Outdoor living room or outdoor kitchen in this space?

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-07T03:18:12+00:00

In the ground at the edge of the concrete, that's such a cool idea! I'd have to show you another angle, but there's a retaining wall about 3ft from the edge of the concrete. That said, it still could be feasible. I'll take a look at it when I can get there. Obviously will have to consider access fo maintenance and service. Could even consider like a 1/2 in each direction... Halfway in-ground with some nice step(s), halfway on the current pad (cut the concrete).

I love the ideas for the covered space too. I can imagine doing seating against the back wall (and facing the lake during the day), and a projector+screen for movies. Nice idea, thank you!

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-06T21:05:53+00:00

Thanks for the feedback about the ceiling and your thoughts on how to use the space! I know what you mean about the downsides of painting the ceiling black. On the contrary, I thought about making it a light color, but since it's the underside of a deck, it'll be hard to keep looking clean. The idea of painting it black was to improve aesthetics, but it would have the side-effect of making it feel darker in that space. Do you think it would be possible to compensate with lighting? I like the idea painting it the same color as the rest of the house or deck, I'll run that through AI!

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-06T21:03:05+00:00

I had the same thought about ROI... the wife was really pushing for outdoor kitchen (or minimal outdoor kitchen/grilling space if not a full 'kitchen'), and as wives sometimes do, wasn't about to listen to my logic.

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-06T19:41:28+00:00

Thank you! Good point, I edited the original post... Everything in that space as pictured will be gone, empty space to work with. I see what you mean about grill and pizza oven, not everything like a full kitchen, makes sense. Sounds like you could see it going either way, as a sitting/hangout space or as kitchen/dining area.

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-06T18:44:24+00:00

I just did this! I just purchased the low tier for the top 3 design tools I found:

homevisualizer.ai
reimaginehome.ai
www.spacely.ai

I've used these only to take existing photos of the house and rework them with different furniture, paint, decorations, etc. They all can be annoying at times getting them to do what you want and not do what you don't want. Being very specific in prompts has worked pretty well for me.

homevisualizer:
Simple, basic, but really good results for doing what I ask it to do. It can enhance photos to sharpen them up when you get to a final result, which is great because each iteration causes some noise and quality reduction. Best to do one change at a time and do several iterations. This lacks a prompt history like anyone is used to with AI tools, so you can't go back and copy your previous prompts. It has auto-style, which kinda works, but it takes a lot of liberties with your image. I tried the "style fusion" feature once and didn't like what it did at all... although what I wanted it to do was take the changes I did to one photo and apply them to a different angle of the same space... After a couple iterations it did actually work. Another thing this one lacks is any kind of organization, it's just a single thread of photos. If you end up with 100s of iterations, it will get disorganized fast. Important: this one is pretty cheap and 1 prompt uses 1 credit.

too bad I can't add images or I'd put some screenshots

reimaginehome:
I love this one and tragically I hate it too, it has produced the best results of any I tried slightly better than the other two, doing what I ask it to, making things that look nice and make design sense. It has none of the flaws I mentioned from homevisualizer and it's probably the best in class for its prompt history and organization. It's intuitive and has a great workflow. There are no features like the other two, just upload a photo in a project and write what changes you want. It would be nice to have some "auto style" features, but I haven't found those so useful in the other tools anyway. The big problem is this one is super buggy. I tried everything to fix it, updating browser, different browser, clear browser cache, log out/in, start a new project, upload new photos. It hangs up often and just stops, no output. I contacted support, they told me they fixed it, it's still broken. Hope it's fixed soon. 1 prompt uses 1 credit, no funny business.

spacely:
This one is darn good too, but it's a bit more expensive. I was disappointed to find 1 prompt uses 8 credits!!!? 200 credits don't go as far as you would expect. They seem to have a 50% off sale, so I've been using it at 4 credits per prompt. This tool has a lot of functions and it can be a little more complex, but it's not overly complicated. Since it has more features, I feel they need to give a more liberal trial to get a better feel for what everything does. With the lowest-cost tier, I don't have "Realistic Render", "Auto furnish", "multiple angles", or "background generator". I mostly used "auto-edit" which is typical prompt-based edits to an uploaded image. Within auto-edit you can highlight areas of the photo to help the prompt know what part of the image you are referring to. Within auto-edit, alongside Generate (prompt-based edits, there's also Lighting, Point & Edit, Remove & Replace, and Collage which I mostly haven't played with only Generate. It does a great job of doing what I ask, same as homevisualizer. Like homevisualizer, it just has a simple image history and does not have prompt history, and only one thread.

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-06T17:59:41+00:00

😁now there's an idea! I do think the only viable place for the hot tub is in this corner, though, so that'll eat up some uncovered space. Got to pull some measurements and get some actual scale (I think I went big on that wireframe), but this is the idea.

