John Bryden
Tel. 07941 333612
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Date of Birth |
2nd July 1971 |
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work@jbryden.co.uk |
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Nationality |
British |
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Marital Status |
Single |
Skills Summary
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C++ Developer |
Environments: Visual Studio .Net, GNU C++, Borland C++ Builder |
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Delphi Developer |
Technologies: SDL (Standard Delphi Library), VCL programming, Component building, ActiveX/COM, TAPI |
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Visual Basic Developer |
Technologies: ActiveX / COM, Win32 Components |
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Java Developer |
Technologies: Java Swing, Java SDK |
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Game Developer |
Technologies: DirectX (Draw, 3D, Sound), 3D Max API, General 3D engine algorithms and 3D geometry, Image manipulation, PSX and Sega Saturn |
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Database Developer |
Technologies: SQL Server, Transact SQL, Stored Procedures, Performance tuning, Access Forms and Modules, MySQL, Superbase |
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Web Developer |
Technologies: .NET, OGSA, ASP, J2EE, HTML, DHTML, XML, RDF, VB Script, ISAPI, Internet Information Server, Jscript |
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Other Technologies |
InstallShield, NT Security, ORACLE, Python, TCL, Java, Linux, Kylix, Globus |
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Software Design |
Object Oriented (UML), User Interface design, Simulation Modeling Methodology |
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Project Management |
Small teams, corporate clients, project scheduling |
Personal Summary
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After finishing at Bristol University
I worked at Rebellion Developments for 3 years. I left there to join Oxford
Computer Consultants and stayed there for a further 3 years. I decided to
take a year out after that position and headed for Australia. I worked on
some small contracts in Australia, the main one being at Fujitsu. On my way
back I stopped off in Thailand for a month and India for a month. I am
currently doing a Masters Degree in Multidisciplinary Informatics at Leeds
University and am looking to apply the scientific approaches I have been
studying in my future career. The sort of buzz-words that cover what I am interested in are: Bio-inspired computing , The Grid, Semantic Web, Resource Description Framework, Simulation Modelling and Bio-informatics. |
Publications
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Boyle JM, Gunge J, Bryden J, Librowski K, Hanna HY. Sentence-based metadata: an approach and tool for viewing database designs. Journal of Information Science 28 (2): 143-156 2002 |
Employment History
Voluntary teaching at the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics Computer Centre in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, India (Mar. ’02 - Apr. '02)
The Institute of Buddhist Dialectics Computer Centre is based at the home of the Dalai Lama. I taught computer skills, including ASP programming and Visual Studio .NET, to one of the Tibetan staff at the centre. I also taught English and Mathematics to some of the Tibetan refugees living in McLeod Ganj.
Small contract roles in Melbourne, Australia (Nov. '01 - Jan. '02)
Included working at BHP Billiton helping out with an Access database and some work with a web site for midi files.
Lead Web Developer, Fujitsu Australia Ltd (Jul. '01 - Oct. '01)
Produced a content management style web site for the Australian Wheat Board (http://www.awb.com.au) using ASP and Visual Basic. Tasks included design and programming the weather and financial markets synchronisation: this involved automated downloading and parsing of XML data (using the XML DOM) from content providers. Technologies: ASP, VB, SQL Server, .NET.
Senior Software Consultant, Oxford Computer Consultants Ltd. (Jan. '98 - Feb. '01)
National Institute of Clinical Excellence Web Site (http://www.nice.org.uk), 2 months:
Developed the search for the web site and was in charge of code maintenance for some time. The site won an award for best Web publication. Technologies: VC++, SQL Server, ASP
Developed Pocket Canofile and Intranet Canofile for Canon Systems Management Europe, 2 years full and part time:
Intranet Canofile allows Internet Explorer users to search and view images from a Canofile for Windows image database. The project involved reverse engineering the Canofile database specification and then coding an HTML server to generate the data and images. Two versions of the server were developed - one as an IIS plug in, the other as a standalone server using sockets. The product had to resemble the original Win32 interface as much as possible. An ActiveX viewer was built (using Visual Basic) that allowed users to rotate, zoom and otherwise manipulate images from the browser.
I worked with Canon to specify requirements for Intranet Canofile and other currently ongoing projects.
Primary technologies: VC++, Borland C++ Builder, VBScript, Visual Basic, ASP, DBASE III (Clipper), InstallShield, NT Security, Sockets.
