Managing Complexity
from Pixel to Pixel
Grand Rapids Machine Learning, High-Performance Video, and Interactive 3D Developer crafting powerful visual experiences and tailored machine learning solutions.
I'm Alex - a Grand Rapids-based graphics engineer focused on real-time 3D, encode/decode/altering video, machine learning, and creative coding. My work bridges design and engineering to produce cinematic, interactive visuals and powerful generative, predictive, and analytical ML models. Currently, I am looking for my next long-term position. Feel free to reach out
As an interactive 3D / Video / ML developer in Grand Rapids, I help startups, studios, and brands transform ideas into visually rich digital experiences and solutions. I specialize in WebGL, WebGPU, and Burn + PyTorch to bring your dream ideas to life. I also love other graphical frameworks such as Vulkan and often code in Rust, C++, and TypeScript.
Stunts
Create Beautiful Videos Easily
Stunts is a motion graphics editor built for high-impact video content. Create cinematic product demos, social media ads, app previews, and brand animations with professional visual flair - fast.
- Cinematic camera movements - Mouse movements translate into smooth, eased keyframes with perspective effects for that signature scan-like feel
- Custom 3D engine - Built on WebGPU and WebGL for powerful 3D mockups and animations
- Generative keyframes - Intelligent animation assistance that adds craft automatically
- Fast workflow - Most effects are just a couple clicks with intuitive options
Entropy
Enjoy Making Games
Entropy is a powerful yet lightweight game engine that is intended to provide higher-quality visuals while still targeting a mobile or web performance goal. It features several advanced capabilities as defaults that set it apart from even some popular engines.
- Deferred Rendering / Lighting - This approach not only allows for many lights in a scene, but enables complex lighting shaders that can apply more advanced effects.
- Procedural, Interactive Grass - Leveraging instancing to create a hair-particle system which tracks player position and creates wind and interaction, while remaining performant even with over 50k blades
- Open-World Landscapes - The quadtree terrain system enables massive open world landscapes of practically any size
- Physically-Based-Rendering Techniques - Leveraging PBR materials and the deferred rendering pipeline, the various specular constraints from metallic to roughness are accounted for
Ultravox
Open-World Voxel Engine
Ultravox is a native C++ / Vulkan engine for open-world voxel-based games. Easy manipulation of point lights and terrain as well early gameplay mechanics.
- Open-world optimizations - Leveraging a chunk manager for vertex data and an octree for physics instances
- Specialized 3D engine - Built on Vulkan with only voxels in mind to afford more optimization potential
- Terrain generation - Leverage noise algorithms to produce interesting landscapes with voxels
- Work-in-Progress - An actively developed engine with an early feature-set
CommonPlace
Connect and Share Feedback Rapidly
CommonPlace enabled users to share their creations by providing feedback on other creations. The user simply clicks the "impression" which matches their feelings about it.
- Impression-based feedback - Users select from a set of impressions to quickly convey their thoughts
- Community engagement - Fostered a sense of community through shared feedback and interaction
- User-friendly interface - Designed for ease of use, allowing users to navigate and provide feedback effortlessly
CommonMotion 2D
Generate 2D Animation Motion Paths
CommonMotion 2D, trained on an in-house dataset of motion paths, generates animations with solid enter / exit motions, but a stronger data regimen is needed for more complex animations.
- Hyper-Efficient VAE-LSTM Architecture - Runs on CPU with minimal RAM overhead
- Data Adherence via Attention Mechanism - Ensures generated motions understand training data
- Easily Integrated or Deployed - Binary model package for easy loading into apps or APIs
Our Virtue
A Book of Poems filled with Godly Teachings
A modern collection of 60 devotional poems across 11 categories, bridging traditional Christian teaching with contemporary social concerns.
- Contemporary Christian Poetry - A fresh take on devotional literature
- Localized Content - Available in 10 languages to reach a global audience
- Thematic Organization - 11 categories addressing various aspects of faith and life
The wide variety of projects I have built include: Rust GUI kit, C++ and Rust game engine, WGPU and WASM motion graphics editor, animation keyframe generation model, 64x64 image generation model, sparse web crawler, various LLM-powered application experiences, and a "multi-page" rich text editor.
I also have a foundation of experience in your classic frontend technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript (TypeScript) and related frontend frameworks and libraries. I understand how to implement data structures and algorithms which take web experiences to the next level.
I love taking on complex challenges that involve a deep understanding for the technology at hand. I excel at building things from scratch rather than repurposing existing solutions.
