Paul Dana | LinkedIn
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`Paul Dana
`Expert Graphics Programmer and Game Maker
`New London/Norwich, Connecticut Area Computer Software
`
`3rd
`
`Plastic Games, LLC
`Current
`Pfizer, VRSim, GarageGames
`Previous
`Education Wesleyan University
`
`Send Paul InMail
`
`197
`connections
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130
`
`Background
`
` Summary
`
`Games, Interactive Graphics Applications, and Systems developer with over twenty five years industry
` experience. I am an expert in and have been involved with every area of 2D and 3D graphics from
` device driver code up to large scale parallel 3D applications such as Games, CAD, Animation, and
` Simulations.
`
` Recently I designed and implemented the physics and graphics for world's most realistic welding
` simulation. It runs entirely on the graphics card using advanced parallel algorithms that I designed and
` that are under patent consideration.
`
` This was work done under contract for VRSim. The owner of the patent is Lincoln Electric.
`
`Specialties:3D and 2D graphics and game development, GUI, interactive graphics applications,
` Algorithms, Mathematics, Physics, Simulation, Virtual Reality, Visualization, C++, Java, J2EE, Problem
` Solving
`
`Experience
`
`
`President
`Plastic Games, LLC
`April 2003 – Present (13 years)
`
`Founder, President, and Lead Programmer of Plastic Games. Plastic Games is a small independent
` game development studio founded by Paul Dana and Jason Sharp in 2003.
`
`1 recommendation
`Jay Moore
`Alchemist of Fun
`
`Paul brings a dedication and passion for excellence to his game creation and contracts. He and his team
` have shown a fierce commitment to building the craftsmanship skill it takes to build fun independent
` games. View
`
` News & more!
`
`Follow
`
`People Also Viewed
`
`Art Tilley
`Owner, A. J. Tilley & Associates
`
`Kunal Majmudar
`Composer for video games, film, TV.
`
`Robert Garofalo
`Associate Director for Research Affairs
` at Yale Cancer Center, Yale
` University
`Stephen Haddock-Weiler
`3d Modeler at WisEngineering
`
`Adam Tilley
`Website Designer at
` TilleyDesigns.com
`
`Michele Scott
`Acting Head of Portfolio Management,
` Centre for Drug Development, CRUK
`
`John Duncan
`Contract Software Engineer at Pfizer
`
`Matteo Nicolotti
`
`People also viewed
`CEO presso HeartBit entertainment
`Art Tilley Owner, A. J. Tilley &
` Associates
`Kyle Miller
`Senior Developer/Manager Seeking
` New Opportunities!
`
`
`
`Johannes Aikio
`co founder at shiver games oy
`
`How You’re Connected
`
`You
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
`
`Page 1 of 7
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`

`
`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
`Contract Software Developer
`Pfizer
`May 2010 – June 2011 (1 year 2 months) | Groton CT
`
`Worked as part of a small team to create a second generation Java application allowing Research
` Chemists to design Chemical Libraries for Drug Development. Improved on first generation tool by
` integrating with more company wide web-services, improving the GUI dramatically, redesigning the code
` architecture, improving performance, and creating unit tests.
`
`Your connections can introduce
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`Paul Dana
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`People Similar to Paul
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` Java, Eclipse, Swing, Marvin, JUnit
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`VRSim
`October 2008 – November 2010 (2 years 2 months) | East Hartford, CT
`
`VRSim and Lincoln Electric
` Vertex 360, Development Contract
`
` I designed and implemented the 3D graphics and physics engine that powers the world's most realistic
` welding simulator: Vertex 360 by VRSim and Lincoln Electric. II call this the pWeld engine. Lincoln
` Electric is applying for patents for the advanced algorithms that I created under this contract. This
` simulation code runs entirely on the GPU using CUDA, a state of the art parallel computing library by
` NVidia. This means the simulation does not execute on the main CPU - it executes on the CUDA
` capable graphics card itself.
`
` http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNa-oXMc-YA
`
` This high powered design was necessary because the stereo rendering in the helmet and the high
` resolution trainer's view add up to three frames that must be rendered simultaneously. Also this design
` allows for scale-ability to future hardware and frees the main CPU for other simulation tasks such as 3D
` head tracking, etc.
