RÉSUMÉ: Owen Pearn

Pictures from my work history (screenshots, scans, reference material, photos, graphs):

• http://www.owenpearn.com/owenp_cv_pictures.htm

• 15 years of relational databases, Windows GUI design and construction, C, system administration on UNIX and Windows, shell scripting
• 10 years of client-server architectures, digital imaging, C++, MFC and Visual C++, Visual Basic, driving Windows OLE automation servers
• 5 years of STL, digital audio, audio and speech compression, digital signal processing, digital printing, lenticular imaging, stereoscopy
• 3 years of game programming, OpenGL 3d programming, colour management, photogrammetry
• 1 year of embedded software and hardware, video codecs, video compression, machine vision, offset printing, internet telephony, UNIX system programming
• Worked in Australia, UK, USA

• Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours, 1988, University of Queensland, Australia. Four years full-time.
• Bachelor of Commerce, 1990, University of Queensland, Australia. Two years part-time.

• pinpointing where the bulk of the technical risk is, making the one or two big architectural decisions that take months off development schedules and dramatically reduce technical risk, choosing the technology most suited for the job, applying new technologies quickly, solving problems I haven't solved before, knowing where to spend most of the effort, answering the question "Why is this project in trouble?", finding stuff on the web, making stuff happen

Experience

Advised on next generation software and hardware system for lasertag to support capital-raising. Recommended embedded linux platform. Discovered emitter/sensor mismatch in existing design just prior to the first 800 unit production run - production cost unchanged, range doubled.

Personal digital jukebox with radio frequency LCD remote control.

Front-end for pressure chamber.

Being a Dad.

In a Chief Technical Officer-type capacity, I was part of the founding team for a new company doing lenticular imaging.

Lenticular images are often found in cornflake boxes or on trading cards. They're the pictures that move when you flip them back and forth in your hand. When you run your thumb over the pictures, you'll notice they're bumpy. Each bump is a lens. There are usually between two and thirty different images behind the lens, all cut up in a special way. When you flip the picture back and forth, the lens sends different images to your eyes by refraction.

Another possible optical effect is a 3D-type effect. If the lens sends one image to your left eye and a different image to your right eye, and if those two images have been correctly prepared, you will see a magical 3D effect from a flat picture, without eyestrain and without having to do anything special with your eyes. This is called stereopsis. It's what you do every day when you look around at the world. Each of your eyes receives a slightly different picture and your brain puts those two pictures together and you get a sense of a solid world out there.

Although lenticular technology is 100 years old, it appeared that there was a large opportunity to modernise the production of high quality lenticular images. The core innovation was software that did digital interlacing. This is what I built. I built a lenticular interlacing engine in C++ and a GUI in Visual Basic. The technology worked out but the business didn't. I have many sample pictures to demonstrate.

I designed a video-compression scheme for talking heads and cartoons at analog modem bandwidths.

For talking heads, the technology used is called model-based coding. It involves creating a 3D model of a human head, complete with underlying muscle activation, extracting the face texture from, for example, a human newsreader, mapping that face texture onto the 3D model, and then pushing and pulling the virtual muscles on the receiver end to mirror what the real human is doing. It works but it looks weird.

For cartoons, the goal is to recreate the exposure sheets and play them back at the receiver end. An exposure sheet is a list of instructions to an animator on how to animate a particular scene. The hard part is not so much doing the replay, as finding the exposure sheets as automatically as possible. The technologies used are called image segmentation, camera matchmoving and raster-to-vector conversion.

Senior Software Developer at computer games company. This studio has been known as: DMA Design, Devil's Thumb Entertainment, VR1, Circadence, Pacific Century Cyberworks and Jaleco.

Technical lead of the Windows95 computer game, Tides of War, published by GT Interactive.

I built key game modules in C++ and I built the world and level editor in Visual Basic.

In addition to technical leadership and software development, I directly supervised three Software Engineers, led the interviewing and selection process for new hires, evaluated breaking technologies and their application to the company's current and future projects, introduced new software development technologies and operations, and advised management on general technical risks and direction.

As a Software Professional, I was contracted as an expert Windows developer to contribute to an open, distributed, multi-platform computer-telephony product in a team of twenty-five software developers.

