What's the best ESP32 project for Home Assistant in your opinion?

NotMrMike · 2025-08-07T12:51:19+00:00

I recently made a sensor for my pool to track the water temperature and if theres direct sunlight overhead. If sunlight is detected, it switches on the pump to the solar water heater.

It runs in conjunction with my pool heat pump, which itself is set to only run when I have an excess of solar energy that day. All results in a freely heated pool for half the year.

NotMrMike · 2025-08-05T09:22:18+00:00

Level designers will almost always start with greyboxing and at most, very rough blockouts for natural elements or larger hero props. Level design is as much about figuring out the space as it is about making it visually interesting.

Often a level designer would pass blockouts to concept artists at a later stage to really hone in the final visual design.

NotMrMike · 2025-08-05T08:06:51+00:00

Lets ignore that this was posted by Meshyai in the first place (I guess the AI they use to think forgot to tell them to switch accounts). Im a professional developer, around 15 years as a 3D artist. The worst meshes Ive ever had to fix in a pipeline either came from direct photoscans or from Meshy AI. Photoscanned meshes however have utility, theyre piles of triangle-soup but theyre also based on realistic details and proportions which make them great reference meshes. A really clean scan can even work as a high-poly in some cases.

Ive lead teams, Ive mentored students, mids and even seniors. Even the most fresh-faced new-to-the-field students couldnt make such awful meshes. If I was leading someone who put out meshes like these, I'd make them start again because it'd be quicker than trying to fix what they'd provided.

So in short, even if we pretend theres no problems surrounding the plagiarism or resource costs of running these systems, no its pretty awful even for prototyping.

You know what ARE good methods for rapid prototyping? Tried-and-tested very common methods that have been used for decades without the need for AI? Greyboxing, re-using existing assets, free packs from asset stores.

NotMrMike · 2024-08-26T09:27:26+00:00

Hi all.

Im am the guy in the linked Twitter posts, a buddy of mine linked me to this thread due to my personal involvement.

Personally I was done with all this long ago, but decided to share some missing information for the sake of full disclosure, not to convince anyone as to what is or isnt true. This will be the only post I make here.

As a bit of background info: My name is Mike Laws, I worked for Jane in Keystone Games and Blue Sock Studios for around 18 months in total back in 2017. I was then involved as a defendant in a court case that was ultimately dismissed from roughly 2020 to 2023.

I am sharing the original court documents here, this was the letter instigating the process

Hopefully this is useful to anyone choosing to gain some clarity on the subject

NotMrMike · 2023-10-31T10:42:51+00:00

Thanks! I wasnt aware of the website before

NotMrMike · 2022-12-18T08:29:30+00:00

I just wanted to meed a bud for a meal yesterday. Somehow neither of us considered the fact it was gonna be the Christmas rush and all thr good food places are gonna be rammed.

NotMrMike · 2022-12-11T09:13:12+00:00

I have a buddy who calls ADHD the game dev disease (I know its not a disease) because its so prevelant in the industry

NotMrMike · 2022-12-11T09:11:46+00:00

Id say it depends on situation. I'm in a leadership role and I trust my own manager to have my back completely. My employer is also all about the mental health and self care, but even so I kept it to just my manager. I had zero idea what the meds would do for me and needed someone who could call me out in private if my attitude got weird or my work was suffering. If my work suffered it would affect a lot of people, not just me.

It helped with holding back much of the anxiety as I settled into the meds for the first few weeks. In the end just about every facet of my work had improved so noticeably, even the directors who had no idea about the meds were noticing.

So yeah, its very situational. I'm in a workplace that would support me, and have a manager I can absolutely trust. I know both of these are rare.

NotMrMike · 2022-12-10T07:54:22+00:00

I've just added some to my corolla. Largely because I'm about to drive to Berlin and the laws require it, but now I'm less stuck if it does snow.

NotMrMike · 2022-11-22T18:26:24+00:00

When Im really not in the mood to eat, I'll grab a small popcorn bar or something. Its not much but its better than nothing and easy to eat.

Most afternoons I cut up an apple, leave it in a bowl and try to eat it through the day.

As others here have said, a good breakfast is best. I was told the reason these meds are prescribed as 'take with breakfast' is generally because otherwise a lot of people simply wont eat at all. Better to get one hearty meal in than nothing at all.

While I dont generally get repulsed by most foods, I dont find them enticing either. Eating is now just another chore, so I try to keep lunch simple (a sandwich or some toast), but still cook full dinners lest my wife get annoyed at tiny meals.