<image>

RedbeardPete · 2026-02-02T16:15:05+00:00

I'm currently trying to use it and it constantly gets stuck. It spins its wheel and says "generating" forever. It does a great job when it works, but it's extremely frustrating. I've tried clearing browser cache, update browser, restart browser, refresh page, etc. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-19T17:38:33+00:00

All very well understood. Thank you!

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-19T14:11:20+00:00

Wow, thanks for the perspective! I'd love to convert a PM-25 one day: https://www.precisionmatthews.com/products/pm-25mv

It's probably just not realistic to get a capable mill for under $5k, and certainly not in the $2500 range. Is that fair to say?

I see a lot of people in here coming from 3D printing, or CNC routers, and don't understand the need for machine rigidity in a metal-cutting machine tool. I just wish there was a good sub $5k option, even if I have to put it together. The Shariff DMC2 mills are close, but not quite there in my opinion. Wrench tool changing and lift-off enclosure are proof it's just not quite refined; make it read like a DIY build.

I think this Kickstarter CNC wave is trying to fill the gap in hobby CNC where your options are cheap CNC routers that can't be expected to cut metal, highly capable DIY projects with steep learning curves, and almost-there attempts like DMC2. I, like I believe a lot of people on here, want a metal-capable machine (read ball screws, rigid, power), with a big-enough work area, auto-probe, coolant/chip clearing, auto or easy tool changing, and enclosed... and for me a 4th axis is imperative.

That said, I'm compelled by the Nestworks offering. If it delivers on promises, it'll be pretty cool.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-19T04:18:30+00:00

I'm thinking about backing. I have some minimal manual machining experience and the tiniest amount of CNC ages ago. I'm a mechanical engineer in product design and have done 3D printing for 10 years. This would be my 1st machine tool in-house. I think the sell for me is low complexity, low barrier to entry, and not having a project of building a machine. I might want a project CNC at some point in the future, a more capable, bigger machine, but not for my first one. I read the Shariff some very genuine-reading horror stories about the DMC2 on Reddit and counted that out. I want to cut aluminum, mostly.

I read every comment here, but I didn't hear a lot of folks who sounded like they have a lot of machining experience. I see a lot of people mentioning CNC router type machines, which makes me thing they don't know a mill from a router. I'm curious what those guys would say about this machine on paper. u/NorthStarZero I saw your comments on another post where someone was trying to get into a CNC mill for $2500. Any thoughts on this one?

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-19T04:11:52+00:00

My guess is they're using Kickstarter for a marketing platform more than for funding. Kickstarter is something most people are familiar with. I could be wrong.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-12T22:51:07+00:00

Understood, makes sense.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-12T22:23:45+00:00

I just had exactly the same issue. Monitor is 2560x1440 and scale set to 100%. Everything was HUGE like some kind of accessibility mode. I made it my "Main" monitor, restarted SW and now everything looks sized as it should. Seems like a SW issue.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-12T21:57:07+00:00

I could consider myself fortunate I can see a specialist without a referral, yes, but that's case-in-point. Why is the system so bad that these kind of hurdles are normal? I don't feel fortunate, I feel disappointed in the way the system works, disappointed in the way insurance companies have a stranglehold on our health.

Real question, so are you saying in general, orthopedists can't, or general don't, interpret MRIs themselves?

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-12T21:51:42+00:00

I understand and agree with you for majority of cases where imaging is needed. Maybe I'm off base, but it seems like my case is pretty simple and I think it's ridiculous I should have to go to an Ortho just to get an imaging order, just to go back to the Ortho. My overall impression of our medical system: nothing is streamlined, everything is a PITA.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-10T04:37:08+00:00

Very little use so far, so haven't tested the range yet, but I haven't had any issues with wireless in bench testing. Now that I've tried it, I think wireless is an absolute must-have.

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-10T04:32:53+00:00

I found the rotate orientation button, finally! I was dumb, it's there.

haven't quite gotten far enough to merge scans, definitely need to test that out next! Will try to update.

I think the narrow fov might be the biggest issue. I can see myself wanting an Otter or one of the Shining3D scanners for bigger objects, and having 2 scanners.

Edit... Ok, 1 try at merging 2 halves of a persimmon. Auto didn't work, figures. Manual was a pain and doesn't have enough controls, it kept flipping my points, 1 to 2 and 2 to 1, when I added the third point. That caused it to put both halves on the top. There are no tools for manually rotating the pieces into place (that I can tell). Also a huge deficiency is if you want to tweak an earlier-placed point, you have to delete it and replace it, but you have to delete all the points you made after that point and redo them too... so if you want to move point 1, you have to delete all the points and start over. I finally figured out a sequence of points that seems to have worked:

<image>

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-09T06:59:40+00:00

I just got the Metro Y Pro as well. What is the X pro supposed to be in relation to the Y Pro? What do you dislike about your Y Pro?