`
` OpenGL, Shaders, CUDA. Parallel Processing, OpenCL
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`GarageGames
`February 2010 – March 2010 (2 months) | Reno, Nevada Area
`
`Garage Games
` Torque Developer Training, Contract
`
` Wrote course materials and trained developers in the Torque Game Engine under contract to Garage
` Games, the makers of the Torque Game Engine.
`
` Torque Game Engine, TGE, T3D, T2D, Torsion, Torque Script
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`Walt Disney Imagineering
`May 2009 – February 2010 (10 months) | Orlando, Florida Area
`
`Walt Disney Imagineering
` Shadow Bubbles, Development Contract
`
` Designed, implemented and installed a location-based interactive game for the Florida Hospital for
` Children under contract to Disney. Patients and their family and friends who enter the hospital by a
` special entrance are treated with a Disney themed interactive playground. Shadow Bubbles is touch
` screen-based game with a Little Mermaid theme where the player pops bubbles. I wrote custom code for
` adapting the advanced large touch screen device to the T2D game engine, for serial communication and
` control of the device from the master control room, as well as game play code.
`
` T2D, C++, Serial Communications, Torque Script, Torsion
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`C2C Simulations
`October 2007 – August 2008 (11 months) | Orlando FLA
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
`
`Page 2 of 7
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`

`
`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
`Hotel Trainer, Development Contract. Plastic games was hired by C2C Simulations to write software with
` Sonalyst Studios for a contract with Wyndham Hotels.
`
` Designed and implemented a Hotel Service Training Simulator that made use of game based training to
` increase staff productivity. This 3D application presents Wyndham trainees with a series of simulated
` interactions with hotel guests. The trainee has to choose an appropriate response at each point of the
` conversation leading to an angry customer or a satisfied one.
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`Walt Disney Imagineering
`October 2007 – August 2008 (11 months) | Orlando, Florida Area
`
`Walt Disney Imagineering
` Inner Vision, Development Contract
`
` I designed and implemented an interactive experience for the post show of one of Disney's most
` recognizable icons: Space Ship Earth (the geodesic sphere in Epcot center). Inner Vision is a “magic
` mirror” game that tests player’s reaction times in a series of three simple games. I wrote custom code to
` interface with the Sensoray 626 hardware to support the arcade quality controllers, created special
` effects for the game, and helped develop game play.
`
` TGEA, OpenGL, Direct X, Shaders, C++, Torque Script, Torsion
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`GarageGames
`October 2007 – January 2008 (4 months) | Eugene, Oregon Area
`
`Garage Games
` Rokkit Ball, Development Contract
`
` Designed and implemented an online 3D first person game under contract to Garage Games named
` Rokkitball. This game is similar to a First Person Shooter, but with a twist. The players shoot a large ball
` into a goal, rather than shooting each other. Wrote custom code for their T3D shader engine, wrote HUD
` and GUI code, and helped develop game play.
`
` T3D, Juggernaut, TGEA, OpenGL, DirectX, Shaders, C++, Torque Script, Torsion
`
`Contract Software Developer
`Pfizer
`June 2005 – December 2007 (2 years 7 months) | Discovery Technology Center, Cambridge, MA
`
`Helped design and develop a java application that allows scientists to analyze chemical compounds.
` Developed advanced algorithms for visualization and analysis and integrated with Spotfire. This
` application is well known to Pfizer research chemists and has had an ever increasing customer since
` release.
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`Walt Disney Imagineering
`November 2006 – July 2007 (9 months) | Orlando, Florida Area
`
`Walt Disney Imagineering
` Super Driver, Development Contract
`
` Designed and implemented an interactive experience for the post show of one of Disney's most
` recognizable icons: Space Ship Earth (the geodesic sphere in Epcot center). Interfaced with novel
` hardware: Sensoray 626 providing Steering Wheel and Gear Changing control hardware as well as a
` novel "Pepper's Ghost" effect requring custom stereo display code to generate a 3D "holographic heads
` up display effect" (controls that appear to float over the screen). Created custom AI code for special
` effects such as a car that can drive on the ceiling of a tunnel.
