E-mail address

User name: ypoissant2

Server name: videotron.ca

Geographical location

I live in Québec city, in the province of Québec, Canada.

Education

I have a master's degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. My Ms. thesis was about using Neural Networks for the detection and replacement of missing values in databases. I also have a diploma as electronic technician from several years yet.

Skills

3D

Although I do not have enough opportunities (to my taste) to do so, currently my main interest is in 3D modeling and animation. I managed to do 3D graphics of all sort since 1988 where I did program my own modeling and raytracing application in Pascal. Then, I discovered POV-RAY and did several illustrations with it. I also tried several other 3D apps but grew frustrated by the high prices of these applications given their extremely limited functionalities. I eventually found Animation:Master, a 3D app designed specificaly for character animation. At the time it was really the only 3D tool an artist could afford (it is still true today).

While at Micro-Intel/Cogniscience, I had several opportunities for doing 3D works, mostly static images, and on a few occasions, some animations. I used Animation:Master for most of the 3D works and True Space for things like logos, user interfaces and the like.

Illustration

I've done a lot of illustrations through the years, both realistic and cartoon type. In the late '70s, I also published a European style comic album and I also had, with some friends, a comics publishing house. I also did graphic arts for the advertisement industry and realized old style diaporamas. While I worked for a robotics company, I did a lot of technical and conceptual illustrations. I also had several opportunities for working in the machine shop where I did sculpture type pieces.

While at At Micro-Intel/Cogniscience, I did (amongst other tasks) all kind of illustrative works, storyboarding, concept sketches, etc.

I still do illustative works for storyboards, character design and general illustrations. I also do graphics design for web sites. Since a couple of years, I started doing pastel paintings and Computer assisted paintings using Painter

User Interface Design

Several years ago, I founded a software company with a friend. We designed and programmed an accounting application. The application was very innovative for that time (CP-M days and the beginning of MS-DOS). It included a ton of expert-system based user's task support with instantaneous and informative feedback. Entries were also done in a WISIWIG manner. In fact, the application was so user-friendly for that time that it got selected by the ministry of education for teaching administrative techniques in colleges even though we didn't design it for that purpose.

While at Micro-Intel/Cogniscience, I designed several user interfaces for multimedia educational applications and later for specialized e-learning application.

Through the years, I've refined my reflections about what I call the other user interface: the user's naive understanding of an interface which was mainly built by a designer who had a naive comprehension of the user and his needs. I tend to design proactive intelligent interfaces designed to guide the user instead of reactive interfaces which just sit there, waiting for the user to do something.

Programming

I got interested in programming in 1977 when I met two Belgian artists who demonstrated "computer art" on Tektronix terminals in a museum. I was the only one visitor for the whole day and they explained me what they where doing and showed me their program in Fortran. I didn't understand a thing but I knew I wanted to do art with a computer. I only really started to program in 1979 though.

Although my main goal was to develop a graphic application which would facilitate the representation of 3D environment with perspective and all that stuff (exactly what the 3D apps of today do), I got diverted into accounting programming for several years and then into robotics navigation system development.

While at Micro-Intel/Cogniscience, I programmed applications in C++ and in Prisme (an internally developped object oriented language based on Lisp and Prolog that we use for building all our multimedia applications).

I still program in C++. My main interest is in developing shader and material plugins for Animation:Master and I program 3D rendering and shading modules. One of my latest feat was to program a photon mapping module for Animation:Master.

Electronic

Although I can repair any electronic equipment, I don't do it anymore. In fact I hate it so I will not insist on this aspect of my skills. The furthest I am willing to go in this direction is to build my own computer from parts.