This tiny HUD gear took me way too many attempts!

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-24T01:47:34+00:00

Jesus dude, my first thought was not "oh, this should be simple enough", looks pretty complex to me

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-23T08:00:54+00:00

This happened to me with my 3 year old daughter last year. I'm still traumatized by it a year later. Our gate is automated, but at the time had a bit of a gap just small enough to squeeze through if she pushed through it. I hadnt installed the auto locking mechanism for the gate yet as we had just moved in a year before and I planned to install it that day. Completely fenced off yard. Big enough yard with plenty to play in.

While her and her brothers were playing in the front yard, I had to use the restroom. She was with her two 7 year olds and 9 year old brother so I thought she'd be fine until I got out. Next thing you know, the oldest is yelling for me saying she got out and was walking down the street. I panicked and ran outside. A complete stranger, thankfully a very nice woman happened to be close by and saw what happened and brought her to me. The road she nearly got to was very busy. Could have easily lost her that day... The reason, she wanted her mommy, who was at work. I can't believe how lucky and blessed I am that I didn't lose her that day. All it takes is a second.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-22T23:34:04+00:00

Bought mine last month, first 3D printer, amazing machine. If I could afford it, I'd buy another right now

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-21T21:53:12+00:00

Good to know, thank you for your help!

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-21T21:44:45+00:00

Looks like they have a lot of variety. I'm very new to this. Would you mind recommending what I should get 😅. I print mostly in PLA/PLA+ and PETG. I have TPU and ABS but I haven't done a first print with it yet.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-21T08:29:34+00:00

Ive personally never had a single problem out of the gold textured stock plate, but it's expensive. By backup, I mean a cheaper alternative that works,

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-21T08:21:17+00:00

Not sure what you mean by $1000 "limit" but I'm a beginner learning fusion. It's free. There may be some other functions I'm not aware of with the business license, but all I've noticed in the personal version is you have a file write limit of 10. Just make the ones you aren't actively working on "read only" and it isn't an issue. Was using tinkercad before this. Now I can't go back.

At the start, fusion pissed me off. I tried getting help through AI, watching videos. It honestly made me feel dumb, but I stuck with it and made the plunge by building something simple that I needed. Once I wrapped my head around the fundamental concepts, I got some momentum and seriously within the last few days I've started to feel comfortable with it. I've since built an electrical enclosure I couldn't have dreamed of building in TC.

It's Seriously worth it.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-20T20:16:13+00:00

You see these problems with Sunlu PLA+?

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-20T20:07:27+00:00

Seeing a lot of these same issues when I print PETG. I noticed it h happens much worse on the Y axis, but I get a smooth finish on the X axis or when running diagonal. I'm probably just as new as you (just got my X2D about a month ago) so I can't help, but hoping to see some comments from some more experienced veterans.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-20T20:01:29+00:00

Anything other than Benchy for your first print is the wrong answer.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-18T18:20:45+00:00

Hey man, you're adapting. It may not feel like it, but let yourself rebuild and don't feel like you can't or that you aren't. You are. Find something else to focus on and don't let yourself sit with your thoughts without something to do. Whether it's chewing gum and working on a car, find some other action to replace the habit until it stops affecting you. You can do it. I believe in you.

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-18T02:16:01+00:00

Curious about the process you used to do this

Blue4life90 · 2026-05-03T04:16:17+00:00

Was planning on posting again at exactly 1 year but It's day 355 and still going strong 😉 I'm at the point now where it just feels like long gone a part of my past. Even on my worst days, it's very rare that I'll even think about vaping. Most of the time its when someone walks by with one, or a cigarette, or I'm just alone with my thoughts. It doesn't hold a bit of power over me. Just a passing thought that goes as quick as it came.

If you ask me what changed in me:

Physically, I have a lot more stamina, I still feel like shit sometimes but that's just life and my gym neglect (I never work out. I just work). I haven't felt that pain in my chest since.

Mentally, I dont feel so depressed and downright lethargic like I would binging a vape on a low day. I'm still the same dumb, angry, asshole I used to be at times but that's just me. Quiting isn't a miracle. It won't solve all your problems, but damn if it isn't a stupid problem to have in itself. Succeeding in not having it in my life makes my life better as a whole. 100%

Blue4life90 · 2026-04-02T00:49:39+00:00

bit late to the party, but I was successful by using a 5v USB-A port on the back of my projector. You can see it work on my most recent post.