Key Strengths
technical
Strong development skills with ability to quickly understand codebases and add meaningful improvements
communication
Clear communication, reliable, and easy to collaborate with throughout projects
strategic
Contributes valuable architectural suggestions that improve long-term scalability
professional
Flexible, solid work ethic, and genuine curiosity about business context
trust
Consistently recommended for future work—avoids common freelancer pitfalls
Client Testimonials
Alex did a fantastic job picking up the auth flow work on ou...
Technical Leadership & Strategic Thinking
Alex did a fantastic job picking up the auth flow work on our React prototype and really took it to the next level. I had built the initial foundation, and he jumped in quickly, understood the structure, and added a lot of polish and functionality. He was easy to work with and was straightforward when explaining his thoughts. He also suggested transitioning from Firebase to a more suitable cloud platform for handling records and user accounts, which turned out to be a great call. His input there helped set us up for better scalability down the line. Super communicative, reliable, and clearly knows his stuff—would absolutely work with Alex again.
Technical Leadership & Strategic Thinking
Excellent worker. Alex was extraordinarily flexible and went...
Flexibility & Excellence
Excellent worker. Alex was extraordinarily flexible and went above and beyond the different asks put on him.
Flexibility & Excellence
Alex was fantastic. Would work with him again and recommend ...
Strong Recommendation
Alex was fantastic. Would work with him again and recommend him to anyone.
Strong Recommendation
Alex does great work and is very communicative.
Quality & Communication
Alex does great work and is very communicative.
Quality & Communication
Great human!
Character
Great human!
Character
Alex is a great guy to work with in the sense that we never ...
Professionalism & Reliability
Alex is a great guy to work with in the sense that we never had any issues we typically see with freelancers. Great solid work ethic, flexible to the needs of a startup and curious about the business. We'll hire Alex again and you should too.
Professionalism & Reliability
Alex is a good developer and is able to deliver quality work...
Dependability
Alex is a good developer and is able to deliver quality work on-time and on budget.
Dependability
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of projects do you specialize in?
I specialize in a wide range of projects, including real-time 3D graphics, creative coding, machine learning model development, and full-stack web applications. I have experience with everything from motion graphics editors and voxel game engines to LLM-powered applications and PCB design.
What is "graphics engineering" and how can it help my business?
Graphics engineering is the art of using code to create compelling, interactive visuals. For your business, this could mean creating a cinematic product demo, a real-time 3D configurator for your products, or eye-catching data visualizations. I use modern technologies like WebGL, WebGPU, and Vulkan to bring these experiences to life.
Can you build custom machine learning models?
Yes. I have experience building and training custom ML models, including generative models for animations and images. Whether you need a predictive or analytical model, I can leverage frameworks like PyTorch and Burn to create a solution tailored to your data and business needs.
Do you work with startups as well as established companies?
Absolutely. I enjoy working with clients of all sizes. I can help startups build their first product and established companies innovate with new technologies. My process is flexible and can adapt to the needs of your project, whether it's rapid prototyping or building a scalable, long-term solution.
What is your development process like?
My process is collaborative and iterative. We start by defining the project goals and requirements. Then, I move into design and development, with regular check-ins to ensure the project is on track. I believe in writing clean, maintainable code and using tools like Git for version control and automated testing to ensure quality.
Are you available for freelance or contract work?
Yes, I am currently available for new freelance and contract opportunities. If you have a project you'd like to discuss, please feel free to reach out.
How does the pricing calculator work?
The pricing calculator is a tool to help you get a rough estimate for your project. You select a project category, a service, and any relevant add-ons. The calculator then provides a price range based on my past projects. Please note that this is an estimate, and the final price may vary depending on the specific details of your project.
I have a project that involves both hardware (PCB) and software. Can you handle that?
Yes, this is an area I'm particularly excited about. My experience in both software development and PCB design allows me to take on projects that bridge the physical and digital worlds. Whether it's a custom controller for an interactive installation or a smart device, I can design the hardware and write the software to make it work.
About Me
Alex Woodman (aka Goodman)
I got my start very young as a boy designing operating systems and video games. I quickly began to program and challenged myself year after year. Eventually, I started building things of value, and by the time I graduated high school, I had a small portfolio of successful projects.
Fast-forward 10+ years, and here I am working on continuously more advanced project types and significant scope. C++ was my very first programming language and remains my overall favorite, closely followed by TypeScript and Rust. I have always enjoyed reading, everything from UX to DevOps, from rendering to AI.
I'm also an avid gamer myself. Some great picks include Fallout, Far Cry, and my childhood favorite, Fable. I strive to help people who want to create all kinds of interactive experiences, including games.