Eric Poncet - Web, multimedia, software architecture, expertise and management

	Multimedia

Language learning for kids

Built and managed a team of 14 to create a new generation of language learning applications for children.
Prototyped, analyzed, designed and validated the project.
Developed classes to integrate 2D & 3D animations, MPEG video, MP3 audio, and voice recognition engines.
Designed authoring tools for creating content.
Frequent use of the Internet.
Keywords: UML, WithClass, MSProject, Visual C++, Win32, MFC, VSS, DirectX, DirectDraw, DirectSound, DirectShow, Voice recognition, Lernout&Hauspie, Dragon Systems, ViaVoice, SAPI, SMAPI, MP3, Photoshop, 3DStudioMax, CharacterStudio, MPEG, DVcam, Video editing
Duration: 1 ½ year

Educational software

Designed and implemented a module to print pedagogical content of an educational application.
Content is stored in proprietary-format ascii files.
User can choose whole or the subset of the content, define a combination of filtering criteria, preview and/or print the final document.
Keywords: Visual C++, Win32, MFC
Duration: 1 month

Programmable camera for TV show

Prototyped GUI and communications layers for a fully-programmable camera mounted on a moving carriage.
The operator has real-time control over 6 axis: X, Y, Z, Zoom, Focus, User-defined. S/he can record trajectories, edit them on a step-by-step basis, save them, recall them, replay them at different speeds.
Those trajectories can also be assigned to buttons on the GUI for easy replay.
Final product allows for easy-programming, very accurate response-time and great visual impact. It has been used by a national TV channel for prime-time shows.
Keywords: GUI, Prototype, Visual Basic, VB, 8086, TV, Broadcast
Duration: 1 month

Musical education for a jazz school

Analyzed and developed a MIDI application for practicing jazz improvisation.
The student clicks on the score-like part of the UI to enter a chord sequence using the international notation (A to G for keys, Major/minor/7/etc.). S/he then draws a curve on the graph-like part of the UI to express "tensions" and "resolutions" that are supposed to be a key factor in good improvisations.
The program implements an experimental algorithm to generate a random melodic line that "swings".
Vincent Chaintrier, a French world-class jazz pianist, helped with the analysis.
Keywords: Music, MIDI, C, Atari, GEM
Duration: 2 months

Ear training

Designed and developed an application for teaching ear-training.
The user can choose between recognizing single notes, melodic intervals, harmonic intervals, three-note or four-note chords, and melodies. For each category, s/he can also choose to restrict recognition to a subset: for instance s/he may choose "chords" and then "only minor and major chords", thus excluding "seventh, altered, diminished and half-diminished". When s/he gets better at identifying minor and major chords, s/he can add "seventh" and start practicing right away.
Keywords: Music, MIDI, C, Atari, GEM
Duration: 3 months

Broadcast animation for the French ministry of social affairs

Designed and implemented a digitalizer driver and an application for real time display of poll results on French TV.
A map of France was animated on a regional basis, according to score.
Keywords: Image, Digitalization, Pascal, PC, DOS, Driver
Duration: 2 weeks

Image transcoding for Videotex

Developed an image coding and storage system for the French Minitel terminal network.
Keywords: Image, Digitalization, Videotex, Minitel, RS232, Pascal, Apple3, UCSD
Duration: 3 months