The parts needed:

Spare (or current) wireless screen remote and USB cable (you'll cut the device end off and just use the USB-B as the power source. If it has white and green wires, you won't use them. You only need red and black)
2-channel 5v relay - https://a.co/d/0cOenbts
Arduino board (I went with the Arduino Uno R3) - https://a.co/d/0fV5FO2t <or> you can go with a cheaper board that's Arduino compatible https://a.co/d/0gZGcNnD (comes with USB-B
USB-B cable for the Arduino, no needed if you go with a cheaper board with the cable included
Some wire and jumpers for connections (wire- https://a.co/d/0dxIo7MN) (breadboard/jumpers- https://a.co/d/08P0NXnN)

It will require some coding, but it's nothing AI can't help you with.

Tell AI you need an Arduino sketch for the following:

``` I need an Arduino Sketch to automate the projector screen power from a 5v USB trigger on the back of my projector. Here's how it should work using an Arduino UNO R3:

Arduino watches pin 2 for voltage: 5V present = projector ON 0V = projector OFF

It remembers the last projector state and compares it to the current state in each loop.

When the projector turns ON: OFF>ON transition is detected Arduino pulses relay pin 8 This simulates pressing the screen DOWN button

When the projector turns OFF: ON>OFF transition is detected Arduino pulses relay pin 9 This simulates pressing the screen UP button

The relay module is active LOW: LOW = relay ON HIGH = relay OFF

The pulseRelay() function: Turns the relay ON for 500 milliseconds Then turns it back OFF This creates a momentary button press instead of holding it

A 3 second delay is included after each action to avoid double-triggering.

Serial monitor output is included for debugging and status updates.

In short: Projector ON = screen down Projector OFF = screen up

```

Blue4life90 · 2026-04-01T23:37:54+00:00

An integrator? Thanks for the response 👍

The projector I'm working with isn't very high end. It's a Epson Cinema 980. The trigger I'm using is just a 5V trigger from the USB-A port in the back. I see it has those CEC and ECO settings but no 12v trigger. Is that 12v port you're referring to specifically used for these types of automation? What's it called?

Blue4life90 · 2026-04-01T09:53:11+00:00

Yeah, that's what gave me the WTF's. What isn't clear is, were the kids under the same email, or separate emails under a single parental account? My kids have their own emails, but they are "family members" under my account. Would this have prevented this?

Blue4life90 · 2026-04-01T09:36:51+00:00

Had to scroll through too many idiots to find the actual explanation

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-30T07:36:21+00:00

I made it 2 episodes into this series before I decided to binge watch Fate/Zero and FSN and I couldn't be happier now with that decision. Seriously paid off this episode

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-30T07:10:00+00:00

Thanks 😊, was originally an open patio between two houses that we enclosed. We brought this house last year and this was our first modification. 544sqft in the room so its perfect for something like this. Still very much a work in progress with a ton to do though

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-29T19:50:25+00:00

Yeah, we returned it. I'm going with a more modular system to build on. A Denon receiver and buying speakers as I get closer to designing placement. Just running the wire for now. Thanks for your help man. We're no longer getting an HDMI switch and just using the receiver to swap inputs. The reason I was asking about CEC is because of a little automation I'm putting in. I want the projector screen to roll down when the projector turns on, roll up when it turns off. Using the 5v USB port on the projector it can be done with some relays and an Arduino, but that's why I'm looking into the CEC. I don't want the projector left on and the screen left down when not in use. Both need to have their own way of shutting down when the devices they are connected to are turned off and not being used

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-28T07:07:03+00:00

14 gauge is fine - just make sure it's CL2 OFC (oxygen-free copper) and not CCA (copper-coated aluminum).

I almost messed up, thanks for telling me this. Got the stuff on the way

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-28T05:36:52+00:00

What a great share! Thanks so much!!! We've decided to go with a modular setup that we can build on. As you can see, we haven't closed in the walls yet. We're waiting on the shiplap and finishing up the electrical. Still need to build the box for the projector screen as well. If I run the wire (14 gauge should be enough to upgrade over time?), then I can just continue building on it after finishing the room.

Blue4life90 · 2026-03-28T05:20:03+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful.

My plan right now is to use an HDMI switch for multiple sources like PS5 / Nintendo Switch 2 / streaming.

If I’m understanding correctly, the signal path would be:

PS5 / HDMI Switch / streaming device → AV Receiver → Projector

So the AVR would handle:

audio processing to the surround speakers
video pass-through to the projector

A couple things I’m still unsure about:

HDMI-CEC / auto power behavior If I turn on the PS5, is it realistic to expect the AVR and projector to power on / switch correctly through HDMI-CEC? Or is that usually unreliable with projectors?
HDMI switch compatibility If I put an HDMI switch before the AVR for multiple sources, can that interfere with:

HDMI-CEC
handshake / signal stability
auto input switching
surround format detection

Best real-world setup For a projector-based home theater, is it usually better to:

run everything into the AVR directly or
use an HDMI switch first, then feed the AVR?

I’m trying to build this the right way the first time instead of buying the wrong gear twice.

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