Syscrusher
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syscrusher.bsky.social
Syscrusher
@syscrusher.bsky.social
35 followers 22 following 240 posts
Computer engineer using gamedev tools (Unreal Enging, Blender, etc.) to build 3D apps for engineering and related fields. Specializing in data-driven content generation (parametric and procedural geometry, materials, environments).

he/him/his
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syscrusher.bsky.social
It seems a domestic terrorist destroyed part of the White House today. By "terrorist" I mean a horrible person working to destroy the United States. The suspect's name is "Donald Trump". I hope this criminal can be apprehended soon, and face the justice he deserves.
Demolished section of the East Wing of the White House, residence of the President of the United States. In the foreground is the tracked excavating machine that actually did the damage.
October 21, 2025 at 3:03 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Playing back my test render, Blender had managed a spectacularly robust reconstruction of the overall scene. I will use transform keyframes to zoom and pan over the stabilized image, as if the original was tighter shots. This raw render (at 8X speed and low res) shows the stabilizing adjustment.
October 20, 2025 at 1:23 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
The scene shifted so much I expected a *massive* amount of hand-stitching to make it into anything coherent, even after Blender's stabilizer was done. Here's an example of just how far astray I had to go with the camera. The centermost marker is "Track.DoorHair.1", by the way. Fun times!
A partial screenshot of Blender's video clip editor shows part of the crowd from the previous screen shot. The speaker is not in the camera frame this time, nor are most of the dozen tracking markers. A dark doorway in the background provides contrast for two of the three highlighted markers. One of the markers in the doorway is mentioned in the post; the other one is the upper part of one of my camera tripods, with shiny metal contrasting with the dark doorway behind it.
October 20, 2025 at 1:23 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Blender can stabilize video quite well with 2 or 3 tracked objects. This huge list of markers is because that's how many are needed to have at least one visible in...most...of the footage. It took me 4 hours to step through the clip a few seconds at a time, occasionally 20 seconds if I got lucky.
This partial screenshot shows Blender's video clip editing feature. The preview scene occupies most of the space and shows a man speaking to a few dozen people seated in rows of chairs. The speaker is walking down the center aisle among the audience; an event moderator stands at the podium in a far corner. Various locations in the scene are highlighted with square tracking markers. Some of the markers are attached to objects behind them, but many are simply at random-looking positions because the objects they track are not currently in the camera frustum. To the right is a list of about 12 named markers corresponding to the highlighted square frames in the viewport. One marker, labeled "Track.185804.1", is highlighted in the list and in the viewport.
October 20, 2025 at 1:23 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Favorite #NoKings Jackson Twp., Ohio, signs. (Part 2)
On a protest sign, to the left is a stylized color cartoon of an elderly woman wearing a green sweater with a pink peace symbol as she sits cross-legged. The woman's hair has a braid on each side in a style that was popular in the USA in the 1960s. She also wears large rings in each ear, dark slacks in a floral pattern fabric, and shoes that appear to be clogs or sandals. The center and right of the sign are dominated by a caption reading "Grandmas for Democracy". A protest sign features on the right a caricature of a battle-weary Ukrainian President Zelenskyy wearing combat body armor and helmet. To the left is the caption "Zelenskyy is a HERO! TRUMP is a ZERO".
October 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Some of my favorite signs from today's #NoKings rally in Jackson Twp., Ohio. (Part 1)
A protestor holds a sign reading "Science makes America great". Two protesters smile as they hold their respective signs at torso level. On the left, the sign shows a caricature of Donald Trump leaping in the foreground, in a parody of the movie poster for Disney's "Lion King". The parody is captioned "White House presents The Lyin' King". To the right is an unflattering cartoon of Trump in a blue suit, with a stupid look on his face, and the sign reading "He's an idiot!" A bearded man wearing a Gulf War Veteran ballcap holds a sign indicating he served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and the Persian Gulf War. The main caption of the sign is "I'm a veteran, not a sucker or a loser". Another protester's sign is visible behind the man, depicting a red silhouette of Trump over which a Soviet Union hammer and sickle are superimposed, and the caption "Traitor" at the bottom. A protester's sign depicts a raised fist, colored like a U.S.A. flag, and is captioned "Don't kneel for dictators! Stand for freedom".
October 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Follow-up, from home at a real keyboard: Several people I talked with (separately) asserted that the vehicle jumped the curb to strike the protester. As I left the area, police were taking multiple witnesses' statements. The victim was said to be in pain but alert when transported from the scene.
Police and fire vehicles are staged adjacent to a street corner. In the background to the right, the receding roadway is flanked by a small throng of people. In the midst of those people is the site where a vehicle struck a No Kings protester today.
October 18, 2025 at 9:22 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
A protester was struck by a motor vehicle at this #NoKings rally in Jackson Township OH. I do not know if it was accidental or intentional, but the driver attempted to leave the scene. Others got a plate number.
Police and EMS on scene where vehicle struck a protester. Police and EMS on scene where vehicle struck a protester.
October 18, 2025 at 6:24 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
More from #NoKings in North Canton OH.
Activists line both sides of a street in protest against the Trump agenda and policy. Activists line both sides of a street in protest against the Trump agenda and policy.
October 18, 2025 at 5:39 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
No Kings rally, North Canton OH. People are still arriving, and it's only a few minutes into the scheduled time.
Activists line both sides of a street in protest against the Trump agenda and policy. Activists line both sides of a street in protest against the Trump agenda and policy. Activists line both sides of a street in protest against the Trump agenda and policy.
October 18, 2025 at 5:23 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
It's not fully functional yet, and the input pins need to be reordered, but my first custom C++ #UnrealPCG node can be compiled, added to a graph in the test project, and doesn't cause a coredump of the #UE5 engine.

