Deonte L. Merritt

I’ve worked with a wide range of software and tools for both game development and character design, and each one plays a key role in how I bring projects to life. Whether I’m writing code for gameplay systems or sculpting a new character, I rely on the tools I know best to do it right. For game development, I use Unity and Unreal Engine. Unity is where I’ve done most of my scripting in C#, especially for 2D and 3D games where I need to control player movement, enemy AI, UI, and game logic. I like how flexible Unity is and how fast I can test ideas. With Unreal Engine, I’ve worked more with Blueprints and C++, and it’s my go-to for more graphically intense projects or when I want to push visuals to the next level. Unreal’s built-in tools for lighting, animation, and real-time rendering are powerful, and I’ve used them to build realistic environments and effects. For character design and modeling, I use Character Creator 4 and 5, along with Blender and ZBrush. Character Creator has been a game-changer for building realistic, stylized, or game-ready characters quickly. I use it to design fully rigged characters with detailed morphs, facial expressions, and animation-ready skeletons. It’s especially useful for pipeline integration with Unreal and Unity, making the export process smooth. I’ve used Character Creator to speed up prototyping and to polish characters for both cinematics and gameplay. Blender is still my main tool for 3D modeling, sculpting, rigging, and basic animation. It’s where I shape the environments, props, and assets that go into the game world. When I need more detail or want to create highly stylized or realistic character features, I use ZBrush. It’s great for high-res sculpting and has helped me understand form, anatomy, and detail on a much deeper level. I’ve also used Maya in projects where it was required, mainly for rigging and animation workflows that need more advanced control. To give those models texture and life, I use Substance Painter. It’s my favorite for painting detailed materials onto 3D models, whether it’s worn metal, skin, cloth, or hard surfaces. It’s where I can really bring the surface of a model to life and make it feel part of the world. I also use Photoshop and Illustrator for creating texture maps, UI elements, and concept art. Photoshop helps with image editing and matte painting, while Illustrator is useful for clean, vector-based work like icons and interface designs. On the programming side, besides C# and C++, I’ve written code in Java and Python. Java has come in handy for cross-platform apps and for understanding object-oriented programming on a deeper level. Python I’ve used for quick scripts, tools, and even prototyping logic outside of game engines. No matter the language, I try to write clean, modular code and document what I do, especially when I’m collaborating. I do most of my coding in Visual Studio or VS Code, depending on the engine or language. I also rely on Git and GitHub for version control. I use them to track changes, roll back bugs, and work smoothly with teams. Whether I’m working alone or as part of a group, Git helps me stay organized and avoid conflicts. For planning and team collaboration, I’ve used Trello and Jira. Trello is great for simple task boards, while Jira helps break big goals down into manageable steps and keep track of progress during sprints. All of these tools come together to help me create games that look good, play well, and feel polished. I’ve learned to not just use software, but to understand how each one supports my creative and technical process.

• Game Logic Implementation – Designed core mechanics such as movement, AI behavior, and scoring.
• Efficiency Optimization – Improved game performance through algorithmic improvements.
• Basic AI Concepts – Used logical conditions and loops to create simple game AI.
• Player Input Handling – Processed user inputs efficiently to drive game actions.

• Character Creator 4 (CC4) Proficiency – Created high-quality, fully-rigged 3D characters for games and animations.
• Headshot 2.0 Workflow – Utilized AI-driven tools to generate photo realistic and stylized 3D character heads from images.
• Custom Character Sculpting – Refined facial and body details using CC4’s morph sliders and sculpting tools.
• Texture & Material Editing – Applied advanced skin, hair, and clothing textures for realistic character appearances.
• Facial Expression & Animation Readiness – Optimized characters for lip-syncing, emotion-based animation, and motion capture.
• Topology & Mesh Optimization – Ensured characters are lightweight and game-engine ready for smooth performance.
• Integration with Game Engines – Exported fully rigged characters to Unreal Engine, Unity, and Blender for further development.

• IClone Animation Workflow – Integrated CC4 characters into iClone for high-quality animations.
• Facial & Body Motion Capture – Used Live Face, AccuLips, and Motion LIVE to create realistic expressions and movements.
• Lip-Sync & Voice Animation – Applied AccuLips technology for accurate lip-syncing with dialogue.
• Character Rigging & IK/FK Setup – Ensured smooth character animation with inverse/forward kinematics.
• Blendshapes & Expression Editing – Fine-tuned facial expressions for dynamic character interactions.

• Unreal Engine & Unity Export – Prepared characters for seamless import into game engines with proper rigging and shaders.
• FBX & OBJ Pipeline – Optimized character assets for real-time rendering and animation.
• Retargeting & Animation Transfer – Applied animations across different characters using CC4 and iClone.

• Facial & Body Motion Capture – Used iClone Motion LIVE, Live Face, and AccuLips for realistic character performances.
• Lip-Sync & Dialogue Animation – Applied AccuLips technology for accurate voice synchronization.
• Cinematic Camera Setup – Controlled DOF (Depth of Field), lens effects, and tracking shots for professional cutscenes.
• Keyframe & Motion Layer Editing – Fine-tuned character movements for smooth, dynamic storytelling.
• Scene Lighting & Atmosphere – Created dramatic moods using HDR, GI (Global Illumination), and volumetric lighting.
• Multi-Character Interaction – Choreographed natural character interactions for engaging in-game cinematics.

• Seamless Export to Unreal Engine & Unity – Optimized characters and animations for cinematic sequences.
• Retargeting & Animation Blending – Applied animations across different character rigs for consistent storytelling.
• Real-Time Rendering Optimization – Ensured high-quality visuals without sacrificing performance

• Photorealistic Character Design – Created high-detail 3D characters with lifelike proportions, skin, and hair.
• Headshot 2.0 AI-Powered Realism – Transformed 2D photos into high-resolution 3D characters with ultra-realistic details.
• PBR (Physically Based Rendering) Workflow – Applied realistic textures, reflections, and material physics for lifelike rendering.
• Advanced Skin Shading & Subsurface Scattering (SSS) – Enhanced realism with accurate skin tones, pores, and translucency effects.
• Hair & Beard Physics – Created detailed strand-based hair and facial hair with real-time physics for natural movement.
• High-Resolution Texture Painting – Applied 4K/8K textures with wrinkles, freckles, scars, and micro skin details for realism.

• HDR & GI (Global Illumination) Lighting – Simulated real-world lighting conditions for lifelike shading and depth.
• Ray-Tracing & Reflection Maps – Optimized character materials for accurate reflections and ambient light interaction.
• Ambient Occlusion & Shadow Mapping – Applied realistic soft shadows and self-shadowing effects for depth.
• Depth of Field (DOF) & Post-Processing Effects – Created cinematic realism with blur, bloom, and tone mapping.