`
` Driving Physics, C++, dRacer Game Engine, Sensoray 626, Pepper's Ghost, Custom Stereo code,
` Torque Script, Torsion
`
`Plastic Games Contract Developer
`GarageGames
`March 2006 – February 2007 (1 year) | Eugene, Oregon Area
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
`
`Page 3 of 7
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`

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`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
`Garage Games
` Net Jet, Development Contract
`
` Contract job to port Garage Game's Marble Blast game onto a new hardware platform called the "Net
` Jet" system. Required custom controller code and other custom integration work.
`
` TGE, C++, Torque Script, Torsion
`
`Contract Software Developer
`Pfizer
`October 2004 – December 2005 (1 year 3 months) | Discovery Technology Center, Cambridge, MA
`
`Moved PFAAT to open source and extend functionality. See pfaat.sourceforge.net. Implemented
` scientific visualization and analysis algorithms and added extensive improvements to the interactive GUI
` using Java Swing and Java 3D. Well received by the customer base and still in use today.
`
`Contract Software Developer
`Vertex Pharmacueticals
`September 2002 – October 2003 (1 year 2 months)
`
`Designed and implemented a Java Swing component that encapsulates a C++/OpenGL 3D molecular
` visualization library called Cadaver which was used to build OpenEye’s Vida 1.1 application. Developed
` component using Java 1.32, JBuilder 7, Netbeans, Visual C++, GCC3, and Mac Project Builder.
` Wrapper created using JNI and JAWT to allow the native OpenGL C++ code of the Cadaver
` visualization library to draw on platform-independent Java Swing components. Component was
` implemented and tested on Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX platforms. Designed and implemented
` component as well as assisting in deploying this technology into custom Vertex applications.
`
` Deployed custom component into and wrote database queries for a custom Vertex web application for
` visualizing and searching active protein sites that used JDBC to connect to in-house protein alignment
` and compound databases.
`
`Contract Software Developer
`Pfizer
`July 2001 – April 2003 (1 year 10 months)
`
`Designed and implemented user interface, graphing and clustering algorithms for scientific visualization
` application using Java Swing and JBuilder 7. Application integrated with Spotfire and Spotfire
` DecisionSite using J-Integra Java COM bridge technology. Application allowed scientists to perform
` compound structure similarity-based clustering to automate HTS Triage.
`
` Designed and implemented client user interface and application server layer for complex mathematical
` algorithms for scientific visualization for J2EE Compliant applications using java on both Unix and
` Windows NT platforms.
`
` Designed and implemented 3D graphing and plot java beans using Java2D and Java3D libraries.
`
` Developed novel algorithm for performing multidimensional scaling on very large data sets, which was
` useful for the statistical analysis of medicinal drug candidates.
`
`Senior Graphics Applications Developer
`Elumens, Corp.
`September 1996 – May 2001 (4 years 9 months)
`
`Designed and implemented 2D/3D graphics applications in c++ and java on Unix, PC and Alpha
` hardware platforms.
`
` Lead Programmer for two-man development team that designed and developed DomeGL, a software
` layer that allows existing OpenGL applications to render correctly on the VisionDome and VisionStation
` (a 180-degree hemispherical projection system) without needing recompilation. This software layer
` enables an unmodified OpenGL based application to perform non-linear spherical projection, similar in
` appearance to a fish-eye lens, needed by this immersive virtual reality environment.
`
` Designed and implemented proprietary real-time polygon subdivision algorithm used by DomeGL.
`
` Designed and implemented SPI (Spherical Project through Image Warping), the image-based rendering
` algorithm used by Elumens when modifying applications to perform spherical rendering.
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
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`Page 4 of 7
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`

`
`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
`Software Engineer
`Intergraph
`December 1993 – September 1996 (2 years 10 months)
`
`Received Innovation Award as part of three-man Tiger development team that designed and
` implemented MOGLE, a realtime 3D graphics display accelerator for a CAD application (Microstation)
` running under a multiprocessing environment for Windows NT and Windows 95. Awarded for increasing
` speed of graphics display speed by 10 to 1000 times. Development tools include: Visual C++ 4.2 and
` Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), OpenGL 3D Graphics API, GDI 2D Graphics API, Microstation
` Development Language (MDL).