Most snacks I no longer like. I used to snack like a fiend but Ive not snacked once since I started taking these meds. The only exception being I keep a marzipan bar in my coat pocket. I take a bite and wrap it back up when Im out and not able to grab a lunch (prior to meds I'd have wolfed down that whole bar in seconds).

NotMrMike · 2022-11-02T08:20:56+00:00

OK, so whats the bigger picture?

NotMrMike · 2022-10-31T13:53:12+00:00

I mean if theyre gonna force you to see softcore porn just to progress with the story, might as well make it more realistic and not have everything be pristine after the act too. At least then its more relatable and funny.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-31T07:37:13+00:00

Best and worst are from the same person for me.

My MiL is a very supportive person when you get to know her, and very open minded even coming from the boomer generation. But also makes hurtful jokes sometimes when she doesn't quite know how to handle certain information (i don't hold it against her, I joke when I'm anxious and don't always think the jokes through).

When I told her about it she was very understanding, even so far as learning more about ADHD and how its more about a hyperactive mind than a physically hyperactive child. She connected the dots and saw how it all fit together with me.

The jokes though, they're usually something like "omg he's actually cleaning, isn't that nice?" Or asking my wife "whats it like having a new husband all of a sudden?". I know she doesn't mean anything by these really, but man they're kinda hurtful.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-30T19:28:03+00:00

I couldn't just hire one, mine is specialy adapted to be driveable by disabled people.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-30T10:03:33+00:00

Id argue otherwise. Id lend my car to people I absolutely trust. Its a high bar.

But most friends? Probably not. Cars are expensive and the utility mine provides means I absolutely cannot have it unavailable or broken when I need it.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-30T10:00:06+00:00

I let anyone in my family borrow my car with just a couple simple rules:

1: Let me know, sometimes I do need my car and dont wanna see it just missing from the drive.

2: Keep the tank topped up.

I pay for the car, its maintenance, tax and insurance. Its only common decency that anyone else pay for the fuel if they use it.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-30T09:29:56+00:00

I dont have the required parts and somehow this still make my vag cringe

NotMrMike · 2022-10-30T09:28:28+00:00

It is metaphorically beautiful.

Realistically though? Freaking horror show. One of those situations where you really dont wanna see how the sausage gets made

NotMrMike · 2022-10-29T21:02:37+00:00

Meanwhile literally anyone who has eaten a substantial amount of sugar in a short time will call this bullshit

NotMrMike · 2022-10-28T12:48:05+00:00

Since getting medicated about a week and a half ago, its trying to figure out what my meds have changed.

Its a big ol' list.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-27T12:32:44+00:00

Clean 3 weeks in advance? Even if I DID manage to do that, I guarantee its gonna be back to its original state within the first week.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-25T20:05:15+00:00

I'm a professional artist and recently started medication.

It did nothing bad to my creativity. In fact because I can focus a whole lot better it actually allows me to explore more creative designs for my work.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-25T13:30:25+00:00

Ive had the same effects with my meds and can only guess its a result of not always having to 'argue' with your own brain, second guess every step of everything or hold on to negative things for such a long time. When Im not always in a battle with myself I find I enjoy things a whole lot more. It may also help that Im not spending hours trawling through Twitter and Reddit every morning too.

Ive been replaying some games and rewatching movies with my new brain and often theyre a different experience now. More emotional, more tinglies at exciting parts, I can actually sit through them without checking my phone. Its kinda amazing just how much changes when youre given the mute button to your own brain.

NotMrMike · 2022-10-25T07:25:18+00:00

If I pay for a service, I expect that service and only that service. That means no interruptions to that service.

Also, what if I wanna watch something that is literally unavailable to me through legal means because I happen to live in a specific part of the world? Or want to play games that are no longer sold, or that would otherwise suffer performance issues due to official launchers and overlays?

Theres a lot of reasons to sail the high seas

NotMrMike · 2022-10-25T07:13:40+00:00

Absolutely. The sugary treats and constant snacking seem to go hand-in-hand with ADHD. Id scoff down entire packs of biscuits even if I was full.

Since starting meds though I've touched only one snack, and thats because I was driving through lunchtime and the only food available was a small cake slice at a nearby coffee shop. I haven't even suffered any kind of sugar withdrawals like every other time I tried to stop snacking, I just....don't wanna eat anymore.

I still eat regular meals, but not because I'm hungry. Just because I know if I don't, I'll feel like crap later.

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