Brendan Duncan

Title: Brendan Duncan: Innovator in Computer Animation

Introduction

Brendan Duncan is a notable inventor based in Redwood City, CA (US). He has made significant contributions to the field of computer animation, particularly through his innovative patents. With a total of 2 patents, Duncan has focused on enhancing the visualization of parallel dependency graphs, which are crucial in the animation process.

Latest Patents

Duncan's latest patents include a visualization tool for parallel dependency graph evaluation. This tool provides systems and processes for visualizing parallel dependency graph evaluation in computer animation. The tool collects runtime evaluation data of a parallel dependency graph, including the start time and stop time for each node in the graph. It processes this data to generate performance visualizations and other analysis features. These visualizations illustrate the level of concurrency over time during the evaluation of parallel dependency graphs. By graphing node blocks according to their start and stop times, the tool effectively illustrates parallelism. This innovation enables character technical directors, character riggers, programmers, and other users to evaluate how well parallelism is expressed in these graphs.

Career Highlights

Brendan Duncan is currently employed at DreamWorks Animation LLC, where he continues to develop and refine his innovative ideas. His work has significantly impacted the animation industry, providing tools that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of animation processes.

Collaborations

Duncan collaborates with talented individuals in his field, including his coworker Martin Peter Watt. Their combined expertise contributes to the advancement of technology in computer animation.

Conclusion

Brendan Duncan is a pioneering inventor whose work in computer animation has led to valuable innovations. His contributions, particularly in visualizing parallel dependency graphs, are essential for improving the animation workflow.