Who's that?
Thomas Vanderwyst is a programmer, graphic artist and amateur wildlife photographer. Having just graduated from Carleton Univerity, he's looking to take flight into the information technology sector.
Now for some more specific information, in first person this time. The one thing I knew about what I wanted to do in life was that it had to involve making things. For most of my pre-university education that was traditional art, then, barring a short fascination with blacksmithing, I moved on to digital pursuits in post-secondary. Carleton Univerity's BIT IMD program (Bachelor's of Information Technology: Interactive Media Design) proved to be the perfect place to hone my skills and streamline exactly what I wanted to focus on in the future. The IMD program introduced me to many different fields, but I've found that the areas I'm most comfortable and motivated working in are Web Development, Game Making, 3D Modeling and Videography. In the past, I've worked in retail and graphic design, both jobs that were fantastic experiences. Right now though, I'm thirsty to get into the industry and start making something great! If you like what you've read so far, check out my resume here for a more comprehensive look.
Portfolio
Front-end Development
Android Applications
Java, XML, Android Studio
Fall, 2023
A series of small Android applications built to accomplish simple functions such as a calculator, a painting application, and a scheduler.
The apps were coded in Java and tested using a virtual machine inside of Android Studio.
Life in a Pandemic
Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator
Apr, 2021
A short web game about life amid the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, made as part of a 4 man team.
The target audience of the game was children, and the game was designed with a focus on playing through multiple paths and seeing the consequences of different choices.
The website can still be visited here
Cookbook Coalition
MySQL, PHP, CSS
Apr, 2020
A database website for checking cookbooks and recipes constructed as part of a 4 man team.
The website featured an account system with differing access levels based on your account, as well as the ability to add, edit and delete data entries. All pages were constructed in PHP, the recipe database used MySQL, and the site was hosted from getenjoyment.net.
Currently, the website is no longer hosted.
This Website!
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Neocities
May, 2024
A simple website designed and built from scratch, to show off projects I've worked on in the past.
Responsive scaling on desktop and mobile devices! Adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2)! (Plus you can click on images to see them at full size.)
Game Development
Ice Peak
Unity, Aesprite
Apr, 2021
A 2D puzzle platformer built in Unity with a four-man team. You play a researcher venturing into a mountain range to solve puzzles and discover an ancient civilization.
My role in this project was the lead programmer. For this project I created the movement controls, most puzzle interactions and all system interactions such as the pause screen, menus, unlocks and dialog boxes.
The game can be played here
Fowl Play
Unity, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop
Apr, 2024
A cooperative VR puzzle game built in Unity with a five-man team. The game is asynchronous, with one player in VR and one player on desktop; the two players must work together to solve puzzles and avoid the escaped test subject patrolling the facility.
My role primary role in this project was programming the enemy AI, which is designed to be a constant threat the players have to keep an eye on. I also programmed and designed most of the desktop player view including the camera map system and the documents window.
The game can be downloaded here. Two players and a Meta VR headset are required to play.
Mob Mentality
Autodesk Maya, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier Pro
Nov, 2022
An isometric real-time strategy game built in Unity with a four-man team. The focus of the game is gathering villagers to defeat a monster attacking your village.
My role primary role in this project was programming the enemy movement and decisition-making AI, as well as the script for spawning villagers.
The game can be played here
Modeling & Animation
Physics Based Destruction in Houdini
Houdini, Blender, Adobe AE
Nov, 2022
A physics-based destruction simulation made using Houdini, including smoke and debris effects.
Building models were constructed in Blender and the background was added in Adobe After Effects
Lego Headless Horseman Model
Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop
Oct, 2021
A recreation of a Lego headless horseman minifigure as well as the Lego horse model itself. Modelled and rendered in Maya, textures made in Photoshop.
Short Character Animation in Maya
Autodesk Maya, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier Pro
Nov, 2022
A short character animation of a cute cat baking a loaf of bread.
The sculpt for the character was done in Blender. Afterwards, it was brought into Maya for retopologizing, texturing, rigging and constructing the environment and props. The final animation and rendering were also done in Maya.
Mad Scientist Laboratory Enviroment
Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Substance Painter
Nov, 2021
A small Dr. Frankenstien's laboratory esk enviroment built with a four-man team.
In this enviroment, I created the walls, floor, window and bookshelf. Modeling was done inside of Maya and textures were built in Photoshop and Substance Painter.
Photography & Videography
Unofficial Jenga Commercial
Nikon D7000, Adobe Premier pro, Adobe After Effects
Nov, 2022
A mockup commercial for a Jenga made for a videography class at Algonquin.
The film was shot on a Nikon D7000 camera. Footage was edited inside Premier Pro and graphics and effects were added in After Effects.
Community Clean Up Interview
Nikon D7000, Adobe Premier pro, Adobe After Effects
Oct, 2022
A series of interviews of a community clean up event shot for a videography class at Algonquin.
The film was shot on a Nikon D7000 camera and the footage and graphic effects were edited together inside Premier Pro.
Wildlife Photography
Nikon D7000, Adobe Photoshop
2023 - 2024
Various photos of animals taken while birding and hiking on trails in the Ottawa area.
All photos were shot on a Nikon D7000 camera and brought into Photoshop for lighting touch-ups and cropping.
Experience
Opticalm
Graphic Design Assistant
Jan. 2022 - Sept. 2022
I worked at Opticalm in a co-op position during my third year of university, where I was a graphic design assistant. My tasks at the company involved creating designs for promotional material and creating graphic sets to be used in products and merchandise.
Work for Opticalm was almost entirely remote; which was initially more difficult than I expected it to be. In the end, though I'm grateful it was remote, as it helped me develop my ability to self-regulate myself and manage my time.
Metro Inc
Floral Department Sales Clerk
Aug. 2020 - Sept. 2021
My first job was as a floral attendant in a Metro grocery store. Duties included taking care of plants within the floral department and garden center, creating floral arrangments, assisting customers and manning the checkout counter.
I feel this position was very formative as it taught me how to delegate tasks and maintain composure during high-stress, busy times for the department such as Christmas and Valentine's day.
Skills
Programming
3D Modeling
Animation
C++
C#
Python
Javascript
HTML
CSS
XML
PHP
GIT
Android Studio
Blender
Maya
Unity
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustator
Adobe Premier Pro
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Stubstance Painter
Houdini
Photography
Videography
Personal Intrests
Running
Swimming
Skiing
Birding
Photography
Digital Art
Indie and Retro Videogames
Game Development