` Developed and debugged code for 3D photo-realistic rendering system.
` Developed 3D graphics engine used for Intergraph’s core Jupiter technology. This application was under
` a multi-threaded, multiprocessing Windows NT and Windows 95 development environment. Developed
` using: Visual C++ 4.x and MFC, Microsoft Common Object Model (COM), OLE 2.0, OpenGL 3D
` Graphics API, GDI 2D Graphics API, Windows NT and 95 API.
`
`Scientist, Consultant
`Nichols Research
`March 1992 – December 1993 (1 year 10 months)
`
`Designed and implemented user interface and graphics for a Signal Processing simulation on IBM
` RS/6000 using OSF/Motif/X-Windows, Interactive Data Language (IDL), ADA, and C.
` Designed and implemented Scientific Visualization and Analysis tools for military-related sensor project
` on Sun SPARCStations using OpenLook, and X Windows and Silicon Graphics Indigo using OSF/Motif,
` X Window Client/Server OpenGL.
` Researched and evaluated new systems, programming tools, and solutions for future development.
`
`Independent Developer
`Lexicor Software
`January 1990 – March 1992 (2 years 3 months)
`
`Independently designed and implemented a 3D Key Frame Animation system comprising 100,000 lines
` of C source code.
` Designed and implemented a rendering utility for Silicon Graphics IRIS workstations utilizing GL.
` Programmed software interface for hardware security device. Designed and implemented a photo
` realistic rendering application that generates ray-traced true-color images. Designed and implemented a
` utility that renders a 3D animation to a file in Pixar's Render Man .RIB file format. Designed and
` implemented a raster-to-vector conversion application for use with a 3D modeling application.
` Supervised and managed other independent software developers; oversaw and coordinated their
` application development.
`
`Senior Software Engineer
`Gerber Garment Technology
`January 1988 – January 1990 (2 years 1 month)
`
`Worked as part of a team to design and implement an interactive CAD apparel design application using
` Turbo C and custom-built graphic libraries for use with VMI (Vermont Microsystems) graphic adapters
` and 386 & 486 PC compatibles.
` Ported CAD apparel design application from Intel 486 MS-DOS system to a Motorola 68030 UNIX
` Workstation (HP 9000) using Starbase Graphics and OSF Motif/X-Windows.
`
`Skills
`
`Top Skills
`
`C++
`
`Game Development
`
`Software Development
`
`Java
`
`Video Games
`
` 3
`
`1
`
`27
`
`23
`
`16
`
`15
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`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
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`Page 5 of 7
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`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
`OpenGL
`
`Linux
`
`C U
`
`nix
`
`MySQL
`
`12
`
`11
`
`9 5 4
`
`Paul also knows about...
`
`4
`
`3
`
`Algorithms
`
`4
`
`Java Enterprise Edition
`
`3
`
`Architecture
`
`3
`
`Simulations
`
`User Interface
`
`2
`
`Web Services
`
`2
`
`Objective-C
`
`2
`
`3D
`
`2
`
`Architectures
`
` Education
`Wesleyan University
`BA, Music
`1984 – 1988
`
`Additional Info
`
`Advice for Contacting Paul
`I am an hourly contract worker currently seeking work. Most but not all of my recent contracts have been
` work-from-home with biweekly visits to client site. I am also open to permanent positions in my area
` which includes most of Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
`
` Organizations
`Additional Organizations
`Garage Games Associate
`
`Recommendations
`
`President
`Plastic Games, LLC
`
`Received (1)
`
`Given (3)
`
`“J
`
`ay Moore
`Alchemist of Fun
`
`Paul brings a dedication and passion for excellence to his game creation and contracts.
` He and his team have shown a fierce commitment to building the craftsmanship skill it takes
` to build fun independent games.
`July 26, 2006, Jay worked directly with Paul at Plastic Games, LLC
`
`https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dana-719130?authType=name&authToken=tTAD&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name[3/6/2016 1:27:29 PM]
`
`Page 6 of 7
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`

`
`Paul Dana | LinkedIn
`
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`Hartford, Connecticut
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