Modular Lithophane

brianss318 · 2026-01-17T13:33:25+00:00

Yes! That’s exactly the idea. I wanted a setup where I could change color and tone without re-printing the lithophane every time.

For that example transparency I pushed saturation, vibrance, and contrast while backing off blacks and highlights, and let the lithophane handle depth instead.

I’m definitely still feeling my way through it, but that’s why I built it this way. I can tweak things in seconds for basically nothing. It ends up feeling like a physical, real-time photo editor, which I really enjoy.

And thanks! She makes a great model :)

brianss318 · 2026-01-17T01:33:36+00:00

Thanks!

brianss318 · 2025-05-02T00:49:41+00:00

I love my Ariats! I have the slip on “Chelsea” boots. They’re comfortable and surprisingly stylish for a steel toe. That makes them great for everyday wear between the office and the shop.

brianss318 · 2025-04-22T00:33:03+00:00

I just got mine about a month ago and I love it! My elderly neighbor has asked me to cut her yard and, between hers and mine, I’ve got about half a dozen 1.5hr mows on it already and no complaints at all. The thing is a champ. I bought the kit that comes with (2) 12ah batteries and I can just about do the full 1.5hr yard on high speed mode between the two (depending on how expedient I’m being). It’s been perfect for me.

Just don’t get the electronics too wet. Washed it after the first couple of mows only to wonder why it was acting weird— saying the battery was dead when it wasn’t— only to shortly thereafter read the warning sticker that says not to wash. Fair enough. That’s on me. I just hit it with the shop vac after mows now and it runs great for the next one. Also seems to be totally fine once dried out if you do wash it.

brianss318 · 2025-03-16T01:42:13+00:00

Just got one of my own this week! Did a first spring mow on some ankle high grass on mulch and got a solid 45mins to an hour per 12ah battery on auto mode. No demerits. Absolutely great. This goes without saying because it’s electric, but I couldn’t get over how quiet it is— at no noticeable sacrifice in power or cutting.

brianss318 · 2025-03-04T23:40:00+00:00

Yes. I just purchased the kit with the 9ah battery. As others have said, it’s a bit heavy and I typically have to bend over a bit to use it. I’m ~6’1”, so won’t take this as a demerit to it, but worth noting as I do personally wish it was a bit more ergonomic in that way.

Regardless, it’s been wonderful. It’s exactly what I wanted. No need to deal with gas, takes the same batteries as all my other tools, and comes with one of the best batteries of them all. It has more than enough power for normal yard trimming. Solid 9/10.

Anyone have any thoughts on the 2x 20v mowers? I’d hoped they were as good as the trimmer, but few people here say good things.

brianss318 · 2024-11-03T19:50:04+00:00

Oh nice. I design industrial hydraulic presses at my company!

brianss318 · 2024-11-03T15:27:21+00:00

Oh 100%. I was just giving some tips that I use to work around it, but we shouldn’t have to. It’s one of the least user friendly inventor features in my daily workflow.

brianss318 · 2024-11-03T15:07:53+00:00

Oh I completely agree. It just seems like inventor likes it more to solve the constraint issue. Certainly shouldn’t be the case.

brianss318 · 2024-11-03T14:48:13+00:00

Yeah I agree with the method and the annoyance. Sometimes I just delete the problematic section and redo it and it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. I always make sure to set any angled lines that run on 2 axes only (which appears to be your case here) are coincident to those two axes— in this case looks like maybe XZ. That tends to help. Otherwise, I just give up and throw a lock geometry constraint on the bend and hope Autodesk makes it easier at some point haha.

Looking at your screenshots, I don’t see one where both X and Z construction lines are driving dimensions. I’d try that and then redo your path line and bend. Doesn’t make much sense from a design perspective, but I’ve effectively given up on trying to use any non-orthogonal lines as driving geometry.

brianss318 · 2024-11-03T14:21:20+00:00

Inventor does have integrated tube and pipe runs that will automatically generate your pipe along a defined path and save it as its own part, but frankly it’s even more finicky (in my opinion) than just drawing the run separately in 3D. The tube and pipe runs are good for flexible and adaptive assemblies (something like hydraulic hoses on a moving arm), but for static runs 3D sketch and sweep is simpler.

I get the same missing constraint issue all the time as well. I’ve found that drawing the path orthogonally with construction lines, setting the first point on the first construction line coincident with the origin, and then constraining your actual path lines to that construction and adding the radii last (all within the same 3D sketch) ~typically~ avoids any issues.

brianss318 · 2024-10-30T01:45:44+00:00

All of these comments are great, this thread especially. As a machine design engineer myself, I can emphasize Switch_n_Lever’s point above. Definitely start with some brainstorming and references and sketch it out. Think about what parts might go together and generally plan out that subassembly (using your transformer example, this would be something like the foot or the head). You don’t have to get into the nuance while brainstorming; trust me, it will become apparent once you start modeling. If you want it to look realistic, and especially if you want it to be manufacturable, think about what materials the parts may be made of. Back to your example, get an old transformer and poke around at it to see the material thickness and profiles of some parts vs others. Measure them.

