This tour is targeted at recruiters who only have five minutes to assess potential
employees. Click the embedded links (which may open additional browser windows) if you wish to examine these points in greater
detail.
You can also view my on-line resume or download
a copy of my resume in PDF format for off-line viewing.
Objective
To contribute to the development of high quality games in the following areas:
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core graphics technologies (including GPU programming)
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game physics (dynamics)
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game design
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character animation
Work Samples
Game Projects
For The Birds! a natural-life simulation of small bird
who must forage for food and evade predators in order to survive. The demo is
intended demonstrate knowledge of:
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Torque engine scripting and programming
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procedural shaders (Torque Shader Engine)
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game physics for flight
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game design with the MDA framework
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real-time L-system animation
Cannonball, a collaborative effort to create a racing game prototype based on
the Cannonball Run genre of films but set in the distant future. This project involved:
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Incorporating hovercraft physics in the Road Rage framework (described in
Inside Direct3D)
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Use of the Jet3D and
Genesis3D
game engines and associated plug-ins for 3D Studio Max
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Design discussions with a multidisciplinary team
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Writing a design specification document to focus team efforts (not publically available)
Graphics Programming
Source code and animations from my undergraduate thesis
LLab: a software laboratory for experimenting with animations of plant
growth using procedural modeling (L-systems) and texturing techniques
(RenderMan shaders).
Videography
I've made some short videos showcasing:
Skills Summary
Languages
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C++ (on Windows, Mac and Unix platforms)
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Java (on Windows and Unix platforms)
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XML
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SmallTalk (VisualWorks)
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Pascal
APIs and Engines
Applications
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Visual Studio .Net and Visual Studio 6
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3D Studio Max
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Adobe Premiere
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Adobe Photoshop
Education Summary
Computer Science degree from McGill University, the "Harvard
of Canada"
Relevant Courses
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Undergraduate Thesis A-
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Fundamentals of Computer Graphics A-
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Vectors, Matrices and Geometry A-
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Topics in Geometry B
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University Physics A- (Saint Mary's University)
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Personal Software Engineering (PSP) A
Conferences
SIGGRAPH 2001 Courses
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Simulating Nature: Real and Interactive Techniques
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Gaming Techniques for Designing Compelling Virtual Worlds
GDC 2004 Workshops
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Game Tuning Workshop
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Microsoft DirectX High-Level Shader Language Workshop
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Realtime Shaders Made Easy
E3 2004 Workshops and Sessions
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W2 - Sustaining a Virtual World: What it Takes to Launch and Sustain a Profitable
and Fun Persistent World Game
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W6 - Analyst Luncheon - Portable Games: Forecasting growth in anticipation of
intensifying competition
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W8 - How to Identify AAA Games--Ahead of their Release Dates
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W11 - The Total Picture: Factoring Mobile, Handhelds, and Networked Gameplay into the
New Marketplace
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1.8 - On the Front Lines of Tomorrow's Games: Trends in the Hiring Trenches
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2.1 - Hot or Not: Developers Talk About What Goes Into a Great-Playing, Top-Selling
Game--Including Each Other's
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2.2 - Inside the Next-Generation Game Machines
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2.4 - Gaming's New Look: The Importance of Interface
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2.6 - Five (or Six) Rules for Creating a Great Game Today
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3.5 - Mapping the Future of Mass Market Online Worlds: From Niche to Mass Market
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3.7 - Who Is the Mobile Gamer? How Do We Reach Them?
SIGGRAPH 2004 Courses
I attended numerous courses but focused primarily on those involving game development, real-time shading and graphics for mobile devices. Highlights were:
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Next Generation Game Visuals
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Games Development: How Will You Feed The Next Generation of Hardware
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Real-Time Shading
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3D Textures
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The Power of Pixel Shaders: Using High-Level Shading Languages in Professional Applications
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Mobile Web
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X3D (Web Graphics)
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X3D Programmable Shaders Working Group Meeting
Will be attending GDC 2005
Work Examples
Due to non-disclosure agreements I can only offer descriptions of this work. E-mail me
if you would like to contact the people and companies involved.
Game Development
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For several months I met with a small group of entrepreneurs who attempted to start a mobile games
company in Vancouver. Although the venture was ultimately unsuccessful, it was a valuable learning experience.
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Researched MMOGs and wrote a business proposal for leveraging an
ISP/Telco-based, remote data storage product for use with online gaming
services.
Graphics Programming
Software Engineering
The tour concept was inspired by E3 (2004) session 1.8 (panelists: thank you again for your valuable advice!)
For more information or to obtain DVDs, code or documents E-mail
me at keithmerrilliv@yahoo.ca.
