// USES.LIST · LAST_SYNC 2026.06.07

Tools and machines.

The hardware I work on every day, and the software stack that runs on top of it. This is the page I send people when they ask about my specs on a livestream. I update it whenever something changes, so assume anything not listed is incidental.

// WORKSTATION

The big rig.

The machine that does the heavy lifting. Real-time 3D, rendering, development, everything that needs power.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (16 cores / 32 threads)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24 GB)
Memory: 128 GB DDR5
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming WiFi
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Storage: Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB (NVMe), plus additional SSD and HDD storage for archives and backups

// WORKSTATION_PERIPHERALS

Around the rig.

Displays: Three monitors: LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN880K-B 32" (main), LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B 34" (secondary), and a Dell P2424HT 24" touchscreen.
Keyboard: Logitech Craft
Mouse: Logitech MX Master 3 (wireless)
3D navigation: 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Wireless Pro
Speakers: Sony SRS-XB43
Microphone: Elgato Wave:3, mixed through Wave Link
Webcam: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Stream control: Elgato Stream Deck (15-key)

// LAPTOP

The travel rig.

The machines I write, read, and travel with.

Model: MacBook Air (M4, 2026)
Chip: Apple M4 (10-core CPU, 8-core GPU)
Memory: 16 GB unified
Storage: 256 GB SSD
OS: macOS
Tablet: iPad Pro

// EVERYDAY_DEVICES

In my pockets.

Phone: iPhone 15 Pro
Earbuds: AirPods Pro 3
Watch: Apple Watch

// VR_HEADSETS

On my head.

Standalone: Meta Quest 2
Tethered: HTC Vive
Original: Oculus Rift (the OG)

// SOFTWARE: 3D_AND_REALTIME

3D and real-time.

The core of the work.

// PRIMARY

Unreal Engine 5

Primary engine. Lumen, Nanite, the full archviz pipeline.
3ds Max

CAD ingestion, cleanup, the AEC pipeline. Still indispensable.
Blender 3D

Open-source 3D suite. Quick mesh work, retopo, the occasional render.

// BRIDGES_AND_EXTENSIONS

Datasmith

The bridge between 3ds Max and Unreal. Makes the pipeline tractable.
Blueprint

Visual scripting in Unreal. Where most of the prototyping happens.
MAXScript

Automation inside 3ds Max. CAD cleanup, batch ops, asset processing.

// SCRIPTING_FOR_3D

Python

Pipeline glue, MAXScript companion, the occasional Houdini task.
C++

When Blueprint stops being enough. Performance-critical work and engine extensions.

// WANT_TO_LEARN

Rhino

Curved and organic modeling for architectural work. On the list.
Houdini

Procedural everything. The proper tool for serious VFX and sim work.

// SOFTWARE: DEVELOPMENT

Development.

// STACK

TypeScript

For the web side of things.
Astro

What this site runs on.
React

When a UI grows past simple.
Tailwind

Utility-first styling. Pairs with Astro.

// INFRASTRUCTURE

Supabase

Postgres, auth, and storage for side projects.
Cloudflare

Pages, Workers, R2. Hosts this site.

// EDITOR_AND_VCS

VS Code

Primary editor. Dark theme, vim keybindings.
Git / GitHub

Where the code lives.

// SOFTWARE: PRODUCTION

Production.

The tools I reach for when making videos and visual work. The list I'd happily talk anyone's ear off about.

Canva
★ Recommend

Quick branding, social posts, and one-off visuals. Faster than firing up Figma when the brief is "make this look decent in fifteen minutes."
Affinity
★ Recommend

The Adobe alternative I actually use. Designer + Photo + Publisher cover 95% of what I need at a fraction of the subscription cost.
DaVinci Resolve
★ Recommend

Video editing and color grading. Powers everything from the channel cuts to client deliverables. The free tier already beats most paid editors.

// SOFTWARE: DAILY_DRIVERS

Daily drivers.

Claude

Conversational AI. Pairs for code, writing, research, and rubber-ducking through hard problems.
Zen Browser

Open-source, privacy-first browser based on Firefox. Faster than Arc was for me.
Obsidian

Markdown notes. Less than I used to lean on it, but the vault is still here.
Bloc

My own productivity app. The thinking surface I built for myself first.
Bitwarden

Password manager. Open source, syncs everywhere.

// SOFTWARE: COMMUNICATION

Communication.

Thunderbird

Email client. Local-first, multi-account, lives on the desktop.
Slack

Team channels, client channels.
Discord

Communities and casual chat.

// ON_THE_WEB

On the web.

What I'm building online.

This site: Personal site (you're on it)
Studio: Yahiya Labs
Teaching: A home for the teaching