Welcome to my portfolio. Please use to buttons below to navigate towards sections that interest you.
 

Pipeline & Tooling

Throughout my career I've developed several improvements for the art pipeline. Below some improvements that I'm allowed to show.
Tools for either Maya, Houdini or Unreal Engine.
Made using either Mel, Python or Blueprints.

Maya Modular Environment Setup with Network Integration

This configuration utilizes usersetup.py for Autodesk Maya to keep Maya's environment up-to-date and customized. Upon starting Maya, the script performs the following tasks:
  1. Network Drive Check: Updates its components from a network drive, ensuring all scripts and configurations are current.
  2. Shelf Management: Creates and populates shelves with scripts from the network drive. Scripts are copied to the local drive, and version numbers are checked for updates. Necessary folders for scripts are also copied over.
  3. Automatic Updates: usersetup.py updates itself automatically for future Maya sessions, ensuring the environment remains current.
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Additional Components:
  • Batch Script: Simplifies sharing of scripts and required folders among users. It handles both scripts and associated folders, supporting complex setups.
  • Single Setup Batch Script: Users run this script once to complete the initial setup.

Mesh Validation Tool

This tool quickly checks if meshes meet conventions and are error-free. Built with a modular Python library, it’s easy to expand and customize based on project needs.

Key Features:
  • Modular structure: Built using a Python function library for flexibility.
  • Customizable: Can be adjusted for different project requirements.
  • Detailed reporting: Displays findings for each validation check.

Parcel Generation

I developed a tool to generate and populate 12,000 unique parcels, using data from a city generation system. Key requirements included: exportable parcels as NFT images, seamless recreation of parcels in both game and simulation environments, easy scalability, and ensuring that each parcel was unique.
The process involved three main steps:
  1. Import and process city generation data.
  2. Assign and generate data for individual tiles.
  3. Spawn meshes (using blueprints) based on the tile data.

Key Features:
  • City data integration: Handles various parcel sizes from the city generation tool.
  • Artist-friendly visuals: Visuals are authored using child blueprints for different sizes, with easy connectivity through sockets. Randomization includes color, rotation, and additional elements like holograms or floats.
  • Extensibility: The system is designed for easy expansion, allowing new tiles and functionality to be added through a sequence-based structure, with reusable elements.
  • Cross-application functionality: Parcel data is exported as JSON, enabling recreation in other applications.
  • Customizability: Tile assignment can be adjusted through settings, with features like road generation and seeded randomization.

Houdini ChatGPT integration

I integrated ChatGPT into Houdini to simplify and automate the documentation of VEX code, making it easier for all users to understand. I also streamlined the module setup, ensuring updates were automatically shared across all Houdini users without manual intervention.

Key Features:
  • Automated VEX code commenting: Uses ChatGPT to generate comments for code.
  • Shared module setup: Updates are instantly shared via a common drive.
  • Automated OpenAI setup: Handles installation seamlessly.
  • User-friendly: Easy access to all functionalities.

360 Stereo Video Capture
At Enversed Studios, I developed a custom video capture blueprint to overcome the limitations and bugs of Unreal Engine's default plugin. This solution is easy to use—just drag and drop into the level or pawn—and captures high-quality footage while maintaining proper frame rates.

Key Features:
  • Easy to use: Drag & drop functionality.
  • Accurate rendering: Captures exactly what’s visible in the editor/play mode.
  • Flexible output: Supports stereo, mono, 360°, and 180° rendering.
  • High resolution: Capable of capturing footage up to 8K.
  • Customizable: Adjustable eye distance for stereo rendering.
  • Multiple capture methods: Record via sequencer or use the built-in blueprint capturing system.
  • Advanced output options: Can render various stages of the output (separate views, stitched, etc.).

Full-Body VR Animation System

I developed a full-body VR solution that uses only two controllers and a head-mounted display (HMD). The pelvis position and rotation are calculated based on the HMD, with the controllers driving arm movements. A predictive system calculates the position of the feet based on the HMD’s movement over time (currently in use but still a work in progress). If a skeletal mesh without legs is used, the blueprint automatically disables leg animations.

Key Features:
  • Works with any skeletal mesh: Adaptable workflow for various skeletal meshes.
  • Custom calibration: Players can calibrate their virtual body using simple (HMD height) or complex (limb length, pelvis height) methods.
  • Automatic adaptation: Leg animations are disabled when using legless meshes to save performance.
  • Compatible with UE4 skeleton: Built on the UE4 Mannequin and skeleton for easy integration of custom animations.

Master Material

One of my first pipeline improvements, this material system simplifies the creation of various project materials and continues to be enhanced. It features toggable options and uses separate material functions for each feature, promoting parallel work, encapsulation, and a cleaner overview. The modular approach ensures updates won’t disrupt existing instances.

