Career Milestones - Timeline
1992 Began my career utilizing 3D design and simulation in Dallas as a Product Designer with Kimley-Horn & Assoc.’s newly formed Technology Group, under the direct supervision of Bruce Abernethy PhD, PE.
- Created “Design Innovation” -
1994 Formed my first D.B.A. called Design Innovation for the purpose of providing freelance, product design consulting, 3D modeling and design services to local private individuals, Architectural and Engineering firms (Archival Brochure Image Coming) Automated overnight faxing of over 114 brochure to local area firms. (Before most folks had internet e-mail address. Intranet address were more common and were of little help towards spamming or marketing.)
- Formed “Virtual Vision Productions” - a simulation and CGI partnership -
1995 Created Local CGI & Urban Simulation firm, Virtual Vision Productions – Find Brochure image (Archival Brochure Image Coming)
1995 Implemented custom flown aerial photography as base context for large scale Pre-visualizations serving private retail developers and large corporate clients such as Exxon.
1996 Purchased and installed over $180,000 in (SGI) Silicon Graphics Inc.’s Octane & O2 Workstations and IRIX based ONYX / Origin2000 scalable render Servers capable of high levels of rendering and CGI production.
1996 Implemented Z-Depth compositing, via Alias|Wavefront’s Composer NLE product, capable of post 3D effects and the rendering of infinitely scalable Virtual Environments. At the time no one within Alias|Wavefront had ever utilized “Stages” (or their version of Block or Reference Files) to cover such vast subdivide simulations of a landscape or city. I attracted attention from both their developers and trainers, and hosted them on several occasions at my studio.
1996 Created large scale urban simulation featuring Frisco, Texas’ future growth. (By this point the internet served as a daily interactive resources connecting me with our solutions partners in California and Canada and Europe.)
1997 Implemented Multigen’s “Smart Scene” Virtual Reality System (an $80,000 tool) which provided 3D tracking and hand gestures capable of assisting less technical Urban Design team members in the creation of 3D Retail Centers and large scale Urban Design simulations databases. (Seeding this process with converted, polygonally refined and culled versions of my existing and ever-growing base 3D libraries which were converted to IRIX “Inventor” files)
- “Director of Visual Technologies” for newly formed Halff Assoc. division -
1998 Created New Visual Technology Division at Half Associates Inc. (Archival Brochure Image Coming) This was my 2nd custom designed Urban Simulation studio. I Directed this group for the following 5 years.
1999 Created Urban Simulation Database Featuring over 50 square miles of Downtown Dallas & Surrounding areas. Such simulations were produced from the beginning to serve and utilize the robust (LADBM) Large Area Database Management, deployment and sub-division techniques previously perfected while dependant on the UNIX (IRIX) based mainframes; now translated to server on multiprocessor PC platforms as they were coming of age as viable CGI production tools.
1999 Converted complete large area Dallas database to Windows NT, Multigen-Paradigm’s Vega-prime, Runtime, 3D, API based databases; providing real-time examination and touring on high-end multi-processor PCs.
1999 Speaking engagement at the ULI’s (Urban Land Institute’s) National Conference in Miami Florida utilizing custom built systems from IBM feature explanations on how to: “Utilizing Urban Simulations during Land Development and Entitlement processes”. (Ironically, I would personally put the skill to the test on my own projects until the formation of LANDinnovation in 2007.)
2000 Created 6” Topographically Accurate Urban Simulation Database of entire DFW Airport property. This base database provided endless opportunities to quickly deliver any type of simulation the airport’s Capital Improvement Program’s staff member and project heads desired.
2001 Created working simulation of DFW International Airports proposed (and now constructed) Automated People Mover. There were numerous applications and productions of simulation created to communicates the systems complexity, day to day operations and final capabilities. I created a web-based method of review and approval for each phase of each production establishing extremely efficient and timely feedback and adjustments to be made well prior to wasting any of the projects post 9-11 budget.
2001 Created comprehensive Internet Based Streaming Video Portfolio (Before YouTube Existed) featuring a portfolio of over 8 years of CGI projects and Urban Simulation productions.
2002 Constructed scalable real-time 3D server utilizing code published through Stanford University’s Wire GL (Link to Original .pdf) program which allowed for volumetric textures and some of my first experiments in real-time 3D medical visualization, utilizing actual MRI and 3D sonogram sourced datasets. (This technology was soon licensed for commercial use and made available through the public release of “Chromium”. (Ref. ViSLAB) The original developers also assisted me by providing active input on these cutting edge implantations)
2002 Provided highly advanced, 3D Volumetric Textured, Scalable, Urban Simulation & Medical Visualizations in Real-Time through the use of the before mentioned Chromium shared graphics API system. A primary CPU initiated the duplexed distribution of complex, real-time polygonal models (complete with traditional and volumetric textures;) through the “Chromium” software API, OpenGL commands and “bucketed” polygonal data, once subdivided was processed by 6 other CPU’s and then the results were reassembled at 30fps by an 8th CPU. Utilized high performance Myrinet GM-1 Protocol for scalable, high-speed, fiber-based switches. Exceptional load balancing could be managed and achieved. This mirrored the capabilities and performance of the SGI mainframes of recent years at a fraction of the cost. Developed a full-motion, simplified illustration to educate board members and arrange financial backing for the construction of the PC based Rack System.