I've created many custom nodes in Blueprint, but this is my first in C++.
The image is a screenshot of a single node from the Unreal Engine 5 Procedural Content Generation (PCG) system. This custom node is titled "Get Asset Data set". Data connections to this rectangular node are represented as labeled "pins", each of which has a small icon and a text label. Input pins (on the left side) are labeled "Execution Dependency", "Overrides", "Data Assets from Input", and "Data Asset". The sole output pin (on the right side) is labeled "Out". A small up-arrow icon at the bottom indicates the node can be partially collapsed to hide advanced input and output pins.
August 10, 2025 at 9:52 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Still working on my procedural mesh query library (extending #GeometryScripting in #UE5 to add some app-specific functions). I've got it working in Blueprint but am converting to C++. As I was testing, I was reminded that sometimes developer scaffolding can have its own (admittedly odd) aesthetic.
July 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
I love #UE5 Blueprints, but sometimes it's easier to express the logic in handwritten code, so I'm ramping up my C++ skills. Today's project involved converting this huge node graph to a set of reusable, Blueprint callable C++ functions. It took hours of work, but my new node worked *first try*.
A large and complex node graph from Unreal Engine's Blueprint editor is captured in a zoomed-out screenshot. The nodes are too small to read at this resolution, but the purpose of the image is to illustrate the general nature of the node graph. Near the left edge of the graph is a table listing about a dozen local variables, most of which are 3D vectors. This screenshot is a closeup of a single custom node called "Points to Plane 3D", together with its extensive tooltip (displayed when the cursor is over the node). The node has one input on the left, a vector array labeled "Points". On the right of the node are three single vector outputs labeled "Plane Origin", "Plane Normal", and "Sum". An enumerator output below the vectors is labeled "Algorithm". Finally, at the bottom right is a Boolean output labeled "Return Value" that indicates the computation's validity. (If the points are too close to collinear, it is not possible to fit them to a plane.) The tooltip credits Emil Ernerfeldt as the creator of the mathematical algorithm which has here been adapted for use in Unreal Engine.
July 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
💡 #UnrealEngine productivity tip: From the #UE5 main menu, Tools...Class Viewer shows the inheritance tree of all Actor classes in the project. Turn off the filter to see all project classes. Where applicable, you can create a new #Blueprint subclass, new #C++ subclass, or open the source code.
In Unreal Engine 5.6 editor, this partial screenshot shows part of the class hierarchy for the current project. Classes and subclasses are arranged in an outline (tree) format with collapsible sublevels and arbitrary nesting depth. To the right, many of the base classes offer a dropdown button to open a context menu with the three options mentioned: create Blueprint class, open the source code, and create new C++ class.
July 5, 2025 at 1:19 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Here's a 3D modeling tip for those new to #GameDev. Vertex colors, easily painted in Blender or other tools, don't have to be interpreted as such by your game; they're three arbitrary uint8 (unsigned 8-bit integers). Here's a piece I'm making for #UE5 in #Blender3D. (1 of 4)
In the Blender 3D modeling tool, an oblique view shows a mesh shaped from an extruded rounded rectangle. The mesh is aligned along the X axis and its cross section is about 4 meters in Y and Z. A straight extrusion of 1 meter length is to the right. To the left is a section extruded for 60 centimeters but smoothly flared outward by about 80 centimeters in each direction as it reaches its end. The straight extrusion's vertices are saturated green, the flared section is saturated blue, and the single loop of vertices at the junction is saturated red. The mesh is shown in solid, unlit view, and the faces between vertices linearly interpolate between the colors based on distance from each triangle's three vertices.
July 5, 2025 at 1:19 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Early prototype for some #UnrealEngine runtime level generation using PCG and #PCGExtendedToolkit. Only the yellow-framed square wall blocks and the orange columns are hand modeled; everything else is parametric/procedural.
Mosaic of screenshots from different angles and distances of the same brightly lit test scene. The scene contains irregularly shaped rooms of many sizes and outlines. All of the walls are aligned with the X and Y axes. The walls are 3 meters high and multiples of 4 meters in length and are composed of modular sections 1.5 meters high and 1 meter in length. Every 4 meters along each wall is a bright orange column 25 centimeters square. The lower boundary of each room is highlighted with a bold white line, which is a debugging overlay and not part of the room geometry. There are dozens of these rooms, arranged in an oblong spline-bounded area about 200 meters in each direction. For testing purposes, the entire assembly is temporarily suspended above synthetic terrain.
June 29, 2025 at 2:51 AM
syscrusher.bsky.social
"Hello, Vera C. Rubin Observatory? Yeah...sorry to bother you, but could you check the view to your right? It's probably nothing to worry about, but...well, take a quick look, okay? Thanks."

