Sam Serrels

Software Engineer
C++, GPUs, Games Development
See my work

Work

My Research project into visualizing GPU ASM code with Live Debugging.
HPC2 - My work as designer and admin for the university's Compute cluster.

Game Projects

OpenLRR - Game project written from scratch using C++ and Vulkan.
Celestial-Drift. Racing game project written from scratch in C++ and OpenGL.
A 3D dungeon Crawler, written in c++ using the Irrlicht engine for rendering.

Teaching Material

Computer Graphics Module. Co-Authored and ran by myself for 2nd year University students.
Games Engineering Module. Authored and ran by myself for 3rd year University students.
Physics Based animation Module. Authored and ran by myself for 3rd year University students.
Tutorials I have written during my internship working with the Playstation 3.
Technical articles I have written for the Valve fansite Lambda Generation

Other Work

A library to provide helpful methods for modifying terrain objects while the game is running.
Levels I have created for the sandbox game "Garry's Mod". ttt_waterworld has surpassed a million subscribers.
Submission for graphics module, researching deferred rendering and raster-reflection techniques.

Odd Projects

A Javascript web-game created for my HCI module.
A game created in 48 hours for the 28th Ludum Dare competition
A prototype project, testing html5 for games on mobile devices
My teams entry for the 2014 Global Game Jam
My teams entry for the 2015 Global Game Jam
GOOD HOUSE - GGJ2019 entry (made in under 20mins)
Nanoengine, my first game engine written in highschool. 2D sprite based ontop of java awt. A relic in time of how much I didn't know back then.
A Java implementation of the sequential and parallel Clarke and Wright savings algorithm
Honours-Project: investigating gpu-gpu communication and data compression vs transfer times.

Sam Serrels

Research Student

Key Skills

  • C/C++
  • Unity & Unreal 4
  • Javascript & Web Dev
  • Playstation 3/4/Vita Dev
  • C# & Java
  • Academic Level Research
  • Teaching & Training Development
  • Public Engagement
  • Computer Graphics GL,VK, D3D
  • Video Game Development
  • PC Hardware Architecture
  • GPU architecture
  • Linux system admin
  • CMake & Build systems
  • Networking

Education

Research Degree, Edinburgh Napier University

PhD researcher & Graduate Teaching Assistant, 2016 - ongoing

Currently working towards a PhD on methods for visualizing and improving the performance of heterogeneous and parallel systems .

BSc (Hons) Games Development, Edinburgh Napier University

BSc (Hons), 2012 - 2016

Graduated with a First Class Degree with Honours

High school

Craimgmount High School, 2006 - 2012

SQA advanced highers in : Mathematics, Computing, Physics
SQA highers in : Technological Studies, English

Work

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Edinburgh Napier University, 2016 - ongoing

Along with my research degree, I am also creating and delivering lectures and lab material for Undergrad students. Additionally I share responsibility for overseeing certain students groups, i.e., First year personal development.

Software Engineer

Payfont Limited, February 2016 - July 2016

C++ Software Engineer, developing and improving cryptography algorithms with an emphasis on performance.

Data Visualisation Software Intern

Edinburgh Napier University, May 2015 - December 2016

This started as a software development project to create a framework for visualising data networks that varies over time. As the project progressed it changed to be more research focused: investigating different layout methods, experimentation of visual channel encodings. and running a user study on the effects of combined vs separate data layouts

Games Consoles R&D Intern

Edinburgh Napier University, May 2014 - December 2014

I was tasked with writing and publishing tutorials and applications for other students to use and learn from to develop for the Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita Development Kits. I then delivered a lecture covering console development and how it differs from traditional pc development.

Work experience at Wolfson Microelectronics

October 2009

During which I developed an application to aid the merging of product databases into documentation for clients

Other

Video Game and Creative Technologies; Community and Public Engagement

Regularly organise and help with various events and groups to boost the local Edinburgh Video Games/Software Development, and creative technologies community. Including running exhibitions at the Science festival, maker faire, and independent events such "Games are for Everyone"

Global Game Jam Edinburgh Organiser - January 2016 to present

Organised and ran the Edinburgh chapter of the 48 hour Global Game Jam in 2016/17, this involved ensuring participants were well placed in their teams and had everything they needed to work effectively.

School of Computing representative - 2012 to 2016

Represented BSc Games Development programme and School of Computing. Responsible for listening to issues from other students and ensuring representation at relevant committees. Ensured feedback was relayed back to students on the programme. Helped direct development of programme via meetings with academic staff.

Co-founder & Secretary, Napier Video Gaming Society - 2012 to 2016

Founded and ran the NVGS over the period of my degree. The society was developed to over a hundred members, with maintained relationships and partnerships with external organisations, and hosted Edinburgh wide events and charity fundraisers. Running the society gave me valuable experience in large event management and promotion, budgeting and fundraising, conflict resolution, and extensive interpersonal skills.

Class Demonstrator - January 2016 to September 2016

For the Programming Fundamentals module practical sessions, it was my responsibility to help first year students with any queries and problems. Involving elaborating on concepts covered in the lectures and providing further explanations on the module content.

IT4U Workshops - June 2014 to present

Initially helped organise and run workshops held for high school students, introducing them to the fundamentals of games development. I have since produced content for running my own series of workshops, for delivery in May 2016.

BCS App-a-thon Guinness World Record - Witness & Technical Advisor - June 2015

Involved in the Edinburgh group of a nation wide attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people simultaneously learning to code an Android app. My role before and after the record attempt to help participants and provide advice, during the record attempt period I was an official witness to verify the legitimacy of the event.

Guest Lecturer - Heriot-Watt University - April 2015

Hired to deliver a lecture to final year undergraduate students at Heriot-Watt University. The lecture content was an overview of the games industry: what tools and technologies are used, the development life-cycle, and the roles of software developers in games projects.