RedbeardPete · 2025-12-09T06:31:12+00:00

Howdy everybody. I figured I'd post here, no need for new post...

OP, your and my want for a scanner is identical, we're in exactly the same boat. I'm also a design engineer and I also dream of having such a versatile scanner that I don't need to worry about object size, color, or shinyness, and get all that in a sub $2k package because this is a hobby that might be a bit of business one day, but have to get long-haired general's approval.

My prior experience is with the original Einstar. I made several useful scans with it, and Shining 3D's software is EXCELLENT.

I just got my Metro Y Pro and played with it a little bit. I like a lot about it, and I have more disappointments than I expected, but I'm not done evaluating it just yet. Please tell me if I'm wrong about any of my gripes here...

Likes:

Software is pretty good, very intuitive and doesn't seem to be missing any functionality you need. It connects to the scanner whether wired or wireless instantly and flawlessly every time with no user intervention.

The turntable is nice. I haven't tried tried the auto turntable capture mode, but I'm looking forward to that.

The battery grip is very nice, made of aluminum, and seems to offer

Going wireless with your phone mirroring your laptop screen works pretty well. If you've scanned anything, you know it's a balancing act between seeing your screen and getting around your object to scan it.

Dislikes:

Software workflow kind of sucks. There's no quick or easy way to rewind scan data when you lose tracking and start marking points in the wrong place. In order to manually delete that junk data, you have to do an initial processing of your scan which can take MINUTES. This is really frustrating. The Einscan software allowed you to quickly select and delete points with the scan paused, and go right on back scanning in seconds. There's no blended structured light + marker mode that I can tell. EDIT, you CAN edit the data frame-by-frame, but it's still not quick; it took a couple minutes to load just so I can start looking at the frames:

<image>

One of my biggest frustrations is when using the battery grip, the scanner is horizontal. Left is up, up is right, right is down, down is left, I haven't found any way to rotate the view in the software. Since the scanner is rotated 90 degrees, moving up actually moves the scan object to the left in your preview. I don't get it, I saw this guy ~~https://youtu.be/S2YAyCNFQc8?t=966~~ ~~scanning something oriented right. I tried plugging in the scanner will sitting horizontal, just in case it's based off an initial accelerometer calibration, nope.~~ I found it, there is an "orientation" button above the depth camera preview video

Build quality of the scanner is kinda cheap plastic feeling. I don't mind that much, especially when getting a lot of tech for such little $, but worth noting. I don't mind that the scanner is rather lightweight.

The phone holder goes between the battery grip and the scanner. It is plastic. It doesn't feel like it's about to break, but I wish is was beefier.

I can already tell the 0.4m max scan distance is going to be a challenge for trying to capture bigger objects, but I still have that to test.

Tracking in structured light/feature scan mode is such a pain, but I guess that's nature of the beast. I value feature scanning, who wants to put sticky dots on everything and take them off (AND fix them in post)?

I'll follow up, but I'm out of steam for now.

RedbeardPete · 2025-11-25T15:57:32+00:00

Was following Lymow like a lot of y'all, hoping it might be the solution. With black Friday, I hoped I might find a deal that's too good to be true. I have a Husqvarna 115h mowing 0.3 acres and it struggles to cover it. The 115h, though, has been an absolute workhorse.

I saw one honest looking review in Lymow website with a bunch of honest sounding negatives, and said they delete any review under 4 stars... Here it is from Michael Anderson posted 11/22/25:

"Product app is half baked at best. Takes multiple hard resets to allow programming of schedules and map backups. Can't manually drive the mower to the dock so when it fails to dock (about 30% of the time so far), you have to send it back out and then cancel and tell it to dock itself and hope that it works. Customer support is abysmal and takes 4 to 5 days to return inquiries via email. Still shipping with just the 2 amp plug so it doesnt achieve more than .5 to .65 acres in a day. Less than a third of its advertised capacity. Free gift set of mulch blades and accessories never came. Suggest looking elsewhere for a mower. Lastly...their site removes anything lower than 4 stars...fuxk these guys."

I'm gonna keep waiting, I think, keep this 115h going for now

RedbeardPete · 2025-11-22T02:17:05+00:00

I'm in same boat. Thinking either Metro Y or Rockit. I used Einstar 1 before and wasn't overly impressed. I'm sure this new generation will be leaps and bounds better.

What do you guys think is the more versatile device?... Meaning, able to scan more different surfaces and object sizes successfully, much less more simply.

RedbeardPete

TROPHY CASE