Don Grout
Unity Developer
Games, Apps & VR Simulations
403-660-5542
dongrout@yahoo.com
linkedin.com/in/dongrout
digitalriftgames-labs.itch.io
teammathiasgames.itch.io
dgsoftware.itch.io
Summary
Unity developer with 8+ years building games, apps, WebGL tools, and VR training simulations. Expert in modular systems, interaction design, and cross-platform optimization. Shipped medical and industrial training simulations, home-design tools, and polished indie games. Strong in scalable architecture, UI systems, and collaborative remote workflows.
Technical Skills
- Programming: C#, .NET, LINQ, Unity APIs
- Game Engines: Unity
- Development: VR sims, 2D/3D games & apps
- Platforms: PC, Mobile, WebGL, Quest 2/3
- Architecture: modular, MV, data-driven
- UI/UX: Screen/world-space UI, URP workflows
- Simulation: real-time systems, physics
- Networking: Photon Fusion, Unity Netcode
- Performance: Profiling & optimization
- Version Control: Git, GitHub
Professional Experience
Senior Unity VR Developer — Immersive Medical Simulation Training
- Developed interactive VR simulations for IV insertion, suctioning, auscultation, and other procedures across adult/pediatric models
- Implemented Model/View architecture for scalable workflows and patient interaction
- Integrated multiplayer and localization for collaborative training environments
- Collaborated with healthcare professionals to ensure clinical accuracy
Unity VR Developer — Mining Equipment Training Simulations
- Built modular walkthroughs and open-world scenarios for heavy machinery operation
- Developed VR authoring tools for designer use
- Created inspection and hazard-identification systems
- Integrated real-world equipment with VR via sensors for synchronized interaction
Unity Apps Developer — 3D Home Design Platform
- Built intuitive wall-editing tools (sloped, curved, straight)
- Enhanced drag-and-drop interface for doors, windows, and furniture
- Integrated vendor catalogs into a streamlined browsing experience
Unity Games Developer — Indie Projects & Systems
- Developed Unity games across strategy, arcade, educational, and casual genres
- Built experimental prototypes and modular systems for scalable gameplay
- Created touch-friendly children's and casual experiences with accessible UX
- Produced simulation content with equipment workflows and scenario logic
Expanded Experience
Unity VR Developer
Nursing Simulation Training Software
- Developed a wide range of VR simulation features for nursing education, covering medical procedures (e.g., IV insertion, auscultation, NG tube suctioning) and patient interactions across adult and pediatric scenarios.
- Built modular Unity systems using the Model/View design pattern, applied to control panels, wrist menus, EHR interface, Hook UIs, and supply cart interactions.
- Implemented dynamic VR UI components such as tooltips, wrist-mounted menus, floating labels, and checklist systems to guide users through clinical workflows.
- Engineered complex medical equipment mechanics, including IV infusion pumps, blood culture sampling, NG tube attachment systems, and suction regulators with real-time physics behaviors.
- Integrated hardware feedback and sensors to synchronize physical object manipulation (e.g., IV bags, blood pumps) with virtual interactions and animations.
- Diagnosed and resolved critical VR multiplayer synchronization issues, cross-platform exceptions (Meta Quest VR and PC VR), and real-time state desynchronizations.
- Collaborated closely with medical experts and instructional designers to align scenario designs with real-world nursing protocols and best practices.
Industrial Training Simulations
- Developed a VR training simulation for electrical circuit breaker maintenance, requiring users to select proper PPE, perform hazard checks, coordinate with a switchman, and complete a full racking procedure.
- Designed a progressive learning system with three training modes: fully guided, semi-guided, and open-world, where task sequence errors resulted in failure, reinforcing real-world safety protocols.
- Integrated real-world physical equipment with VR via sensors, allowing users to see and control live equipment movement within the simulation.
- Built a VR inspection experience for large mining equipment, enabling users to teleport around machinery, inspect components, identify hazards, and interact with moving parts like doors.