(Credit: Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Source: img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/e...)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is seen silhouetted against the night sky, with a full moon (partially occluded by terrain) behind it. A trick of camera perspective was used to make the moon appear vastly larger than it would when viewed naturally. Image credit: Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
June 24, 2025 at 11:01 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Side view of the runtime landscape hole and geometry.
A 3D render of a daylit landscape is shown at a low angle, with landscape clipped away in the foreground to show the tunnel geometry beneath. A blockhouse-shaped entry stairwell is at the right, and it descends a long, dimly-lit sloping corridor to two subterranean rectangular rooms. The surface landscape is semi-realistic and covered with grassy and rocky textures, but the tunnel entrance and other manmade structures are covered only with a grey checker test pattern.
June 19, 2025 at 9:16 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
First successful test of procedural holes in my prototype level for a side-project game. The landscape is runtime generated, including holes for tunnels and mine elevators. #ShaderWorld plugin for #UE5, with lots of #UnrealPCG to connect hand-modeled rooms with procedural map layout and tunnels.
A third-person character stands just outside a blockhouse-like tunnel entrance with a stairwell descending below the grassy terrain. The tunnel is dimly lit from within, while the landscape and exterior are in daylight. The tunnel entry structure is a blocky prototype covered by a grey checkered test pattern. The third-person character is the standard Unreal Engine mannequin, humanoid proportions but with non-realistic silver-grey skin and no facial features.
June 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
It was a nontrivial amount of work and some UBT help from the "Dev Hub" team at #UnrealFestOrlando, but I have #ShaderWorld plugin working for runtime and editor on Linux x64 platform. It's fast and versatile, and I'm using it for a project with runtime-procedural terrain. Screenshots are test maps.
A realistic but slightly stylized procedural landscape fills most of the image, with peaceful blue-green water in the foreground. The weather is cloudy with streaks of sunlight, and there is light fog visible toward the more distant parts of the landscape. Lowlands are in the foreground with large hills in the distance, and in the rightmost middle distance an area of reddish clay soil is partially visible. A test mannequin third-person character stands in the foreground, facing the camera, in an exterior test scene in Unreal Engine. The surface of the terrain is colored only with a procedural tan checkboard pattern with one-meter squares. Behind the mannequin is a large gap in the terrain, an irregular but intentionally-created hole to demonstrate the capability of the procedural tool to place holes in terrain allowing cave and tunnel entrances. The scene is partly cloudy weather with generally bright daylight and very thin fog slightly obscuring distant landscape features.
June 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
This morning, I searched frantically for our calico cat, Leela (from Futurama char). Not in closets or under furniture. Doesn't come for food! Did she slip past the basement door during my plumbing project yesterday? Anxiety! Then...

