My Ambition
I am a dedicated Unreal and Unity Game Developer and Graphics Engineer with a profound passion for crafting immersive environments, delivering high-quality gameplay experiences, and leveraging cutting-edge advancements in the field. My work is deeply influenced by the realms of nature, geography, physics, open-world video games, and contemporary computer art. I specialize in developing distinctive solutions that combine logical rigor with academic inspiration, all while infusing artistic creativity through a fusion of natural elements and modern aesthetics. My extensive background encompasses a comprehensive understanding of graphics theory and substantial experience in game development across a diverse range of technologies. Additionally, I hold a Computer Science degree from the Penn State College of Engineering. Driven by ambition and a penchant for perfectionism, my overarching objective is twofold: to emerge as a prominent figure in the industry and to continuously enhance my skill set, perpetually striving for excellence. I am committed to refining and expanding my repertoire of capabilities to consistently deliver the highest caliber of work.
Résumé
Education
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
June 2018 - May 2022
Bachelors of Science in Computer Science
University Minor in Japanese Language
Technical Experience
Senior Game Engineer @ Seisan Consulting, Lancaster, PA
June 2022 - Present
Worked as an engineer on a multitude projects as part of the interactive team, using skills in Unreal, Unity, and other web-based platforms to develop engaging and visually stunning user experiences.
Leveraged expertise in game development, graphics theory, networking, UI and animation/rigging pipelines to create cutting-edge graphics, gameplay features, and advanced algorithms.
Excelled in creating visually impressive 3D graphics, designing complex shader networks, and developing realistic physics simulations to bring immersive VR and XR experiences to life.
Demonstrated proficiency in C++, C#, Blender, and other development tools, using these skills to deliver high-quality code and design solutions that met or exceeded project requirements.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design, develop, and integrate features that enhanced the user experience and drove player engagement.
Student Full-Stack Developer @ Marriland.com, Remote
April 2021 - August 2021
Designed and developed complete, specialized plugins for WordPress to support new and future advanced tools, algorithms and calculators using PHP, AJAX, and MongoDB integrations.
Contributed to client-side implementations using jQuery and Twig, as well as HTML and CSS front-end languages.
Founder & President @ PSU Game Design / Development Club, University Park, PA
September 2018 - May 2022
Founded a multi-disciplinary club centered on the field of Game Design and Development, reaching a staggering 250+ student members.
Built a club foundation for student learning and collaborative experiences in game development, led several development teams, taught Unity to beginners and led workshops at conferences.
Technical Skills
Technology
Game development: Unreal Engine and Unity
Computer graphics: OpenGL, WebGL (THREE.js), shader creation with Unreal/Unity and GLSL, and 3D modeling using Blender
Programming languages: C++, C#, Python and Javascript
Creative Software: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
Familiarity with discrete mathematics, data structures and algorithms
Languages
English: Native Proficiency
Hebrew: Native Proficiency
Japanese: Advanced Proficiency
French: Basic Proficiency
Project Showcase
Notice: The projects presented herein represent a curated selection of my personal portfolio that I am pleased to share. It should be noted that certain projects may not include code samples, as their availability is subject to project specifics. I maintain an extensive repository of projects completed during my academic tenure, along with potential contributions to shipped professional projects, which I am open to sharing upon direct inquiry. For those interested in obtaining code samples or further details, kindly reach out to me via email at me@matanbotansky.com. I welcome the opportunity to discuss and provide additional insights into my work.
Unreal Engine Procedural Terrain
A procedural terrain generation system that utilizes 3-layer noise calculations to create natural-looking topography. The system involves a PRNG seed system that can regenerate the base noise maps for each terrain sample and creates a procedural mesh with parameters for vertices, triangles, and UV values. The material for the mesh includes a mix of textures, which are blended based on the noise calculation to form a natural-looking material.
C++ Ray Tracer
A C++ Ray Tracing program that demonstrates fundamental techniques of Ray Tracing and Rendering in Computer Graphics. Built as a top layer on OpenGL despite not using the built-in functions for methods of reflection, refractions, z-buffers, transformations, etc. Instead used GLM, knowledge of linear algebra, and computer graphics theory to implement such cases.
OpenGL Rollercoaster
Full mathematically generated rollercoaster written in C++ OpenGL. Rollercoaster implemented fully with cube meshes stretched with Catmull-Rom Splines with minimal triangles and correct normals. The attached video is also rendered with an OpenGL camera that moves with correct physics kinematics with real-time rendering. The project also included a valid UV texture mapping and heightmap-generated terrain. Theme inspired by Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire's diving mechanic.
Unreal Engine Slime
Just a cool slime material that sticks to surfaces and pulses. Ended up being very efficient and used on a game project in realtime as an obstacle that sticks to and damages the player.