As part of the Smart Contact program, Hewlett Packard is building Customer Contact Management (CCM) middleware. CCM is a toolset and API that system integrators use for building call centre solutions. CCM is client software for Windows NT and HP-UX, and server software for HP-UX, talking via Distributed Computing Environment - Remote Procedure Calls (DCE-RPC). (Update: HP Smart Contact solution acquired by Cisco circa 2000).

CCM manages inbound and outbound contacts for a call centre, regardless of contact channel. Today, this is mainly via telephone company switches (PABX), and CCM knows how to talk to many telephone company switches. However, CCM also supports World Wide Web contacts, email contacts and fax contacts.

Of the eight Windows clients which ship as part of CCM, I built five of them. These Windows clients were built in C++ using Microsoft Visual C++ and MFC. They are:

• a Supervisor's Control Panel for managing campaigns, groups, agents and basic messaging,
• an Agent's Dashboard that tells an agent, graphically, how they're doing,
• a Supervisor's Dashboard that shows, graphically, about twenty different statistical views of the call centre, both in realtime and historically,
• a Document Imaging Library that emulates printed statements on the screen, shipped as a DLL with a C callable interface,
• a sample Document Image Generator which drove the Document Imaging Library.

• reported to the Project Manager on the main areas of technical risk in the project,
• advised on measures to increase the robustness and reliability of the software,
• advised on future directions of the CCM technology bedrock (viz Windows NT servers and Windows 95 clients),
• advised on architecting CCM via OLE COM,
• advised on localisation strategies for shipping non-English versions of the Windows clients,
• advised on integrating web contacts into CCM,
• advised on internet connectivity, speech compression and internet phone technologies,
• advised on shipping Win32, OLE and MFC applications on HP-UX,
• advised on multimedia technologies,
• surfed the net to procure much software and many press releases that impacted the project direction,
• assisted with the setup of audio and video software to enable "Roadshow" demos,
• researched and selected a graphics toolkit (KL Group's Chart/FX (now Olectra Chart),
• assisted the less experienced Windows developers with design and software construction,
• assisted with the setup of an automated testing suite.

As a Software Professional, I was contracted to contribute to the Lands Tenures Ledger system which holds financial information on 35,000 land parcels in Queensland.

As one of eight software developers in a project team of sixteen, I was responsible for building software that bills about $25 million of State Government revenue. The technical environment was Microsoft Windows clients built with Visual Basic, communicating via ODBC to an Ingres database on a Sun UNIX server. The system will be deployed to Lands Service Centres statewide.

As a Software Professional, I was contracted to complete a Microsoft Windows conversion of a MS-DOS scientific modelling system.

The hydrologists in the Water Resources Surface Water Assessment Group use software to model rainfall and streamflow in Queensland and northern New South Wales. This software has evolved over many years.

An attempt was made to convert a modelling system from the MS-DOS environment to the Microsoft Windows environment, but this was not completed and the system was left in a state that did not fulfill the hydrologists' needs.

Upon my involvement, the system consisted of four separate applications - a user interface written in Visual Basic, a scientific model written in Lahey FORTRAN, and two custom graphing programs written in Visual C++.

I designed and implemented a new architecture for the system, using Microsoft Access for the data storage and retrieval requirements, and Microsoft Excel for the graphing requirements. I took this path because:

• the Microsoft Office suite is part of the standard software environment for this Department,
• the graphing functionality in Microsoft Excel met the graphing requirements,
• Microsoft Excel exposes itself to all callers through OLE Automation,
• Microsoft Visual Basic has native support for Microsoft Access,
• I could use OLE Automation as the bridge to Microsoft Excel, which meant that I could duplicate much of the functionality of the existing system very easily.

• replacing the two existing custom graphing programs with Microsoft Excel reduces the number of DPI-built applications in the system from four to two - significantly reducing the future software development load,
• there is now a much more robust and extensible foundation for future development,
• all the power of Microsoft Excel is available to the hydrologists for custom data analysis, and they don't have to employ a software developer to do it,
• all the power of Microsoft Access is available to the hydrologists for custom data analysis, and they don't have to employ a software developer to do it,
• my new database schema removes huge storage redundancies.

Because I am very interested in the commercial potential for entertainment software, during this time I built a prototype arcade game for Microsoft Windows to research the software technologies and the market opportunities.