She was standing at her water dish the whole time. Little shit! 😂
A small calico cat sleeps on a fuzzy blanket.
June 1, 2025 at 1:03 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
19. "Gweldafon", the player home reward for completing the "Rathunas" mod for Oblivion. I led the team that made this, my wife did much of the dialogue writing, and we had 35 voice actors and 3 music composers on the project.
5/
Oblique game screenshot, mildly stylized artistic style, of a three-story mansion in a medieval fantasy style. The screenshot is taken at dusk. In foreground is a large stone-paved patio. The structure is medium-brown laid stonework with timber frame supports, and there are balconies in the center section of the second and third floors. Many potted flowers are arranged around the outdoor space, and the surrounding land is forested.
May 31, 2025 at 1:50 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
15. From Ceyatatar interior, Oblivion Remastered
3/
A scene from inside a cave in the Oblivion Remastered video game. The foreground features two twisting rock columns and is lit by a burning torch. A chasm separates foreground from the background where some stalagmites are lit by a small shaft of sunlight entering through a sinkhole. A small Ayleid door can be seen in the far side of the chamber, lit by its own glowing blue runes.
May 31, 2025 at 1:50 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
Sometimes a friend sends a meme involving a picture of a slice of cake. When that happens, the only reasonable response is to use new #GIMP nondestructive filters to turn it into a PBR shader in #UnrealEngine5.

I have more automated tools for this but wanted to learn the new GIMP 3.0 features.
A rectangular image is divided into 5 columns and two rows, with the two cells at the bottom right removed to allow a background image to fill the double-sized area. The large image shows a realistic render of the cross section of a yellow-white cake with white icing and fruit compote between the two layers. The cross section is projected onto a test cube's face, not a model of the entire cake. The eight smaller cells in the grid show the textures that are inputs to the material shader that produced the image on the test cube. The textures are Albedo, Ambient Occlusion, Displacement, Opacity Mask, Metallic, Normal, ORDM, and Roughness. The ORDM texture is a composite of AO, Roughness, Displacement, and Metallic (which are each single-channel) into one RGBA color image.
April 25, 2025 at 10:52 PM
syscrusher.bsky.social
This chart is real, from my 401(k), with the numbers removed for privacy. To be clear, it is NOT ZERO-BASED vertically, so it's not valid for percentage gain/loss.

Grocery prices are still high. Tourism revenue is down. The job market is softening.

Is America great yet?
Line chart with account value as the vertical axis and time as horizontal. The vertical axis has no numeric values. The horizontal is labeled with month names. The data is a single fairly noisy line near the top of the chart from January 21 until early April when there is a nearly vertical plunge to the bottom of the chart. The remainder of April shows the value recovering about half of the distance from the valley to the starting value. The data noise is typical of short-term investment value charts except for the single plunge in approximately the first third of April. Text labels read "How it started 2025-01-21" with a line to the first data point, and "How it's going 2025-04-23" with a line to the last data point.
April 24, 2025 at 1:49 PM