Welcome to Craniac

Professional Bio

Chuck has been working with entertainment technologies since 1981. The range of his experience runs from computer game development to virtual reality hardware to amusement park attraction control systems. Some of his recent projects include mechanical design and prototyping of a crane simulator for operator training, the 3D interface for a leading downloadable Chess game, and feasibility analyses for a new cellphone UI design. Prior projects have covered such diverse areas as 3D graphics visualizations for the Microsoft Media Player and Controls Engineering for Universal Studios, working on the Terminator 2:3D attraction in their latest theme park in Osaka, Japan. Chuck served as Software Technologist for Dell Computer's award-winning Dimension line of consumer desktop computers, Director of Software Development at Xatrix Entertainment, and Vice President of Title Development at Velocity. In 1983, Chuck cofounded Origin Systems and remained with the company as Vice President until 1988. On and off since 1981, when not employed full-time at other companies, he has done independent consulting through his own company, Craniac Entertainment.

Chuck's experience in software and systems development and design includes departmental management, corporate management and strategy, project management, project design, and extensive hands-on coding in 2D and 3D graphics, physical modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, PLC ladder logic, and control systems analysis. In his 25-year career, Chuck has worked with Disney Imagineering, Timeplay, Corsair Studios, CM Labs, PlayFirst, IDEO, Tripplite, Frog Design, Universal Studios, Interplay, Activision, Sega Gameworks, Xatrix, Velocity, Atomic Games, Virgin Interactive, Origin, Sierra, California Pacific Computers, Miles Design, IBM, Dell, and Diamond Graphics.

Chuck holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin.