BRANDON GRADA
3D Generalist & Craftsman
*Desktop only*BETA 0.85 https://www.brandongrada-3dcraftsman.com/
UI/UX & GUI Design
My degree coming out of the Art Institute was in Multimedia, focusing on graphical-user-interface design for web and other desktop applications. Beyond the standard 2D suite of software used to create such interfaces, early on I leveraged 3D techniques into most of projects. I've spent 20 years creating user interfaces across web, games and training applications. I've taken this core skill set and leveraged it for print work, marketing slicks and enhancing power point presentations.
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Pipelines, techniques and software utilized to create environments for a wide-range of applications. Whether the objective is geo-specific terrain for mil-sim mission rehearsal or fantastical for game design, I can provide clear solutions and pipelines to meet stringent deadlines without sacrificing aesthetics. Leveraging the right lighting models and occlusion methods is critical to create an environment that compliments the subject matter.
Environment & Level Design
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Model & Simulation
Serious games or games for training solutions has been the bulk of my career. The availability of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) / Mixed Reality (XR) in recent years has expanded the options for training solutions. Desktop and mobile solutions are still dominant, but the immersive experience provided by VR/XR is gaining a steady foothold in model and simulation. I have 17 years experience creating art assets and designing a variety of training solutions across these mediums.
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Game Design
The early part of my career was as an artist and designer on commercial games. Specifically, World War II real-time strategy games. This evolved into "serious games" or "games for training" movement that surged post 9-11. I've been fortunate enough to turn a hobby into a career and witness the evolution of utilizing game technology for training solutions for mil-sim, health care and manufacturing sectors.
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Since the start of my career, I've been a jack-of-all-trades. Currently, that term is classified as "generalist". I feel the label doesn't do justice to address the many means of creating 3D and 2D content across the ever growing number of platforms and mediums for which one can deploy too. With hundreds of ways to approach a task to get the same result, it is a "craftsman" that teams need to choose the best pipeline and resources to get the job done.