I used Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, and painting software to deliver sprite animation to the screen under user control. I researched delivery platforms, authoring strategies, distribution channels, and localisation requirements. I acquired a very sound understanding of what it takes to build an entertainment title, and the sorts of skills that are required. The game was a Lode Runner clone with sugar glider possums. I called it Possum Blossom.

As a Software Professional, I was contracted to investigate and redevelop a prototype Microsoft Windows application for a project involving the management of work at Telstra telephone exchanges.

This project is the Activity Information Management System (AIMS) for Telstra, Network Management - Systems Development. The staff who work at the exchanges use AIMS to schedule work, assign work, and record work done. There are links to existing Telstra fault management systems, anticipating the automatic national assignment of work. The staff in Bundaberg, Qld, have been using AIMS daily since March 1993, and the system will be implemented nationally (eg. Sydney will have up to 200 concurrent users).

The project has a client-server architecture, with the client environment being Microsoft Windows and the server environment being SunOS. The first version was implemented using Microsoft Visual Basic 1.0 graphical user interfaces (GUI), communicating via Remove Procedure Calls over PC-NFS, to Remedy Corporation's Action Request system on SunOS.

The project then moved to Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) technology using Ingres as the database server. My brief was to understand the prototype application and to rebuild the GUI for:

• ODBC technology,
• Common User Access (CUA) compliance,
• additional functionality.

• ODBC technology gives database independence. This means that the database server can be changed at any time, without the need to change the GUI,
• ODBC technology gives network independence. This means that the network technology can be changed at any time, without the need to change the GUI,
• CUA compliance means that AIMS now looks and feels like a Windows application. This means that users very quickly understand and accept the mechanics of moving around the application,
• One integrated application means that extending AIMS is now as easy as adding new menus. That is, complexity is contained for both developers and users.

• From the user's point of view, the GUI remained unchanged,
• Due to the new custom communications layer, responsiveness increased dramatically, and resource overhead decreased dramatically.

Software Professional, contracted to specify and construct a Windows-based user interface to software that modelled atmospheric pollutant dispersion.

The United Kingdom Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System (UK-ADMS) was sponsored by The U.K. Meteorological Office and National Power plc, amongst others, and was/is intended to be a standard-setter in atmospheric dispersion modelling inside and outside the United Kingdom. The completed user interface, and the model it communicates with, are Microsoft Windows applications. To build the user interface, I used Actor from Symantec - Whitewater and the Whitewater Resource Toolkit. The model is written in FORTRAN.

Note: As at April 1996, UK-ADMS is being used as the foundation software in the Air Quality and Integrated Management project for London, U.K.

In addition to constructing the user interface for UK-ADMS, I:

• Specified and constructed two user interfaces in addition to the one for UK-ADMS;
• Built a reusable toolkit of Actor classes which allows the developer to build Microsoft Windows data-input applications in weeks,
• Maintained complete documented version histories of the three projects that I have been involved with, including each change to each specification,
• Met with clients to discuss their requirements,
• Evaluated five hardware execution protection dongles,
• Solved day-to-day hardware and software problems,
• Advised on matters of programming methodology and programming style, with the goal of minimising total software development costs,
• Advised on aspects of software architecture for the whole UK-ADMS project,
• Advised on aspects of porting UK-ADMS to UNIX platforms,
• Advised on aspects of translating UK-ADMS into non-English languages.

• Actor - the Windows programming system (Smalltalk lookalike),
• Whitewater Resource Toolkit - dialog editor,
• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit,
• WordPerfectForWindows,
• installSHIELD - builds installation programs,
• Microsoft FORTRAN,
• Stanford Graphics - presentation quality scientific graphics.

Analyst/Programmer at 75-employee software house, working with relational databases, UNIX and C.

Member of a 7-person team that built a revenue collection system for a State Government department, using personal computers communicating with a central UNIX machine:

• Specified, designed and constructed receipting software on a personal computer, using the Turbo C integrated environment, the Btrieve database library, PC/NFS networking software and the Vermont Views user interface toolkit
• Integrated the application software with specialised financial peripherals
• Specified, designed and constructed version control software for the PC cash-collection modules
• Administered the MIPS 6280 UNIX host (10 users, 3 GB of disk)
• Installed and managed the network connections of the personal computers and the UNIX host
• Installed and customised the Ingres development environment, including the modification of existing inadequate configuration management software
• Liaised with client technical personnel and users for trouble-shooting and problem-solving

• Modified an existing DBQ relational database application to support new user requirements
• Improved query response times on an existing DBQ relational database application by performing access path performance tuning
• Completed a performance audit of a DBQ relational database application for the collection of Land Tax
• Built software to automatically convert DBASE source code to C, improving portability and reducing overhead

Programmer at software services company. Worked in the Information Technology International (ITI) division developing multiuser relational database software (DBQ) for an international market.

