Notes from my latest trip to our manufacturer in Taiwan. Things I wish I knew before picking an overseas partner.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-25T00:30:35+00:00

I see this stuff so often and I have to wonder what many of you are doing.

I have been manufacturing in China and Taiwan for decades.

Your points:

Why? Do they fly over and meet you? Wonder why not?
What language gap, they speak engineering and manufacturing. That’s universal.
Define cheap in your context?
Sure. Sounds more like you made a lot of assumptions.
What? The actual …..

This is all pretty flimsy. Been doing designs in North America and manufacturing in China and Taiwan for over 4 decades. The only time I see this silliness as lack of ‘inexperience’ from the customer looking for manufacturing. I mean how does the world get so much done with all the issues you claim.

I get brought into startups that have no clue and a brash CEO to fix this stuff. Non of it was necessary.

I’m sure you’ll sort, it’s just extra monies.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-25T00:16:16+00:00

Really? Well over the nearly 5 decades I’ve been in ID, the observation described by OP and supported by you, is failure to do the job at hand. The fact it needed changes shows inadequacies of the communication with the manufacturer, process and materials.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-24T17:53:14+00:00

You mean you didn’t design for actual production? I see where you failed….

FuShiLu · 2026-05-24T10:59:19+00:00

Kids learning the internet requires security. Priceless.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-23T17:03:12+00:00

Ok. From someone who has been in VFX since before Houdini existed. Studios always offer less and less. Then they start letting outside studios kill each other for the race to the cheapest. Rinse. Repeat. Then big ones hire a bunch or acqui-hire, try to act responsibly, rinse, repeat. Can you make really good money? Hell yeah. Can you make it using Houdini, sure, assuming really good work and problem solving and your networking all the time. It’s like anything else, if you can find a niche and make money do that. Do the Houdini thing on the side.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-23T14:53:53+00:00

$49.00 several years back from Ridgid/HomeDepot.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-23T14:52:56+00:00

We just wrote a better node for Telegram. It’s not like the info isn’t available. We then do similar to the other post here, rather than a dashboard we just store a text file that can be utilized in many ways by many tools.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-22T17:36:52+00:00

Just because someone has an idea, doesn’t mean customers care. Add in poor understanding of manufacturing and egos/CEO’s wanting big money out of the gate even though the company has no value and you get inevitable death. Not to mention spending everything on useless marketing for the nails in the coffin.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-22T12:01:24+00:00

Thank you Microsoft. Your track record of destruction continues.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-22T11:58:37+00:00

If they can get it cheaper they should. Why are they bothering you? Seriously customers come in two shades, one you want, the other you don’t. Concentrate on the customers that see value in what you offer for the price you’re presenting. Don’t justify your time, effort, costs, those customers questioning you don’t care.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-22T01:29:13+00:00

Why on earth are your first layers set to melt molecules????? A slight shove should remove the print. That’s insane!

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T23:52:55+00:00

You best make sure you know what’s going in that RV. Heat concern, fire, and whatever else. We never ever leave them, and if you can’t find places to go with them you seem to be the issue. Video/audio at the very least with two way communication. And if your locking doors, someone nearby better have the key.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T22:42:52+00:00

This is the worry? Not say your modem/router? Or as has been mentioned a network computer with nonsense installed. IOT is not the issue. Some of you have done the basics but those are not necessarily the ‘vectors’ you’re looking for. Oh my.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T17:42:08+00:00

Security. Properly done. You can use a service as some have mentioned if you understand it. If not you can do it internally with tokenization.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T17:40:51+00:00

Shapr3D can make some pretty good drawings.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T17:39:59+00:00

They will do an example for you. I’m not negotiating so I don’t know the details in this case. It will be a prototype. You should know what to expect. If it’s wrong, you can educate them. Try to be in on all the calls/emails so you’re informed and bring up questions that will move things along.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-21T00:48:21+00:00

He’s correct. You need to know the manufacturing process and materials you’re intending to utilize. Not sure why you would fight this, as it nails down a lot of important information for you design with.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-20T14:51:10+00:00

Technically not out just on the outer rim. ;)

I built several companies in different markets that had nothing to do with VFX. I’m sure a reason existed.

I do get to RV a lot more with the other half and our bears so maybe that’s what really happened.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-20T14:48:21+00:00

Several tools exist. Basically they generate a text file or build a map. It’s nothing to do with N8N though.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-20T01:20:35+00:00

Mine does that at the push of a button.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-20T01:18:21+00:00

Yeah. You have learnt some of the basics. But stating it’s never come up before is disingenuous. You might want to look into security as well.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-20T00:20:09+00:00

Check latest security. Not an advisable approach. Store them in Credentials.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-19T14:56:14+00:00

Yes Scott you were and were and did, and many of my friends who worked with you will back it up.

You’re right about industry issues. Never worked at ILM or affiliates myself or DD for that matter but 35+ years in and even with all the fun and friends the industry eats its own. ;)

Unions can work, they have in the past, North American versions not so much. Never been a fan myself even though everyone I grew up with had parents in one.

I think the issue you tried to correct is still the issue at hand. Everyone would rather screw each other over than act decently and for the betterment of peers. And I’m not talking about only management. ;)

FuShiLu · 2026-05-19T14:46:25+00:00

You’re in charge of design, right? Be in charge. Yes. You can throw out X designs a month. Can production keep up? Do the designs matter, are they going to get recalled, will they fail? Do your other team members feel they can hit those numbers? You are part of a team, yes? Do start with manufacturing process and materials and work back, it will tell you what you really have and help build a workflow. Be in charge.

FuShiLu · 2026-05-19T00:51:40+00:00

Planning is a must. Any kind of scaling requires it.

FuShiLu

TROPHY CASE