ports.
If the selected slicer is missing, configure and enable that application in Companion’s Slicer setup, or change the Studio selection in Print settings. A status check does not run Test Open for you.
If the current recipe needs unsupported capabilities, update Companion in the desktop app and check again before preparing the project.
Approve only a request you initiated. Companion stores its identity with Windows user protection and the browser stores its scoped approval for this Site. Diagnostics omit credentials and project contents.
Use Connection → Approved browsers to revoke access. Forgetting the connection in the website removes that browser’s saved approval. Re-pairing creates a new approval. The slicer opens on the computer running the approved Companion.