This is exactly what I was thinking about. I have a 3D printer with a Time-lapse feature (Bambulab) and I never use it.

Yes, if you put the roll on another support next to it. Putting the rolls on the arms of the AMS lite allows : to passively re-roll the filament (there is a spring to re-roll the filament, for example at the end of the print), and to read the RFID. Both functions are optionnal. Without the re-roll, the filament may tangle - but I do it frequently and I have no issue.

The AMS (not the lite version) can’t. It’s closed with a lid, so you can’t put a filament coming from an external roll. And the re-roll function is done with motors driving the rolls.

I have the Balbulab A1 with the AMS Lite. The AMS is a game changer. The main reason is not to do multi-color printing, but to load the filament without thinking about it. You just have to engage the filament into one hole and forget about it : everything else is done for you. I can’t go back, waiting for the nozzle to heat, engaging the filament, waiting for the nozzle to purge, cleaning the nozzle from the purge, etc.

As a bonus, the AMS manages the ends of rolls. If you have the exact same roll, it will use the filament of the first roll until the last bit, then swap with the new roll. It can do it alone if you have already put the rolls on the AMS. This way, it can print nights and days and you don’t have to check if the rolls will soon be empty.

I can’t talk about the Sovol.

I have bought an AMS, but not to print multiple colours. It’s to load and unload the filament for me. It’s really great and I would not want to go back.

I have read about cricut like capabilities. It looks interesting but prone to catastrophic failure.