Technical Artist, Ubisoft Toronto
May 2017 - Present
Duties:
- Manage and maintain the Object Bank export pipeline
- Writing various tools in MaxScript and Python
- Tools to help speed up artist workflow
- Utilities to process the game data for information (memory, query how many props have this property set, etc.)
- Integrated an asset checking system to find and resolve problems prior to export.
- Miscellaneous optimization and debugging tasks.
- Training and coordination with partner studios.
Technical Artist, NVYVE Inc.
July 2013 - May 2017
Multitude of architectural, real estate, and retail product visualizers
Project Tango development
Unity3D Editor enhancements
Art pipeline improvements
Backend software library development
Technical Artist, Volition Inc.
July 2010 - March 2011
- Managed the vehicle art pipeline, as well as maintained and created numerous tools to help the vehicle artists.
- Collaborated with the other tech artists to create a unified asset checker.
- Wrote various environment art support tools in Python.
- Developed a global unified help system in both the toolset and Max.
Technical Artist, Bioware/EA
October 2005 - February 2010
- Investigated and resolved problems with developing the game for its target platforms.
- Maintained the art asset pipeline, updating it to support allowing the artist to direct which DLC packages the content gets exported to.
- Initiated a GUI-based, unified script repository to collect, categorize and distribute all the MaxScripts in the company, along with a unified help system.
- Model and collision mesh optimizations.
- Simplified the export process and automated many of the boilerplate model creation tasks, allowing the artist to rapidly test their asset in-game with one button click.
- Modeled, textured, and implemented a crystal maul and crystal staff weapon for the Dragon Age: Awakening expansion pack.
- Investigated multiple methods of streaming for an open world design, as well as how to create the environment art for it.
- Assisted with the area mini-map generation.
- Generated the collision for the majority of the game and wrote a collision management tool in MaxScript to help its creation and testing.
- Developed optimization techniques for models in a new engine (UE3) and debunked various misconceptions associated with it.
- Assisted with level streaming (Yes, the slow elevators were partially my fault, but it could have been much worse).
- Pioneered the horse system as part of the module, then integrated it into the core game itself in a patch.
- Modeling, texturing, animation, and implementation of art assets such as tilesets, weapons, props, and creatures.
- Primarily handler for integrating DLC content from the Premium Modules into patches.
- Set up a system to allow for open testing among the community for said patches, allowing for distributing the content, transferring only the changed files before packing them up for use. By cutting down on total file size, it allowed for a much faster update iteration cycles (especially back then when not everyone was on broadband).
3D Modeler, DLA
December 2002 – October 2005
Network Administrator, Novator Systems Ltd.
September 1999 - February 2001
- Maintaining a medium-sized (80+ node) office LAN
- IT support and helpdesk for the users in the office, employee training
- Managing the intranet, setting up emails, computer set up
- Administering various webservers, both development and production
- Assisted in setting up high-traffic websites, RAID setups, backups, remote access
- Perl programming for the network to automate some tasks, and minor programming work on behalf of some of Novator's hosted clients (ftd.com, etc.) for systems such as website monitoring.