Key Features:
  • Input options: Switch between texture and value inputs.
  • Multi-channel support: Handles textures like AORM (Ambient Occlusion, Roughness, Metalness) for diverse inputs.
  • Adjustable settings: Quickly tweak options like power, multiply, or color addition.
  • UV adjustments: Scale, move, rotate, and apply panners, rotators, or different UV indices.
  • Projection types: Choose from world-aligned, object-aligned, or traditional UV-based projections.
  • Masking functionality: Create layered materials with masking.
  • Vertex painting: Supports vertex color adjustments with base material options.
  • Shading models: Configure different settings for opaque, masking, and translucent materials.
  • Two-sided support: Adds new settings for materials that require visibility from both sides.

Spline-Based Effect Blueprint
I developed a blueprint in Unreal Engine 4 that simulates supply movement through pipes, building up in a kettle—created before the Niagara system was available.

Key Features:
  • Spline-based movement: Effect travels along a spline without needing collision or velocity.
  • Flexible control: Pause the effect or stop adding new effects at any point along the spline.
  • Customizable pipe dimensions: Input pipe size using a 2D vector for location (0-1 scale) and radius.
  • Adjustable parameters: Control effect density and speed in real time.
  • Sequencer support: Effect can be animated using the sequencer.
  • VR optimization: Can be minimized to work efficiently in runtime VR, with adjustable quality.

Foliage Spawner Blueprint

Originally designed for farmland foliage, this foliage spawner evolved into a versatile tool. It spawns foliage based on customizable X and Y settings, with adjustable distance for creating neat, row-based farmland layouts. I later expanded it to support spline-based spawning, allowing the foliage to adapt to terrain.

Key Features:
  • Optimized performance: Uses hierarchical instanced static meshes for efficient foliage placement.
  • Culling and fade-out: Supports culling distance combined with dither fade-out materials for performance optimization.
  • Flexible spawning: Spawn foliage in a grid or along a spline.
  • Randomization: Add variation with random distances, heights (via scale or spawn height), and mesh selection.
  • Multi-mesh support: Use multiple meshes in sequence or randomize their placement.​ ​

Soft Body Simulation

To enable objects to be squished in VR using Vive Index controllers with finger tracking, I developed a system for simultaneous deformation at multiple points.
Using rigging and physics constraints, I simulated soft body behavior, allowing any object to be turned into a soft body. The demonstration focuses on simple volumes, but the technique is applicable to more complex objects.

Key Features:
  • Finger tracking support: Simultaneous deformation based on Vive Index controller inputs.
  • Soft body simulation: Objects can be transformed into soft bodies using rigging and physics constraints.
  • Versatile application: Demonstrated with simple volumes but adaptable to any object.

NPC Placement and Behaviour Blueprint

I developed a blueprint for placing NPCs in a level and configuring their behaviors. Additionally, I created a Python script to streamline the retargeting of characters to the blueprint’s skeleton.

Key Features:
  • Multiple modes: Includes walking, sitting, standing, and leaning.
  • Dynamic interaction: Characters can talk, with animations adapting accordingly.
  • Randomization: Automatically randomize characters and their colors.
  • Automatic alignment: Ensures characters' feet are placed correctly on the ground, even when sitting.
  • Interactive standing: Characters can hold onto objects, like poles, when standing.
  • Walking paths: Walking is managed via a spline blueprint, allowing for single or multiple characters.

VR Pawn System

This VR pawn system, developed early in my time at the studio, provides various modes that players can toggle to customize controller behavior.
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Key Features:
  • Comprehensive system: Includes game mode, player controller, pawn, and player state.
  • Mode selection: Toggle between modes like teleportation, grabbing, joystick movement, camera control, pointer, and maquette teleportation.
  • Inactivity detection: Triggers a sequence overlay on the spectator screen when no activity is detected.
  • Hardware adaptability: Adjusts controller settings based on VR hardware.
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Shaders & Effects

Below several shaders and effects that I've created during my professional career.
Created for Unreal Engine 4 / 5.
​Utilizing substance or Krita / Photoshop for textures.

VR-Optimized Fire & Smoke Simulation

Developed in Cascade before Niagara supported VR, this system simulates various stages of fire and smoke for training purposes. It includes adjustable stages for both fire and smoke, with the ability to extinguish the fire and have the smoke react accordingly.

Key Features:
  • Stage simulation: Fire progresses through stages 1-5, with smoke effects including both fire-generated smoke and accumulated ceiling smoke.
  • Customizable effects: Adaptable to different burning materials (liquid, electric, solid, fat, etc.).
  • Extinguishing functionality: Smoke reacts dynamically when the fire is extinguished.
  • Expandable system: Additional effects can be integrated as needed.

