About
I'm a Computer Science student at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Computational Fine Arts and completing a minor in Cognitive Science.
I work at the intersection of real-time graphics, geometry processing, and creative software. My experience spans C++, Vulkan, OpenGL, GLSL, game engines, and virtual reality.
I'm currently a Graphics Programming Intern at SideFX, working on performance-critical, cross-platform rendering for Houdini. I've built core Vulkan viewport functionality with custom GLSL shaders, reducing polygon counts by more than 20x across instances, as well as a GPU text-rendering pipeline using bitmap fonts and texture atlases.
During an earlier SideFX R&D internship, I improved high-precision data imports, mesh-decimation algorithms, and real-time modeling workflows. I also built VR training software for wind-turbine technicians at Liftwerx.
Previously, I worked on Android Automotive OS and real-time 3D vehicle visualization at Ford Motor Company of Canada, using C++, Kotlin, and Google Filament.
I founded and led Sojourn Interactive, a game studio focused on socially impactful games, from 2019 to 2023.
In my free time, you can find me making digital 3D art, cooking, playing Kerbal Space Program, or reading. I also enjoy participating in hackathons and building creative solutions to everyday problems.
Want to talk graphics, tools, or something interesting? Email me at pgarg@uwaterloo.ca.
Selected Projects
A few projects I've worked on:
-
Vulkan Fluid Simulation
research tools -
A highly optimized real-time particle-based fluid simulation with photorealistic rendering, running on a custom-built Vulkan graphics engine.
-
Voksel
tools -
An open-source 3D modeling tool for voxel-based game asset creation, built with Unity, C#, and HLSL.
-
Pashu
game -
A real-time strategy game about building and managing an animal shelter, with animal AI, resource management, and a time-of-day system. Pashu was featured in the GitHub Education portfolio.
-
SpaceLine
game -
A physics-based space sandbox with real-time gravity and climate simulations, including a VR mode built with SteamVR. SpaceLine won NASA Space Apps India and was selected as a global finalist.
-
Prepto
development -
A cross-platform React Native app for real-time competitive test preparation, using Firebase for authentication, matchmaking, and real-time data.
-
Certify
development -
A Web3 platform for creating, storing, and verifying certificates as NFTs on the Solana blockchain.
-
TxtScribe
development tools -
An image-to-text transcription tool that uses natural language processing to correct, complete, and summarize handwritten text.
-
Terrain Generator
research tools -
A parametric 2D terrain generator built with WebGL and Perlin noise to create world maps and shaded heightmap falloffs.