Ryvaeus's recent activity

  1. What are the best resources to get started with 3D modeling and printing now that the hobby is quite mature?

    ~hobbies Ask (recommendations)
    I've had an interest in 3D printing since first hearing about it many years ago, but at the time printers were expensive and learning materials and resources were scarce. Nowadays, it seems like...

    I've had an interest in 3D printing since first hearing about it many years ago, but at the time printers were expensive and learning materials and resources were scarce. Nowadays, it seems like 3D printing is as common as regular old 2D printing but I feel left in the dust.

    What's really making me want to get started now is I've collected a lot of junk over the years that I've told myself I could repair, but a lot of the repairs would be much easier with a 3D printer and custom modeled parts. Dearest to me would be an old watch that my grandfather gave to me before he died. The part of the watch that connects the strap to the case (lugs, I think it's called?) has broken off and gotten lost, and it's a proprietary part with no replacement parts available. I'd love to just 3D-print a solution but have no idea how to get started.

    I consider myself a creative person, I have plenty of experience with Photoshop and illustrator, but I have never once dabbled in 3D modeling software like Blender or AutoCAD. The closest I ever got was peering over the shoulder of an artist who was working on a video game character model in Zbrush, or maybe working on custom Half-Life maps in Valve Hammer. So I'm looking for the most basic, easy-to-follow set of instructions to get me from zero knowledge to successfully printing bespoke DIY repair parts at my local makerspace.

    Would also love to have this be a discussion on 3D printing in general. How did you get started? How have the tools and techniques evolved over the years? What do you think are the next big things coming in the hobby? What are things you wish you knew when you started but only learned after mistakes were made? Share your thoughts and anecdotes, I'd be happy to read them.

    31 votes

  2. Comment on Tildes multiplayer games in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    Palia is a cozy, no-combat hang-out-and-grind farming/life sim in closed beta right now. I'm enjoying it as a chaser between games, as it's very relaxing and not pushy at all. Sometimes I find...

    Palia is a cozy, no-combat hang-out-and-grind farming/life sim in closed beta right now. I'm enjoying it as a chaser between games, as it's very relaxing and not pushy at all. Sometimes I find myself just walking around in the town and talking to the NPCs. There's up to 20 people in a server instance at a time so it's never too crowded, but groups can party up and join a server together for coordinated gathering/exploration too. While it is in closed beta right now, open beta starts on August 10, and you can still try to get in on the closed beta from now until then.

    And of course, Baldur's Gate III.

    I have been playing both these games simultaneously lately. Palia is on in the background until there's a lull in my BG3 co-op campaign (waiting on my turn in combat, or waiting while my co-op buddies are organizing inventory/shopping/etc.).

    8 votes

  3. Comment on Meta is releasing AudioCraft: Generative AI for audio made simple and available to all in ~tech

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    The audio samples in the blog post are impressive. Granted, I only listened to them through my smartphone speakers, but they definitely sounded like what their text prompts described. I wonder how...

    The audio samples in the blog post are impressive. Granted, I only listened to them through my smartphone speakers, but they definitely sounded like what their text prompts described. I wonder how Foley artists might feel about this.

    As someone who takes voice acting gigs on the side, I can admit that generative AI is a looming concern. And having come from a call center job which lost its client due to Google speech recognition, I feel safe to say that that concern is well-founded.

    9 votes

  4. Comment on What games do you most wish had a remake, or a sequel or both? in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    Azure Dreams. There have been a number of projects that attempted to capture the same feel and idea, even a supposed spiritual successor. Unfortunately, none of them ever really rang true to the...

    Azure Dreams.

    There have been a number of projects that attempted to capture the same feel and idea, even a supposed spiritual successor. Unfortunately, none of them ever really rang true to the original.

  5. Comment on Guidance on using my camera in ~hobbies

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    The M2S is an upgrade over the M2, but overall it's made for the same class of cameras so it should be similarly compatible with the ZV-1 and even heavier. I use the same SmallRig cage with my own...

