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Content Warning: Autism
I'm honestly just venting, I don't expect anybody to read this.
Part 1: Hey bud, doing some pop-and-lock therapy?
For those who saw the video, I'm still working on that lanekeeping project. I had to scrap the entire design AGAIN and start over from scratch. The new design is looking suspiciously like the old design. I can get it working, but getting it to both look good and withstand 100Β°F temperatures is proving to be a challenge.
For most Fords of my generation, the lanekeeping is built into the rearview mirror -- which is heavy and poorly balanced.
The Focus and Escape used a much smaller standalone camera. If I could get that camera working on my car, that'd be FAR easier to mount.
(If you're from a country that never landed on the moon, Escape in America is Kuga in your shithole)
I know it's a long shot for the camera to actually be compatible, given Focus/Escape uses a completely different network architecture, but maybe they're similar enough, especially since the Escape architecture is technically older than my car's. On the radio module, the network selection parameter actually groups these two architectures as one setting.
Since it's a long-shot, I didn't want to spend the $150 on an Escape camera. But, this was an off-the-shelf component also used by GM and Mercedes. I can get a Mercedes-branded camera for only $20. If I can flash the Ford firmware to it, it'll be basically the same camera with a different connector. I've flashed firmwares before, how hard can it be?
Gonna learn you some acronyms
We need to go over a few terms for context.
Forscan: Third-party software, basically a reverse-engineered version of the IDS software used by Ford technicians. If you've ever heard of VAG-COM for Volkswagens, this is the Ford/Mazda equivalent. Access in-depth diagnostic codes, live sensor readings, module configuration, service procedures, etc. Most people use this to adjust parameters like correcting their speedometer for oversized tires.
Forscan Profiles: When you first connect to a vehicle, it has to do a full, slow module detection. You can save this profile so subsequent reconnects are much faster. Forscan will only search for modules available from the factory for your model. If you're trying to access a module not normally available, you need to load a saved profile from a vehicle that was equipped with that same module at the time of profile generation. There's no personal information stored beyond a partial VIN, like 2FM*********14901
AsBuilt / AB: A list of vehicle parameters stored in various modules. Engine type, boot screen type, whether the vehicle is RHD/LHD, what type of climate control, if trailer sway control is equipped, if it's a police vehicle, if it has a reverse camera, whether it should call 911 or 999, etc. This is the most popular section of Forscan because you can change parameters to disable the double-honk when you exit the car with the engine running, or enable Bambi mode (highbeans and foglights at the same time). Ford actually makes the AsBuilt publicly available for every car made since 1999.
IPMA: Image Processing Module A, Ford's name for the lanekeeping camera.
TCU: Telecumming Control Unit, the 4G modem used for FordPass
--
Turns out, people are stubborn and retarded
I have the Escape IPMA in front of me. I have Forscan in front of me. I have the Ford firmware files ready to go. The only thing I don't have is a Forscan profile.
Since this camera has Mercedes firmware, it can't be directly detected by Forscan even if I put it in a compatible vehicle.
I'm instead relying on the bricked module recovery feature, where Forscan will spend 20 seconds hammering the network with the Ford bootloader. The idea is that if you power on the module during this time, the update will start before the module loads the Mercedes-specific firmware. But in order to reach this page, I need an Escape profile so Forscan knows where to stick the bootloader.
I went to several forums, explaining my situation: I have a Mercedes camera, I'm trying to force the Ford firmware to it, I need a Ford profile.
I signed up to the Focus forum. Nothing.
I posted to /r/FordEscape. Nothing.
I signed up to the Escape forum. The validation link didn't work, and I was subsequently banned for not clicking the link.
I posted to the Forscan forum. I got one guy to respond, but he was misinterpreting what I'm saying and stopped going online.
I'm assuming he's a pajoot or something, because he really seemed to struggle with the whole "I'm fully aware that a Mercedes camera will not be directly seen by Ford software. That is why I am trying to use the bricked module recovery to force Ford firmware onto it." Of note was his sentence about "If you want, I can provide IPMA configuration". That means he's offering to send me his AsBuilt parameters. I do not need the AsBuilt. The module doesn't even have an AsBuilt until the Ford firmware is loaded onto it. And what does he even mean by 'Ford does not allow programming' -- the entire point of Forscan is to do programming. That's all any of us use it for, editing parameters and performing firmware updates. And no, it's not going to be an entirely different hardware structure. It'll be the same chips with manufacturer-specific firmware. He stopped responding after that.
