Computer Games Technology

Owen Monaghan

CGI render of a stylized sailing ship with tan sails navigating calm blue waters near a small island with palm trees under a partly cloudy sky.

Ship floating to the waves from the Ocean Shader

I am BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology student, and an aspiring Gameplay Programmer, specialising in XR, Physics and Technical Art.

I am a passion driven Dev who enjoys experimenting with new technology and methods to create awesome engaging experiences and gameplay. I enjoy developing games that make use of fun Physics and innovative gameplay mechanics.

I am proficient in both Unreal Engine and Unity with Programming Skills in C# along side other tools such as Unreal Material Editor and Various XR dev toolkits


Ocean Shader and Custom Buoyancy project

This project showcases an Ocean shader and custom buoyancy for gameplay objects in Unreal Engine 5.

This project explores the use of Unreal Engine's Material Editor to create a dynamic ocean shader which can be used in the creation of a sailing game. The project also looked at how custom components can be made in Unreal to increase code reusability and improve dev time. The main example of this in this project is the Buoyancy component which can be applied to any in-game object to make them float and react to the waves from the shader

The project was developed in 12 weeks and through the project I learned a verity of new techniques and understanding of how shader can be developed and how gameplay mechanics can be used in collaboration with them.

The project was challenging to undertake with a few issues still present but overall, I am happy with results of the project.


Mixed Reality Project

This Mixed Reality project makes use of the Meta Quest 3 VR headset. It explores the use of Mixed reality to create fun and engaging immersive games as well as, how Mixed Reality technology can be used to blend virtual worlds with the real.

This project was created in under 12 weeks and was also submitted to the Innovate UK Immersive Tech awards during the trimester. Through the project I explored many aspects of Mixed reality and rendering techniques to blend realities. For example: Stencil shaders for portal effects and destructible meshes and Passthrough shaders for breaking down the walls and showing the real world.

This was a challenging project to undertake with the technology being used still in its relative infancy which made finding relevant resources and development help tricky. Overall, I am very proud of what I achieved with this project.

CGI render of sailboat with full sails moving near a rocky island with palm trees, while another ship is anchored nearby under a clear sky.
CGI render of a wooden boat and buoy floating on calm teal waters with a rocky arch and cloudy sky in the background.
CGI render of stylized sailboat anchored near a rocky shore with flowers, under a partly cloudy sky. Text shows no sail, anchored, speed 0.06.
CGI render of wooden dock leading to a small boat on calm turquoise water, with a sandy beach and palm trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Low-poly 3D scene of a tropical island with palm trees, surrounded by turquoise water and large rock formations under a clear sky.
CGI render of a wooden sailboat with full sails navigating through blue waves near a small island with palm trees under a cloudy sky.
Low-poly ocean scene with angular rocks in the foreground and a distant arch-shaped rock formation under a cloudy sky.
Still from space-themed VR game, featuring asteroids and a spaceship. A desk with a computer and chair is visible.
Virtual reality game scene with controllers shooting at floating rocks. On-screen display shows time, score, and multiplier.
Virtual reality game interface showing time, score, and multiplier. Two controllers labeled "RELOAD" with a space background and planets.
VR game still of room including a spaceship and asteroids, overlaying a desk with a computer and a window view of buildings.
Showcase of the Project Demo of the Buoyancy component Calm Wave settings Shader can blend to Rough waves Mixed Reality Project gameplay highlights Wall destruction and Virtual environment blending with the real world Showcasing gunplay mechanics and UI Destroying invading enemy