Nick Michiels

Assistant Professor - Expertise Centre for Digital Media - Hasselt University

Educational Projects

2nd Master (2010-2011)

	Businessplan – Youmotica Nick Michiels, Jens Bruggemans, Jimmy Cleuren and Wim Leers Course: Entrepeneurship [click here for more info/results] Description Businessplan created for a fictional company Youmotica. Youmotia is a company specialized in graphical user interfaces used for domotica installations.
	Internship at the Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN (Mol, Belgium) – MCNP/X Visualizer Nick Michiels Course: Internship Language: Python, C++, POV-Ray [manual] [click here for more info/results] Description The MCNPX Visualizer is a graphical user interface for rendering the geometry of a MCNPX file. It parses the geometry out of the file and renders it with the POV-Ray raytracer.
	ArtGenerator (AGe) on an Altera DE-270 FPGA Nick Michiels, Jimmy Cleuren and Robin Marx Course: Design and Realization of High Performance Multimedia and HCI systems Language: Verilog on DE-270 FPGA and Quartus [report (dutch)] [mov] [click here for more info/results] Description Three art generators designed as a particle system on a DE-270 FPGA.
	Jimmy The Viking Nick Michiels, Jimmy Cleuren, Steven Reekmans, Jens Bruggemans and Wouter Nivelle Course: Multimedia Design Language: Unity 3D with C# scripting [download (Windows)] [download (Mac)] [click here for more info/results] Description A game concept, designed for the course Multimedia Design. It’s a viking game where Jimmy The Vikings needs to travel around the world to gain experience and skills to regain it’s rightful place on the throne of his tribe. His sidekick, Harhar The Viking is his father who helps Jimmy full-fulling his quests around the world.
	Tennis Game Nick Michiels Course: Computer Animation Language: C++, OpenGL [movie] [click here for more info/results] Description Animating a tennisgame. It uses Inverse Kinematics for the racket, Free Form Deformation for the ball, paramatric and physical trajectory of the ball and collision detection for the net/ground. It’s possible to play with one or two players. The players can play automatically or manually.

1st Master (2009-2010)

	SENSAR: Sensible Electronical Suited Awesome Realism Nick Michiels and Wouter Nivelle Course: Mobile & Pervasive Computing Language: Processing, Unity3D, C and C++ [pdf (dutch)] [presentation] [mov] [click here for more info/results] Description A fun sensor-based project for walking in a virtual world. Without the use of a mouse or keyboard you can do a couple of physical actions: walking, looking up/down, looking left/right, turning around, crouching and shooting/pointing.
	Spatialization and Speech synthesis in Pure Data Nick Michiels and Robin Marx Course: Audio Processing Language: Pure Data Extended [click here for more info/results] Description A Pure data project wich can synthesize speech based on the phonemes. De sound is spatialized based on an opensource Java Jarky game.
	Networked Virtual Environment Nick Michiels, Jimmy Cleuren and Robin Marx Course: Networked Virtual Environments Language: C++ and Irrlicht Engine [pdf (dutch)] [mov] [click here for more info/results] Description The core for a virtual environment. Designed with the following features: -CS or P2P approach -FPS for fast interactions and RTS for less fast interactions -Abstract layered design -Action based events for RTS -Dead Reckoning -Incremental position updates for FPS -Compression -Zoning baed on a coordinating peer in P2P -Zoning in CS -Variant of Area Of Interest
	Multi On A Row Nick Michiels and Wouter Nivelle Course: Distributed Systems Language: C#/WPF [click here for more info/results] Description Playing Multi On A Row over a network of distributed systems.Some problems we intended to solve: -scalability -timing problems -delays -consistent game board -client crashes
	Stochastische Raytracing and Image Warping Nick Michiels and Robin Marx Course:Advanced Computer Graphics Language: C++ and OpenGL [click here for more info/results] Description Stochastic raytracing with Monte Carlo integration and an image warper.
	Information Visualization Nick Michiels, Robin Marx and Jens Bruggemans Course: Information Visualization Language: PHP/ActionScript/Flex/Elixir [paper 1 (dutch)] [paper 2 (dutch)] [paper 3 (dutch)] [mov 1] [mov 2] [mov 3] [click here for more info/results] Description In this project we try to visualize a dataset as good as possible and solving some difficult problems.