(The Myrinet based switching hardware was a technology later made obsolete with standardized Fibre-Channel switches.)
(Archival photos of construction process and full rack server specification coming)
2002 Presented vertical service initiatives to Keyhole, maker of Earth Viewer (later known as Google Earth), at their headquarters in San Jose California and discussed onsite enterprise installation and expanded development through a relationship with my Visual Technologies Dallas division.
2003 Could now provide CGI & Simulations services proficiently to over 18 unique engineering and urban design disciplines. All productions met scheduling and budget constraints relevant to standard designing and engineering task typically sub-consulted to Public agencies. This was a significant accomplishment for the delivery of complex CGI, Urban Simulation productions and Real-time models. Without developing pricing, budgets and schedules for Simulation that utilized the same wage multipliers, restrictions and rules for Public RFPs, no bids would have been approved. Deadlines could never be missed or you would be “black-listed” with the agency; most production were to be presented to the public within meetings schedules and on broadcast dates specified well in advance. (For examples of these simulation efforts view the Portfolio site.)
- “Director of Urban Simulation” for newly formed HNTB Corp. division -
2003 Designed, built, and managed brand new state of the art Urban Simulation Studio within the nationally renowned HNTB Corporation’s branch Plano, Texas office; complete with a SANs supported, scalable network render farm served by over 100 CPU’s and post processed through a High-Definition Non-linear Editing Studio. (Archival Brochure Image Coming)
2004 Co-authored and applied for national grant with City of Dallas and UTA seeking funds made available to those utilizing technology to spur reinvestment and revitalization in its core city areas. The goal of this initiative was to utilize technology in an innovative and efficient manner to further economic development and make better decisions in the planning efforts for the Trinity River Corridor. (Archival Daft of Grant Coming)
2004 Visited Keyhole’s (a.k.a. Earth Viewer’s) new home within Google, and furthered discussions for the development of streaming 3D Urban Simulation Databases which could usefully serve the decision and design process for municipalities and their eventual challenges with useful publically distributed project information.
2005 Traveled to numerous HNTB offices around the state and country introducing each branch office to this new Urban Simulation client service offering I had now established within their company.
2005 Produced a refined HDTV versions of simulation productions. One example features a large scale Virtual Frisco, Texas 3D Database; now 10 years in the making. This latest update to the Frisco, Texas database featured the next several years of the areas North Texas Tollway expansion and over a dozen of the city’s Economic Development highlights; chosen by the City of Frisco’s EDC staff members.
- Formed “LANDinnovation” -
2006 Streamlined my production process for large scale Urban Simulation database creation by an order of magnitude.
· Eliminated the need for large production staffs and developed competitive processes a single qualified employee could consistently produce.
· Reduced rendering requirements to the utilization of only a few individual CPUs, versus previous requirements of large network render farms.
· Eliminated the need for expensive software, implementing in their place free or low cost solutions.
· Streamlined Urban Simulation production process, reducing over all investments and liability to a fraction of the typical required tens of thousands of dollars in software tools, hardware expenditures and large groups of production staff members.
2006 Put to the test my latest streamlined approaches for independently produced Urban Simulation productions and initiated a visualization of the proposed mega-shopping center myself and a business partner were required to inform local municipalities and affected residents about, in a matter of days and weeks.
2007 Formed a new private land development solutions and service group called LANDinnovation for the purpose of converging a number of Internet based server and CGI related technologies. In addition, I’ve embraced and gained a competent, competitive understanding of “starfish” marketing techniques and implementation via the internet for any new promotion efforts. Created Blogs, Video Sites, Web Pages, Data Repositories, Wiki’s and e-mail campaigns all capable of quickly informing our clients and the public of each project progression.
2007 Participated in Marketing campaign for new Dell Small Business 360 program. One of three individuals selected after national interviews and a selection process was performed by an anonymous group of Dell technical & marketing. Participation required that I report on my experience executing onsite installation, configuration and management of Dell Domain Controller, Small Business Server, and Storage server. Several print ads were developed, live Webinar testimonies were attended by over 2000 professionals and several videos infomercials are now on Dell website.
2008 Continue to produce new innovative byproducts of my Urban Simulation technologies in order to serve the competitive landscape of property improvement, public interest, and land Development within North Texas. From high end High-Definition Video libraries to Full-Color bound printed materials, all mediums of marketing and information are improved with LANDinnovations technologies and services.
2008 Scheduled for two more Dell advertisements and speeches (or Webinars) before the year is out. One at the end of the summer and another in September.