Developed and project managed a European Union funded project for a prototype for a European Multimedia Archive of The Holocaust, 2 years full and part time:
Several European holocaust museums, including Yad Vashem in Jerusalem are interested in collaborating together to form a European wide archive. I developed a piece of software which allows them to customise their own cataloguing system while still contributing to a central archive. The software uses a Resource Description Framework based model (not unlike the Semantic Web) for the data, which allowed for the greatest flexibility of knowledge modelling.
The cataloguing front-end software was developed using Delphi to allow users to enter data and retrieve it quickly from the system. A customised tree control component, which dynamically added data as each branch was opened, was used to display data. Tools for correlating data between the museums were developed and a prototype was developed for automated import of documents.
An article
'Sentence-based metadata: an approach and tool for viewing database designs'
based on the project was published in The Journal of Information Science, Vol
28, No. 2 (2002) ISSN 0165-5515
Primary technologies: RDF, XML, Semantic Web, VC++, DCOM, SQL Server,
Delphi.
Other small projects:
Software to control QA robots for testing soft drink cans (1 month): A Visual C++ application that gave a robot instructions to acquire soft drink cans and test the thickness of the internal lacquer using a capacitance sensor. Data was stored in an Access database.
Environmental monitoring software (4 months): Primarily using Delphi 1 the software interfaced with an embedded system which monitored quantities of pollutants in the air. I maintained the software, written by someone else. Also, I developed a new Delphi 5 application which allowed members of the public to call a computer and using touch tones to access the current air quality.
Refrigeration monitoring software (2 weeks): Visual C++ software to interface with an embedded system to monitor the temperature of refrigerated trucks.
Innovative graphical file manager program (1 month): In house R&D project which recorded which files were being used by applications such as MS Word so a user could see how their time had been spent.
Head of Tools Group, Rebellion Developments Ltd. (Mar. '95 - Jan. '98)
In charge of two people developing tools for the number one selling game - 'Aliens versus Predator', 2 years:
We developed software for manipulation of data for 3D environments across three platforms. The system was used with other games including PlayStation Rainbow 6. The software optimised data for the game engine so that complex environments could be displayed with ease, and therefore at a fast frame rate.
I also designed and coded game strategy which included algorithms for helping the Aliens and other characters track down players in the environments - both on a general level and on a local attack level. The sound engine I developed allowed 3D placement of environmental sounds, this unique feature (at the time) helped the game get nominated for a best game sound award from the British Academy. It was also nominated for best game and best programming awards.
Other projects:
Worked on a Sega Saturn project called 'Freerunner' which was unfortunately canned due to financial issues at Sega (9 months). Wrote software to generate BSP trees for polygon data in the game. Some specific Sega Saturn programming as well, including developing a working memory allocator.
Wrote music for the game 'Skyhammer' for the Atari Jaguar. The game was never properly released due to financial issues at Atari, it is available on the Internet and one review actually complemented the music.
Analyst Programmer, AEA Technology, Abingdon (Periods during Mar. '92 - Oct. '93)
Devised a method for processing data downloaded from an ORACLE database for production of senior management reports. I also worked customising style sheets within the LaTeX Scientific Word Processing language.
Education
Leeds University (2002 - Present)
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MSc in Multidisciplinary Informatics (http://www.informatics.leeds.ac.uk/pages/02_courses/02_msc_mult_inform.htm) Studied modules in Systems Thinking (including complexity, adaption
and chaos), Simulation Modelling (including genetic algorithms),
Communication Visualisation and Interaction, Collaborative Internet
Architectures (including Open Grid Service Architecture), Introduction to
Molecular Biology and Evolution and Bioinformatics Software (including
Rational Drug Design). Half the
course marks are on the project, my project is “A simulation Model of the
locomotion controllers for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans”. The project web site is http://www.jbryden.co.uk/celegans. The course includes profession development
skills training in Project Management, Presentation Skills, Scientific Report
Writing, Research Methodology and Intellectual Property Awareness. |
Bristol University (1990 - 1994)
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BA (Hons.) 2nd class in Philosophy and Mathematics |
Abingdon School, Oxon. (1982 - 1989)
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Eleven O' levels, four A' levels; Maths (A), Further Maths (A), Chemistry (A) and Physics (B) |
Other Interests
· I play the piano, cornet, guitar and compose music on computer in my home studio
· Recently acted in Cyrano de Bergerac
References
Available on request.