Another person on the Forscan forum suggested I find a used car dealer to get the profile. What world do these people live in? Do they really think I can just walk up to Dave's Used Cars and say Hey, I have zero interest in buying this car, but can I hook my laptop up and do (something) with this Russian software? I promise I'm legit. This would only work if the dealer let me drive the car alone, which is very hit-or-miss, and even then -- they will do the whole song and dance about trying to sell me a car once I return. How do I get my laptop into the car without them noticing? If they catch me connecting, that software technically could be used to program a third key so they COULD claim I was potentially trying to steal the car. If they insist on riding with me, then what? "Eh I'm gassy, nevermind, I'm just gonna go home"?
But that was nothing compared to the Escape forum. Holy hell. You thought I was repeating myself a lot in that little screenshot? At a certain point I was wondering if this next guy was just trolling me, or if he really is that big of an idiot. He's from Kansas so it could go either way.
My initial post, similar to before, explaining what I'm doing and why I need a profile:
While I admit it kind of beat around the bush, I didn't want to spend too much time babbling about Mercedes cameras and whatnot when the bulletpoint was that I needed a profile.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Here was the first response:
So he doesn't seem to be understanding what I'm trying to accomplish, telling me there's unique brackets and how to search for AsBuilts.
In my reply, I reiterate that I'm already plenty knowledgeable in both AsBuilts and the windshield differences. I have a working system using the Gentex IPMA, now I want to try the Continental IPMA used on the Escape. I'm admitting it PROBABLY won't work, but I want to TRY.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A few days later, I noticed my post was moved from the '3rd Gen Escape' subforum to the 'Other Vehicle Discussion' -- I bump the post saying "Why? My post is requesting information from 3rd-Gen Escape owners"
Again, he talks about the fucking AsBuilts, and just says "it wont work".
I tell him AGAIN that I don't need AsBuilts, I need a profile.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Oh my god. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. About. AsBuilts.
Everything else he says is factually wrong, as I mention in my reply:
I'm definitetely getting into 
territory here because he keeps going about AsBuilt comparisons. I repeated myself like three times over, explaining that I need a profile. I know about AsBuilts. I have successfully done AsBuilt comparisons in the past. At this moment, the IPMA does not even have an AsBuilt because I'm still stuck on the 'Putting Ford Firmware' stage.
I very carefully explain every little goshdang detail behind what I'm trying to accomplish. An earlier draft even had me stressing "And when I say Continental, I am not referring to the Lincoln model. I know that does not use these cameras. I am referring to Continental, the company that produced the camera used in the Escape."
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
After all this, where there's no longer ANY room for ambiguity, what does our brave dipshit respond with?
...
...
Jesus tapdancing christ. I never once implied I was trying to do lane centering, which is a whole different thing. I never said the word center PERIODT. And guess what he means by 'you will have to modify the PSCM'? You guessed it: ASBUILT!
I already know the AsBuilt modification for the PSCM, as evidenced by the fact that I already had lanekeeping working with a different camera. It's address 702-02-01, 6th byte, change the 0 to a 1.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
So now we stand at my most recent reply.
He hasn't responded yet. I am fucking 
because this shouldn't be so difficult. It's a Forscan profile. Every Ford forum has multiple threads on Forscan. There's entire databases of the AsBuilts and vehicle-specific spreadsheets on common changes.
I've been working on this project for years, and I was hoping to finally get a break from the single hardest part: getting the mirror to stick to the glass. But no, somehow getting a 2KB file with zero personal information from a community with thousands of users is more difficult than getting a 2-pound mirror to stick to a windshield in direct sunlight.
I'm just waiting for SOMEONE to come through, so I can go back to that thread and call him an illiterate n-slur.
====================
Maybe this'll work. Don't even give these """people""" an opportunity to say it won't work.
reaction round-up
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If you missed the last few posts on this, Sora is the newest product from OpenAI that generates video from text prompts.
For a first public preview, it's pretty impressive. You can tell it's AI when you look for it, but your average infinite scroller won't suspect a thing.
https://openai.com/sora
A few sample videos.
On to the reaction posts.