Post Process Outline Material

I developed a post-process outline material for games that adapts to objects at varying distances. Unlike standard methods that rely on scene depth, which can become pixelated in VR, this material uses world normal differences for distant objects and scene depth for nearby objects, providing a clearer outline.

Key Features:
  • Adaptive calculation: Uses world normal difference for distant objects and scene depth for close ones to prevent pixelation in VR.
  • Customizable outline: Adjust settings for color, opacity, thickness, and transition between near and far outlines.
  • Differentiated outlines: Allows for distinct outlines based on object distance.

​Breaking glass

This material simulates breakage based on an integer health input, where 10 represents full health and 0 indicates a completely broken state. It uses a single RGB texture to display cracks on the window.
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Key Features:
  • Health-driven breakage: Cracking intensity varies based on an integer input (0 to 10).
  • Single texture: Utilizes one RGB texture to create and display cracks.

Grass material

This grass material enhances flat planes with depth, designed specifically for VR environments. It includes a slight wind effect and performs well at both close and distant camera angles.

Key Features:
  • Depth enhancement: Adds depth to flat planes for a more realistic appearance.
  • Wind effect: Simulates a slight wind to animate the grass.
  • Adjustable color: Uses a world-aligned texture for color variation.
  • Shell shading: Applies shell shading for improved visual quality.

Swarm Effect

While experimenting with Niagara systems, I created an effect that swarms around a light and adopts its colors. This looping effect performs seamlessly in VR.
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For a longer animation please visit: ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMTeDjJfgt4
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Environments

Below are some environments for projects I've created or co-created for Enversed Studios. All of them are created for VR. During all of them I was the Lead Artist on the project.
All environments are created within Unreal Engine 4.

PCG Research

add info

Koeweide

I worked on the previsualization of a 4x4 km area (2x2 km playable space) in Koeweide, Limburg, The Netherlands, filled with foliage for VR.
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Key Contributions:
  • Foliage workflow: Developed the process for creating and managing foliage.
  • Rivers: Designed and implemented river systems.
  • Light bake solution: Addressed VR lighting challenges with pre-baked solutions due to the limitations of dynamic light and the absence of VT (Virtual Textures) at the time.
  • Optimization: Focused on shader optimization to improve performance.

Snowdown

Design by Tim van der Grinten (Creative Director at Enversed Studios)
For the VR team-based snow shooting game Snowdown, I was responsible for material work, mesh improvements, and effects. To streamline the design process, I developed a material that places snow based on world normal.​

Airbike

Design by Tim van der Grinten (Creative Director at Enversed Studios)
Airbike is part of a game set developed for Proto in Estonia, where players navigate the environment on an airbike while physically riding a bike. For this project, I handled final lighting, cloudscape creation, material adjustments, visual effects, and post-processing to enhance the overall look.​

Submarine

Design by Tim van der Grinten (Creative Director at Enversed Studios)
In this game for Proto, players navigate an underwater city to find a treasure by unlocking three plateaus guarded by sentinels. Players must shoot down the sentinels with torpedos.
For this project, I managed lighting, visual effects, post-processing, material adjustments, and some modeling (for gameplay). Additionally, I introduced dynamic elements like moving nautical animals using blueprints.

Oostkamer - Architectural Visualisation

House design by ​Tim van der Grinten (Creative Director at Enversed Studios)
For the Oostkamer project at Enversed Studios, I visualized multiple plots to help potential buyers understand the space, light direction, and overall feel of the neighborhood.​
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Miscellaneous

Other stuff that doesn't fall in the above categories. These are mostly projects I've done on the side in my own time.

Global Game Jam 2020 - Arsembly
In 2020 I joined the Global Game Jam at the BUAS location in Breda. A gamejam is creating a game within 48 hours. The theme was repair and we went with a game where the player starts off as just a pelvis and needs to find the correct limbs for their full body. Any other limb does attach to the body and can be used as a weapon to damage other players.

2v2 team based game, made in Unreal Engine 4.

My tasks:
- Level design
- Lighting
- Effects
- Rigging characters
- Worked together with a programmer on the limb attachment system.

Cover design - PhD

The cover design I made for a friend's PhD publishment. it had to have several elements in which he talks about. The research he did was to stimuli-responsive commodity polymers. In layman's terms he researched how 'plastics' could be modified to respond to certain changes such as weather, temperature or light. By ensuring certain condititions where met, this reaction could also allow for movement in the form of bending. 

Elements I placed into the design where:
Seasonal changes, birdwing, robotic arm, color changing shirt
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