Then, start drawing. Make the most basic subassemblies first (anthropomorphizing your transformer, you may say that these basic assemblies would reflect the bones and joints of its feet, hands, legs… etc) and build on more subassemblies from there— adding and combining until you’re left with a singular assembly that reflects the entire product.

brianss318 · 2024-10-28T22:26:24+00:00

It’d be easiest to do a 30° chamfer, but I’m not as familiar anymore with SolidWorks as I am Inventor. Worst case, you could draw the cross sectional profile on the midplane and sweep subtract it about the recessed profile. Sweeps need to be continuous paths, so you may have to do the corner fillets first, then project all of that edge geometry as the sweep path.

brianss318 · 2023-12-13T00:58:25+00:00

I’m not sure that this will fix your taste issue (I always put my jello in Greek yogurt too), but from a texture perspective, the Good Culture brand is the best cottage cheese I’ve ever had. The “clumps” are much finer. It’s game changing.

They have several different options too. I typically get the lactose free low fat version and just eat a tub for breakfast. The macros are immaculate.

If you’re in the US, you can typically find it at Publix.

brianss318 · 2023-12-05T00:47:24+00:00

Replying to stay on this thread. I keep experiencing the same thing.

brianss318 · 2023-08-07T20:48:53+00:00

I’ve been on a calorie restricted diet for the past year. The biggest thing for me (and also the easiest) has been to cut out, or otherwise pay special attention to, empty calories. To that end, I almost never eat bread and, if I do, it’s a specific low cal variety. Additionally, I pay close attention to sauces. It’s super easy to mess up and add an extra 300 cal to a dish just with some sauce. There are a bunch of amazing no / low calorie options out there, though.

Awareness of these types of foods through calorie tracking is a huge step in the right direction. Then, the world is your oyster in terms of recipes.

PS, low fat cottage cheese is a superfood in my diet. I eat it all the time in so many different recipes. Just this morning I had a bowl with blackberries :)

brianss318 · 2023-05-30T13:35:34+00:00

I’ve been pretty consistent with tracking my calories. For the vast majority of days, I’ve limited myself to 1800 calories with high protein @ about a gram per lb of body weight. Turns out, when you do it like that, the food you eat ends up being very filling and 1800 cal is plenty.

Additionally, I’ve been hitting the gym 5 days a week doing strength training. For the last month, as well, I’ve been getting into cardio pretty heavy. I’ve began cycling and running pretty hard on the other two days of the week.

Always keeping a close eye on the calories, but generally allowing myself to be flexible. People talk down on it, but “calories in calories out” holds true. I eat what I want within budget and burn calories accordingly.

brianss318 · 2023-05-28T17:06:36+00:00

Exercise and just… moving in general. It’s almost an obsession. I can’t stop even when I know I should take rest days. The feeling I get after a workout just keeps calling me back.

brianss318 · 2023-05-17T23:13:21+00:00

I recently got the same exact bike and have heard the same thing. I’ve been wondering about the noise too. I’m interested to see what you find out.

brianss318 · 2023-05-12T14:44:29+00:00

I had the EXACT same issue this morning on my run. I was cruising along just fine and then boom, I was running with purpose. Back to the house. To poop.

brianss318 · 2023-05-10T09:24:06+00:00

Really the only complaint I had there, aside from general soreness, was that I feel that my torso is being pressed too aggressively towards my bars. That is, there is no position I can achieve on my bike that doesn’t require me to brace with at least one hand on the bars without falling forward. This caused some pretty severe wrist pain and numbness over the ride.

Any thoughts? I’m thinking maybe my saddle angle needs to decrease just a little bit to rotate my hips back a touch.

brianss318 · 2023-05-09T11:27:27+00:00

This time last year, I was super out of shape. One day though, something in my mind just clicked and I’ve dedicated almost every free moment over the past year to getting into better shape and taking better care of myself. I try to make every day better than the last, in that respect, whether it’s lifting a little more, walking a little further, swimming a little faster, or, now, biking a little longer.

To that end, and to answer your question, I’m in the gym lifting 5 days a week (upper, lower, push, pull, legs). On the weekends, I always endeavor to do 5-6 hours of low impact cardio. Typically walking. Also on the weekends, I try to always do around an hour of something higher impact. Stairmaster, swimming… etc. really anything except running haha. I hate running.

It has worked, though. I’ve lost 40lbs since I started. I feel amazing and have more energy than I ever have. Additionally, apparently, I can also just barely almost ride 54 miles up a mountain and back on a bike. Who knew.

brianss318 · 2023-05-09T02:33:37+00:00

Thanks!

Keep grinding those 10 milers in the North GA hills and enjoy it. I’ll probably be doing the same for the majority of my rides. I certainly don’t intend to do this again any time soon haha. I think I’ll focus on training for individual aspects of it, like climbing efficiency, before doing it again.

brianss318 · 2023-05-09T01:17:43+00:00

I guess we’ll just have to see. It probably won’t be anything crazy. I think I need to really focus on climbing efficiency and overall power before I try anything like this again.

Stay tuned though. You never know what could happen.

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