- Enhanced user navigation with guided visual cues and an animated robot demonstrating inspection procedures.
- Optimized performance for both Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest and Oculus Go VR hardware, tailoring controls and visuals for platform capabilities.
Unity Apps Developer
Home Design Visualization Software
- Developed 3D home modeling software where individual rooms were created as modular, standalone components and assembled like a puzzle to form complete house layouts.
- Built a wall generation system with intuitive drag-and-stretch controls, enabling users to place, modify, and resize walls in real time, with dynamic dimensions displayed.
- Engineered smart corner handling to automatically align walls at varying angles and thicknesses, including support for sloped and curved wall designs.
- Improved the placement and duplication of windows and doors with real-time snapping and dragging mechanics for a smoother user workflow.
- Designed and implemented complex triangulation algorithms to handle wall surface faceting, curved geometry, and clean joins between internal and external wall layers.
- Customized a generic 2D triangulation library for 3D use cases, including extending end lengths for seamless corners and adjusting wall thicknesses to prevent rendering conflicts.
Unity Games Developer
Published Indie Games (digitalriftgames.itch.io)
- Shipped multiple polished titles on itch.io, including Reversi 2 Dash 4, Mathscape, Tank vs Tank, and Shooting Gallery, each with distinct mechanics, UI flows, and platform-specific tuning.
- Built customizable board-game logic for Reversi 2 Dash 4 with variable board sizes, bot AI, and speed-based dash modes.
- Created educational and family-friendly games such as Mathscape and Tank vs Tank, blending procedural content with intuitive controls.
Experimental Systems & Prototypes (digitalriftgames-labs.itch.io)
- Developed GUTS - Bullet Heaven Survivors, demonstrating scalable spawning, upgrade systems, and performance-aware object management.
- Built GUTS - Tic Tac Toe, a modular architecture demo featuring reusable turn-based logic and data-driven board generation.
- Designed reusable gameplay frameworks supporting turn-based logic, AI decision-making, board generation, and UI state management to accelerate prototyping across genres.
Children's & Casual Games (teammathiasgames.itch.io)
- Produced touch-friendly titles including Marvel Memory Match, Unblock Pic, Spelling Bee, Kitchen Chaos, and Fired Up Birds, focusing on accessible UX and simple, responsive interactions.
- Created cozy and idle-style experiences like Train Town Tycoon with smooth camera systems and relaxing progression loops.
Simulation & Training (dgsoftware.itch.io)
- Built the Excavator Inspection & Operation Trainer, implementing inspection workflows, cab-based controls, and scenario-driven training logic.
Career Timeline
Senior Unity VR Developer
UbiSim
Dec 2020 - May 2025
Montreal, QC (remote)
Montreal, QC (remote)
Unity & Unreal Engine VR Developer
ICOM Productions
May 2018 - Apr 2020
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
Unity Developer
Picturethis3D
Apr 2017 - Aug 2019
Victoria, BC (remote)
Victoria, BC (remote)
AutoCAD Software Developer
Integrated Geomatics
Jan 2017 - Jun 2018
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
AutoCAD Software Developer
Longhorn Geomatics Limited
Nov 2015
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
AutoCAD Systems Management & Support
Vista-Mustang JV Corporation
Nov 2009 - Nov 2015
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
AutoCAD Systems Management & Support
Wood Group Mustang / IMV Projects Inc.
Dec 2007 - May 2009
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
AutoCAD Systems Management & Support
Upside Engineering
Feb 2006 - Dec 2007
Calgary, AB
Calgary, AB
Education
| Unity Certified Professional: Programmer | |
|---|---|
| Unity Technologies |
Oct 2020 Calgary, AB |
| Android Developer | |
|---|---|
| Udacity |
Dec 2016 to Feb 2017 Online |
| Software Product Management | |
|---|---|
| Coursera |
Feb 2016 to May 2016 Online |
| Ongoing self-directed learning | |
|---|---|
| Game Dev Guide, Sasquatch B Studios, git-amend & Code Monkey |
Ongoing Online |