• Administered the development (MIPS M/120, UNIX System VR3, 1.2 GB disk) and administration machines (Xenix 386)
• Built an automatic regression test suite for DBQ software in a UNIX environment - test runtime fell from days to hours with better coverage
• Wrote two manuals: 'DBQ for UNIX - User Guide' (200 pages) and 'DBQ for Multi-User Systems - Locking Guide' (80 pages)
• Wrote a utility to translate UNIX termcap terminal definitions to DBQ relational database format
• Served on the Help Desk for national hotline telephone support
• Provided technical support and problem-solving advice to clients

Tutorial assistant in the Department of Computer Science.

Eight week summer holiday job in a large stockbroking office interstate. In preparation, completed a six week course at the Brisbane Stock Exchange, mid-1986.

In the Research Department, I developed a gold-company database using the Excel spreadsheet (lots of macros) on a Macintosh computer.

In the backoffice, in my critical capacity of Settlement Clerk Grade 2, I performed data input and stapling.

Professional Library

Software Construction

• Code Complete, Steve McConnell, Microsoft Press.
• Object-oriented Analysis and Design with Applications (second edition), Grady Booch, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.
• Software Creativity, Robert L. Glass, Prentice Hall.
• About Face : The Essentials Of User Interface Design, Alan Cooper, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. Essential reading.
• Writing Solid Code, Steve Maguire, Microsoft Press. This book changed my attitude to coding.

Microsoft Windows

• Advanced Windows NT, Jeffrey Richter, Microsoft Press.
• Inside Windows NT, Helen Custer, Microsoft Press.
• Mastering Windows NT Programming, Brian Myers & Eric Hamer, Sybex.
• Microsoft RPC Programming Guide, John Shirley & Ward Rosenberry, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
• Programming Windows 3.1 (third edition), Charles Petzold, Microsoft Press.

C++

• C++ Primer Plus, Stephen Prata, Waite Group Press.
• Effective C++, Scott Meyers, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Essential reading.
• More Effective C++, Scott Meyers, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Essential reading.
• The Annotated C++ Reference Manual, Margaret A. Ellis & Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
• The C++ Programming Language (second edition), Bjarne Stroustrup, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Special Interests

• Applied Cryptography (second edition), Bruce Schneier, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• C For Windows Animation Programming, Lee Adams, Windcrest/McGraw-Hill.
• Programming Games For Beginners (Visual Basic For Windows For Fun And Profit), Chris Howard, Sams Publishing.
• The Software Publishers Association Legal Guide To Multimedia, Thomas J. Smedinghoff, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
• Visual Basic (Game Programming for Windows), Michael J. Young, Microsoft Press.

Management

• Debugging the Development Process, Steve Maguire, Microsoft Press. Essential reading.
• Principles Of Software Engineering Management, Tom Gilb, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Essential reading.
• The Deming Management Method, Mary Walton, The Business Library.

Gossip

• Accidental Empires, Robert X. Cringely, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
• Artificial Life, Steven Levy, Penguin Books.
• Game Over, David Sheff, Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. Essential reading.
• Insanely Great, Steven Levy, Penguin Books.
• Maverick!, Ricardo Semler, Century.
• Microsoft Secrets, Michael A. Cusumano & Richard W. Selby, The Free Press.
• Show-stopper!, G. Pascal Zachary, The Free Press. Essential reading.

Other skills

• Basic electronics - breadboarding, soldering, multimetering, simple electronics interfacing to computers, letting out the magic smoke.
• Completely comfortable discussing marketing, financial and legal issues.
• Touch-typing with both hands at 80 w.p.m. with 95% accuracy. My brother touch-types with two fingers at 400 w.p.m. and 3% accuracy. My dog Nim couldn't touch-type at all. Anyway, her accuracy would have been low because she couldn't strike just one key at a time. The good news is that, in heaven, dogs can touch-type, and they use special doggy keyboards with oversized keys. Nim can touch-type now.