    The M2S is an upgrade over the M2, but overall it's made for the same class of cameras so it should be similarly compatible with the ZV-1 and even heavier. I use the same SmallRig cage with my own ZV-1 (I linked the non-wooden grip one but I actually have the one you linked), so it should be fine.

    Thank you, I'm quite proud of my edit. Some of the scenes linger a bit too long, but it's just a family video and it's my family so I'm giving them all the airtime, haha. I didn't do any color-grading, only added some transitions. It turned out alright.

    The cable isn't really needed, but I personally find it much more convenient than constantly swapping batteries. Like I mentioned in my top-level post, it's very tedious especially since every time you swap, you'll have to rebalance your gimbal. It'd easily take from 45-seconds to a minute to adjust every time you swap batteries, which if you plan to take a lot of video footage, will happen a lot. Moments can be missed during much shorter windows than that.

    However in your case, it looks like the Zhiyun Crane M2S comes with two cables: a USB-C to USB-C, and a USB-C to micro-USB cable. This might be exactly what you need to do the same thing I did, without needing to hack your own cable together.

  6. Comment on Guidance on using my camera in ~hobbies

    Ryvaeus
    (edited )
    Link
    I use my ZV-1 with Zhiyun Crane M2. They go very well together, almost as if made for each other, if but for one issue: the battery door is covered by the gimbal mount. This is an issue because,...

    I use my ZV-1 with Zhiyun Crane M2. They go very well together, almost as if made for each other, if but for one issue: the battery door is covered by the gimbal mount. This is an issue because, as you probably already have experienced yourself, the ZV-1 runs out of battery pretty fast. Swapping it is tedious if you have to keep removing it entirely from the gimbal, and when you do remove it, you'd have to rebalance it every time you mount the camera again.

    You could get a plate (the Uurig one is popular) and a quick release adapter which would offset the battery door just enough so you could remove the camera from the gimbal, open the battery door, swap the battery, and remount without needing to rebalance the gimbal, like this. I'm using a Smallrig full cage and the gimbal motors still manage it. But on my next trip, I plan on doing something else.

    The Crane M2 has a USB port on the gimbal head. This port provides power to attached devices, and the ZV-1 can charge over USB while in use. I fashioned a short micro-USB to micro-USB cable to connect the camera to the gimbal port while mounted, and it can indeed charge while the gimbal is powered on.

    I haven't yet tested to see how long both the gimbal and camera would last when sharing power this way, but in a preliminary test of recording for 20 minutes straight, neither the ZV-1 nor the Crane 2 dropped to less than 3 bars. Granted, the gimbal was stationary the whole time so very little power was being used for its motors, but that's still a big improvement over the stock ZV-1 battery life; it would have been nearly depleted by then.

    This method would allow you to use the gimbal and camera without a cage, which cuts down on weight (though it is very light already) and is in my opinion the most hassle-free way to shoot with the ZV-1. It's become my favorite travel camera, with which I shot footage for what eventually became one of my most beloved videos: a family boating trip to celebrate my twin daughters' birthday. Almost all the shots were taken with the ZV-1 and Crane M2 gimbal, without Active SteadyShot.

    If you're squeamish on soldering your own micro-USB to micro-USB cable out of two spare regular micro-USB cables, these are sold pre-made on B&H and AliExpress.

    Edit: fixed imgur links

    4 votes

  7. Comment on Do you spend more time creating a Tildes reply than on other platforms? in ~tildes

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    I've only written a handful of replies here on Tildes so far, but even when I would communicate on Reddit I tried making each post as substantial as I could (within reason). However, I would...

    I've only written a handful of replies here on Tildes so far, but even when I would communicate on Reddit I tried making each post as substantial as I could (within reason). However, I would occasionally let slip a jestful one-liner or thoughtless Reddit meme ("I too choose this man's wife," "Ah, the old Reddit switcheroo," etc.). I hope to completely eliminate that habit though; why put more useless crap into the world than there already is?

