Quick Start¶

Get LayerNexus up and running in under 5 minutes. This guide uses the pre-built Docker image — no need to download source code or build anything.

What You Need¶

Docker and Docker Compose installed on your computer. If you don't have them yet, follow the official Docker install guide. Docker Desktop (Windows/Mac) or Docker Engine (Linux) both work.

What is Docker?

Docker runs applications in lightweight containers — think of it as a box that has everything the app needs, so you don't have to install Python, databases, or other dependencies yourself. You just start the container and it works.

1. Create a Project Folder¶

Open a terminal and create a folder for LayerNexus:

mkdir layernexus
cd layernexus

2. Create a `docker-compose.yml` File¶

Create a file called docker-compose.yml in your new folder with this content:

services:
  web:
    image: ghcr.io/peterus/layernexus:latest
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - layernexus_data:/app/data
      - layernexus_media:/app/media
    environment:
      - DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=change-me-to-something-random
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - orcaslicer
      - spoolman

  orcaslicer:
    image: ghcr.io/afkfelix/orca-slicer-api:latest-orca2.3.1
    restart: unless-stopped

  spoolman:
    image: ghcr.io/donkie/spoolman:latest
    ports:
      - "7912:8000"
    volumes:
      - spoolman_data:/home/app/.local/share/spoolman
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  layernexus_data:
  layernexus_media:
  spoolman_data:

Secret Key

Replace change-me-to-something-random with any long, random string. This is used to keep your sessions secure. A password generator works great for this.

Sensible Defaults

The Docker image already includes sensible defaults for ALLOWED_HOSTS, ORCASLICER_API_URL, SPOOLMAN_URL, and more. You only need to set DJANGO_SECRET_KEY. See Configuration for all available settings.

3. Start LayerNexus¶

docker compose up -d

Docker will download the images (this may take a minute the first time) and start everything in the background. The database is set up automatically on first launch.

4. Open LayerNexus¶

Go to http://localhost:8000 in your browser.

5. Create Your Account¶

Click Register and create your first account.

First User = Admin

The very first account you create automatically becomes the Admin with full permissions. Everyone who registers after that gets the Designer role. You can change roles later — see Roles & Permissions.

Next Steps¶

First Steps — Create your first project and upload parts
Configuration — Customize settings like registration, Spoolman, and more
Integrations — Learn how to use OrcaSlicer, Moonraker, and Spoolman