The AI subs are gaga over it, as expected.
https://old.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/1arm58d/we_are_so_back/?sort=controversial
VFXcels 
Sorta mixed reactions
Doomposting 
Schizoposting 
Flabbergasted 
and impressed 
Filmcels
RSP 
https://old.reddit.com/r/redscarepod/comments/1armuvg/its_over/?sort=controversial
R-slurposting 
https://old.reddit.com/r/conspiracy_commons/comments/1aro45h/its_over/?sort=controversial
A few controversial posts.
https://old.reddit.com/r/vfx/comments/1art200/its_now_or_never/?sort=controversial
https://old.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1arrumb/nvidia_will_cross_2000/?sort=controversial r-slurs wildly speculating
And many, many more https://old.reddit.com/search/?q=sora&sort=comments&t=day
Something for all! !fellas !redscarepod !kino !accelerationists !codecels
.webp?x=8 "Sneed (Chuck) - Subsequently Sneed's")
and uninteresting nonsense about ancient AC resurrection
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Since summer is coming all too soon to !texas I got to work on a project I been needin to do recently: fixing my window unit
A little backstory. I live in a trailer. pulled this circa 2003 ish unit, from another trailer. it sat since the end of 2010
it was 2021 I pulled it out.
when you're a country boy, you make do. why go buy a new window unit when the old trailer's got some sitting around?
actually, I pulled 2 sister units of the same vintage and manufacture at the time. one had a bad refrigeration circuit, probably the compressor rotted out on the bottom and leaked the gas 
a parts unit 
it sat in its new home beside the driveway patiently until it would be needed
lo and behold, just 2 yeears later, its time came 
the working unit had served me well for 21 and 22 but the bearings on the fan were shot from sitting 10 years without moving, partially exposed to the weather.
it was pretty loud. 
and since you need AC at least 8 months out of the year in this glorious state 
, it was working pretty hard.
I had alreaty scrounged the capacitor from the parts unit bc it was going, and every six months or so I had to oil the bearings or they'd start to seize.
and it was getting worse. as 'winter' finally rolled around last year and I only needed the thing some days I could spare time to try and fix it. the seizing was terminal at this point and she would suffer no more 
this wasn't my first time putting together a frankenstein unit. I had done basically the same thing before with 2 other sister units from another building. these were from 1998/1999, the good old days 
, older than me 
they also sat since 2010
well one had no refrigeration and the other had a seized motor right from the get go. so I took the good from each and made one working unit 
back to the newer unit... I pulled the fan assembly from the driveway machine and put it in. one uuge problem. It was so fricking loud 
I couldn't even sleep with it on. these bearings were worse than the old ones, but at least they were still spinnign. there was still some heat to get through before november brought peace so I powered through
but it got worse. the plastic condenser fan, having sat outside, dissembled in the driveway, had been exposed to a bunch of UV I guess and had turned to more or less cardboard. (I could just peel pieces of it apart when I took it out)
the fan blades were breaking and making it go out of balance.
So by the end of the cooling season this thing was an ear bleeding and earthshaking monstrosity in my windowsill.
something had to be done... but its december now there's no need for AC I'll fix it later 
that time was (is) now. ferbruary is coming to a close and with it will go the beutiful cold I've been enjoying. (
can't wait to find home)
I took the seized fan unit that was just waiting for some kind of final solution. I tore that motor open
there they were...
2 easy to replace 608s 
got a 10 pack online for $7
pulled the mfs and pressed the new ones on
spin the thing
silence
so I threw her back together and into the window.
turned it on and there's only the sound of the air (and compressor) now 
now you might have read this (probably not 
) and wondered, what's that title about?
well its about what happened last night when I got the thing in the window and turned it on.
the satisfaction of a job well done washed over me as I sat down at the old puter to browse rdrams.
and then thought popped into my head. the pernicious idea. only for a moment, but made me stop right in my tracks: "why didn't I take pictures of everything to make an effortpost?"
and then I was sick 
I realised this was the thought of a social media user. this is not me. no. 
so no I DIDN'T take pictures. No you DON'T get to see 
I'm going to enjoy my life with my own dmn eyes 
and I'm not going to become a 'gram zombie posting my every meal.
everytime I see a picture of a modern concert or venue where every. single. person. there is more concerned about filming the thing than actually being there, I want to vom.
it's disgusting and I feel ashamed for even the brief moment of remorse I felt about not filming this mundane task for the viewership of what, like 23 r-slurs online.
still felt the need to make the text post albiet 
I should be making marseys like I came here to do but instead I've been gooning to stable diffusion building workflows and exploring advanced generative ai systems all weekend. at least I went outside 
and fixed a AC
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