    14 votes

  8. Comment on Music makers - let's hear your recent jams! in ~creative

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the kind thought. This is still rough as it was the product of an improv practice, but here you go: untitled Mario medley. Some lyrics I noodled down along with the improv, mostly to...

    Thank you for the kind thought.

    This is still rough as it was the product of an improv practice, but here you go: untitled Mario medley. Some lyrics I noodled down along with the improv, mostly to guide how I wanted the song to make me feel but also because it was fun and the nostalgia turned into something funnier to me towards the end:

    I have lived out my life, through you
    Different stage every night
    Always things left to do
    Seeing world after world, no matter where we would go
    There would be something new
    Something thrilling and bold

    And now we've reached the end, my friend
    No more chasms to jump
    No more pipes to descend
    It is time for us now to go on each our own way
    Your princesses await
    In castles so far away

    I will not ever forget all the fun we had
    All of the mem'ries both happy and sad

    Let's all go
    Once more down Rainbow Road
    One last race to run together
    One more lap to last forever

    Let's all go
    Once more up high down low
    One last goal to score together
    One more game to last forever

    Would you change anything we did?
    I keep playing the course
    Rerunning it in my head
    But at the end of the day, I think we both did alright
    We said all we could say
    And went down with a fight

    Life tries to take the player out of the game
    Try as it might I'm re-lighting this flame

    [SM64 Ending Interlude]

    Let's all go
    Once more down Rainbow Road
    One last race to run together
    One more lap to last forever

    Let's all go
    Once more up high down low
    One last goal to score together
    One more game to last forever

  9. Comment on A "low-risk" AMA thread for everyone in ~talk

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    Oh absolutely. That song is even referenced in my LinkedIn profile! The thing about aimlessness is, you can still occasionally hit something, as long as you take the shots. I've had jobs which...

    Oh absolutely. That song is even referenced in my LinkedIn profile!

    The thing about aimlessness is, you can still occasionally hit something, as long as you take the shots. I've had jobs which sucked for sure, but also jobs I enjoyed which I never even knew existed. Captioning phone calls for the hard-of-hearing, for example. Apparently people (used to) get paid to listen in on phone calls and simply repeat back what a caller was saying, with clear enunciation and pronunciation, so the listener on the other end would be able to read captions off of their phone screens. It was a thing! Until AI took that job away from us.

    I certainly wouldn't be where I am had I stuck to a clearly-defined career path, because I wouldn't have thought that "livestream production specialist" could feasibly have come out of AB English Literature. I'm thankful for the experience, and it makes me realize how true the quote goes: not all who wander are lost.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on What are your latest gaming achievements? in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    This is high praise, considering how eloquent and clear your own writing is. Thank you, I hope to continue contributing content worthy of the adulation you bestow.

    This is high praise, considering how eloquent and clear your own writing is. Thank you, I hope to continue contributing content worthy of the adulation you bestow.

  11. Comment on What are your latest gaming achievements? in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    Yeah, competitive multiplayer is right out for me now, too. But at the same time, I still want to participate in them without hindering my teammates or getting ridiculed in voice chat. Is there an...

    Yeah, competitive multiplayer is right out for me now, too. But at the same time, I still want to participate in them without hindering my teammates or getting ridiculed in voice chat. Is there an oldies league? Haha!

    1 vote

  12. Comment on What are your latest gaming achievements? in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    That's certainly part of it. I remember spending entire days, in succession even, of doing nothing but playing the same game over and over. I'd be lucky to have multiple solid blocks of hours to...

    That's certainly part of it. I remember spending entire days, in succession even, of doing nothing but playing the same game over and over. I'd be lucky to have multiple solid blocks of hours to do that now. Practice makes perfect, after all.