3rd Bachelor (2008-2009)

	Visitor Nick Michiels, Robin Marx, Jimmy Cleuren and Wouter Nivelle Course: Architecture and Algorithms of Computer Games Language: C++, scripting [report (dutch)] [binary (Windows)] [mov (gameplay)] [mov (network)] [mov (editor)] [click here for more info/results] Description Ogre3D: -Graphics -Animaties -Particles -Caelum voor skybox NxOgre en NVidia PhysX: -Convex hulls -Ragdolls -Collision detection -Forces -Constructions met joints -Triggers Awesomium: -GUI and HUD -Layout editors Lua en Luabind: -Scripting of levels, levelblocks and objecten -Creating new objects in game -Content creation AmigoLib en TinyXML: -Gestures Fmod: -Sound RakNet: -Communication via network -Object Serialization
	Multi-party audio conferencing & instant messaging Nick Michiels, Kevin Boutsen and Jan Oris Course: Interactive Multimedia and Communication Systems Language: C++/Qt [binary] [click here for more info/results] Description Creating a conferencing and instant messaging system. Used protocols: RTP/RTCP for audio transmission and SIP for session handling.
	Image and Video Compression Nick Michiels and Kenneth Devloo Course: Technology of Multimedia Systems and Software Language: C++ [report (dutch)] [binary image compression] [binary video compression] [click here for more info/results] Description Image Compression: Compressing a raw 256 Kb input image to an own specific JPEG encoding. Video Compression: Compressing a raw YUV input video into an own specific video compression encoding.
	Two-scale Tone Management for Photographic Look Nick Michiels and Jan Oris Course: Image Processing Language: Matlab [report (dutch)] [example images] [click here for more info/results] Description Two-scale Tone Management for Photographic Look.
	Tungrorum Nick Michiels, Jimmy Cleuren, Wouter Nivelle, Kenneth Devloo and Kevin Boutsen Course: Software Engineering Language: C# [report (dutch)] [binary (Windows)] [click here for more info/results] Description Tungrorum is a roll playing game, based on the game Carcasonne.
	FTP Client Nick Michiels and Kenneth Devloo Course: Computer Networks Language: C++/Qt [binary (Windows)] [click here for more info/results] Description FTP Client.

2nd Bachelor (2007-2008)

	Raycasting Engine Nick Michiels and Kenneth Devloo Course: Computer Networks Language: C++/Qt [report (dutch)] [binary] [play now (IE only)] [click here for more info/results] Description A raycasting engine and a powerful editor. Possibility to script the world. Features: -Basic Raycasting Engine -High Resolution Textures with scaling resolution -Alpha-value Sprites -Editor to fully customize the scene -Interactive scene with scripting: triggering, events -Compass Play Raycasting online (works only on Internet Explorer!) You can download full maps here: maps (i.e. voorbeeldje.txt) It can take a couple of minutes to load the app. -Key-Up: forward -Key-Down: backward -Key-Left: rotate left -Key-Right: rotate right -R: Look Up -F: Look Down -Space: Switch to mouse interaction
	Trekmania Nick Michiels and Robin Marx Course: Computer Graphics Language: C++/OpenGL/3DS [binary (Windows)] [click here for more info/results] Description Mini Racing Game where you can step into a car and drive in a 3D world.
	Pathfinder Nick Michiels, Jimmy Cleuren and Robin Marx Course: Advanced Web Technology Language: HTML/CSS/Javascript/Ajax/Java [click here for more info/results] Description Website for traveling. HTML Templating System CSS Style Java Servlets Ajax Javascript
	Backgammon Nick Michiels and Kenneth Devloo Course: Object Oriented Programming Language: C++/Qt [binary (Windows)] [click here for more info/results] Description Backgammon

1st Bachelor (2006-2007)

	UI used by children Nick Michiels, Kenneth Devloo, Tom Knapen and Sören Kuypers Course: Human Informatics Language: C and GTK for UI [click here for more info/results] Description UI for a program used by children. The purpose is to learn the children recognizing and writing words. For each age you can choose a difficulty. The words are categorized (i.e. nature, traffic, …).
	Vacation Database without UI Nick Michiels, Kenneth Devloo and Sören Kuypers Course: C Imperative Programming Language: C [click here for more info/results] Description Vacation Database with a console interface.
	Portfolio Website Nick Michiels Course: Introduction to Web Technology Language: HTML/Javascript/PHP/SQL [click here for more info/results] Description Interactive portfolio website written in PHP
	Basic Website Nick Michiels Course: Basic tools in computer science Language: HTML [click here for more info/results] Description Basic website written in HTML.