Andrew Gwinner
Larger Projects
Smaller Projects
XR Art
Game Jams

Windows 11 and Remote Desktop

Announcement by Mark Zuckerburg at Meta Connect 2024

Highlight from Microsoft Ignite 2024

When looking at a keyboard in Quest a "Connect" button will appear (after initial setup)

Using that button will connect your Quest to your Windows 11 PC allowing you to extend your screen

Seamless connection between Windows 11 and Meta Quest

  • Initial setup: Pair Meta Quest Remote Desktop to a Windows 11 PC with a QR code from MR Link
  • From then on, look at a keyboard while wearing a Quest and a "Connect" button will appear over the keyboard
  • Pressing the "Connect" button will launch Remote Desktop connected to that Windows 11 computer and black out its physical screen for privacy
MY ROLE: Product Design Prototyper
  • Initial prototyping was to help design iterate the initial setup pairing flows
  • Later prototyping was to take various flows through UXR sessions (which I assisted in person).
  • Final prototyping was to fine-tune the desired placement and tracking behaviors for the "Connect" button to the keyboard
TIMEFRAME:
  • May - November 2024

Lift: The Last Days of the Westwind Hotel

Trailer from May 2024

Operate the elevator to take patrons throughout the hotel

Interact with patrons' and give them items to alter their storylines

A VR interactive narrative where you take on the role of the Westwind Hotel's final elevator operator

  • Built in Unity (C#)
MY ROLE: Lead Programmer
  • Refactored to support Quest from the start
    • Switched interactions to UnityXR
    • Migrated project to URP
    • Restructured project to load additively to decrease load times
  • Implemented cores systems
    • Item inventory and spawning, save/load systems
    • Co-designed and architected subtitles system
    • Main and pause menus, patrons moving on splines, pointing
TIMEFRAME:
  • Working at night October 2020 - July 2024

everybody's sad

Trailer from June 2019

Team photo outside our booth at Indiecade

Attendee doing reps at Dreamhack Atlanta 2019

A VR experience in an apartment full of sad objects

MY ROLE: Lead Programmer
  • Ran programming meetings
  • Coded intro and bathroom sequences, and audio and progression systems
  • Created gameplay snippets and graphics for social media
  • Tabled and debugged VR equipment at all our showcases
TIMEFRAME:
  • Primary development 6 months from January-June 2018
  • Light polish work July-December 2018
  • 2 months of updates and patches January-February 2019

everybody's sad (Oculus Version)

SideQuest Store Thumbnail

A long-range grab was a direct-ask in a cert pass, so has been added in this version!

An optimized port that supports Oculus Quest

  • Built in Unity (C#)
    Install on your headset using SideQuest!
MY ROLE: Solo Porting
  • Recoded game to be native to the Oculus SDK
    • Recoded VR Interactions to be native to the Oculus SDK
    • Created a long-range grab that didn't compromise original design
    • Built a teleporation system from scratch to replace the one reliant on SteamVR
  • Swapped the render pipelines to Universal Render Pipeline
    • Replaced our outline shader with Custom Render Passes
    • Updated the mirror shader to a URP-supported stereo-renderering mirror shader
  • Made the Additional Needed Changes to Run on Quest
    • Integrated a speech-recognition system that didn't rely on standard Android libraries (not on Quest device) and avoided using a major speech recognition service (we avoid bills)
    • Optimized original codebase to boost FPS
    • Created LOD versions of high-poly models
TIMEFRAME:
  • Porting Game to Oculus SDK at night June 2019 - September 2020

Mesh Guess

Release Trailer

The 2-Player Mode: "Mesh Scramble"

Try to Guess the Scrambled Model!

  • Record fun videos of you and your friends trying to guess scrambled models!
  • In 1 Player mode: "Mesh Guess" the player tries to guess a randomly scrambled model
  • In 2 Player mode: "Mesh Scramble" one player is in charge of scrambling the model beyond recognition and then the other player tries to guess it!
  • Inspired by the planned Train Jam 2020 theme: "Hindsight"
  • Built in Unity (C#) Twitter. Website.
MY ROLE: Everything
  • Created model import and scrambling pipelines
  • UX Flows, UI Design, Programming
  • Adjusting models from Google Poly to fit pipeline
  • Social Media, Storefont Management
TIMEFRAME:
  • 2 months from March - May 2020

Loot Box Simulator

Release Trailer

A variety of nicely customized loot boxes

A satirical look at the 2017 trajectory of the game industry

  • Open loot boxes, collect loot, equip cosmetics, face off against the dark lord, watch ads, take surveys, and slowly succumb to addiction.
  • One of my undergrad senior projects. Made in a group of five.
  • Built in Unity (C#) Twitter. Website.
MY ROLE: Programmer and Producer
  • Coded Model and Accessory pipelines
  • Coded save system
  • Ran meetings and handled social media
TIMEFRAME:
  • 7 months from December 2017 - June 2018
  • 3 months of updates and patches June-August 2018

StumpJumper

Gameplay of Level 2

Beginning of the first cutscene

Made for Specialized's relaunch of their Stumpjumper bicycle

  • A browser-based Excite Bike inspired game playable with either keyboard or touch
  • Do sick tricks to get more RAD!
  • Contract work in a team of five.
  • Built in Phaser (Javascript). Play in browser now!
MY ROLE: Programmer
  • Coded dialogue system
  • Implemented touch and swipe input
  • Coded trick system in early prototype
TIMEFRAME:
  • 6 months from February-July 2018