    4 votes

  13. Comment on Music makers - let's hear your recent jams! in ~creative

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    My grandmother passed a couple weeks ago. I recorded a piano arrangement of one of the songs she used to love singing: Minamahal Kita, a Filipino kundiman (folk song). It also got me in a pretty...

    My grandmother passed a couple weeks ago. I recorded a piano arrangement of one of the songs she used to love singing: Minamahal Kita, a Filipino kundiman (folk song).

    It also got me in a pretty melancholic mood in general, so I turned the Super Mario 1-UP sound effect into a sad little medley about growing up and living a life beyond gaming, but with a hopeful twist at the end that says I'm never gonna stop playing.

    I've yet to upload that second song.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on What are your latest gaming achievements? in ~games

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    I sucked up my pride and reduced the difficulty level. Diablo 4 World Tier 2 was kicking my butt in certain key areas. I don't know if it's my build, my equipment, or my skill; whatever the case,...
    • Exemplary

    I sucked up my pride and reduced the difficulty level.

    Diablo 4 World Tier 2 was kicking my butt in certain key areas. I don't know if it's my build, my equipment, or my skill; whatever the case, I simply could not finish a certain Stronghold. I tried putting it off and coming back after a few levels, gearing up, changing skills, but regardless of what I did, I'd just keep dying at the boss. And it wasn't even close.

    So, with a heavy, disappointed sigh, I set the World Tier level down to 1. After doing so, I beat the boss on my first try. And you know what? The feeling of self-loathing didn't stick around as long as I thought.

    I think I've come to accept the fact that I'm probably not the young and spry gamer I once was. My hair is starting to grey, my fingers are starting to slow, and even my eyes are starting to dim. But I still love games, and if continuing to enjoy them as I keep aging means I have to start switching to easy mode once in a while, I think I'm okay with that. I'm proud of myself for not taking that realization too hard.

    32 votes

  15. Comment on A "low-risk" AMA thread for everyone in ~talk

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    Hi, I'm Ry, and this is only my third post on Tildes. AMA about: The things I used to do in gaming like: writing for videogame magazines & blogs, hosting tech/gaming videos, streaming D&D/tabletop...

    Hi, I'm Ry, and this is only my third post on Tildes. AMA about:

    • The things I used to do in gaming like: writing for videogame magazines & blogs, hosting tech/gaming videos, streaming D&D/tabletop shows, and designing mobile games;
    • The non-gaming things I did, such as: copywriting/ghostwriting, teaching ESL to foreign learners, social media management, working at a call center, and producing livestreams for clients;
    • How having such an aimless career path worked out for me, as a college grad with a BA in English;
    • Uprooting my life and moving across the world solo while I prepare the way for my wife and kids to follow as soon as their visa petitions are approved;
    • Or whatever else tickles your fancy!
    4 votes

  16. Comment on What was the last event that significantly improved your life? in ~talk

    Ryvaeus
    Link Parent
    Simply, my parents decided to move us all back. Martial Law had ended, my grandparents were getting older and sicker, and my parents thought it'd be a good time to return to their motherland. So...

    Simply, my parents decided to move us all back. Martial Law had ended, my grandparents were getting older and sicker, and my parents thought it'd be a good time to return to their motherland. So not my reason per se, but the reason. I didn't have much agency over such big life choices as an 11-year old.

    17 votes

  17. Comment on What was the last event that significantly improved your life? in ~talk

    Ryvaeus
    Link
    Mine would be moving to the United States from the Philippines last year, right after the results of the election that put the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos into power. It was a hard...

    Mine would be moving to the United States from the Philippines last year, right after the results of the election that put the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos into power. It was a hard decision to make, especially since I had to go alone (my wife and kids are not American yet, so they remain in Manila), but thinking about what opportunities this opens up for my family in the future is all the motivation I need to keep on this path.

    It's funny; my parents did the exact same thing back in the 80s during the height of Martial Law in the Philippines. They fled for their own safety, became naturalized US citizens, had me and my siblings, and started new lives. History repeating itself in just one generation.

    23 votes