Nikolas Sumnall

BIO

Passionate game developer with ~20 years of experience. Looking to advance my knowledge and help make great pipelines.

PipelinesPythonAnimation systemsRiggingDynamicsLayered materialsFPSML

CoffeeFoodHikingCampingDesigning and printing electronicsDogsML

Experience

Paragon Interactive

2025 – 2026

Ghost Story Games: Judas — Technical Animator and Pipeline Developer 2025 – 2026

ToolsCharacter DynamicsControl Rigs

Unreal Engine 4MayaPython

Contributions:

Created tools for animation development.
Created generic P4 Maya tools to assist development.
Created character dynamics and control rigs.

Treyarch

2022 – 2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — Senior Character Technical Artist 2022 – 2025

RiggingPipelineToolsCharacter Dynamics

Call of Duty EngineMayaPython

Contributions:

Worked with art, code, and animation to design and create a new rigging and integration pipeline for weapons.
Various other tool projects to assist development for characters, weapons and animation.
MP Operator, joints, physics, weights and integration.
Zombie character joint, physics, weights and integration.

New World Interactive

2011 – 2022

Cancelled Project — Lead Technical Artist 2019 – 2022

PipelineToolsRiggingAnimation SystemsMaterials

Unreal Engine 5MayaPythonSubstance PainterModo

Contributions:

Common character biped rig.
Tools and scripts to support rigging and animation.
Weapon/Equipment rigging foundation.
Designed and supported character, equipment, and weapon art workflows.
Helped programmers take over animation programming.
Helped define art requirements to programmers building art based systems.
Training and supporting rigging technical artists.
Reviewed and contributed to 1st and 3rd person ABPs.
Created control rigs for various functionality.
Defined how we will use simulation for secondary animation for both first and third person.
Designed an advanced layer based material system.
Develop creative ways to save on art and animation content without sacrificing quality.

Insurgency: Sandstorm — Lead Animated Artist 2015 – 2019

PipelineToolsRiggingAnimationAnimation SystemsCosmetic SystemsMaterials

Unreal Engine 43DSMaxMaxScriptPythonSubstance PainterModoZBrush

Contributions:

Common character biped rig.
Created the foundation for FPS rigging.
Created vehicle rigging pipeline.
Created tools for character animation development.
Developed guidelines for character art creation.
Designed cosmetic art system for characters.
3rd person ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic.
1st person ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic.
Vehicle ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic.
Helped design and support a BP based character cosmetic system.
Communicated with code on how code based art system should function.
Created foundation for character and weapon materials.
Managed animated art on a project wide basis.
Defined what was possible in our time frame and ability to deliver content.
Supported artists with animation/rigging workflow advice.
Skin weighted all characters and cosmetics.
Xsens capture and processing.
Created/Managed character animation, weapon art and vehicle art.

Day of Infamy — Lead Animated Artist 2015 – 2017

PipelineToolsRiggingAnimationMaterials

Source Engine3DSMaxSubstance PainterModoZBrush

Contributions:

Adjusted previous project rigging for FPS and third person.
Defined/Assisted in workflow for creating weapon and character art.
Designed baked simulation workflow for FPS weapon slings.
Developed a layer based third person animation workflow using .qc macro's (unreleased).
Adjusted previous projects in engine animation setup for first and third person.
Helped skin weight characters and weapons.
Assisted animating weapons and characters.
Created weapon art, and materials for characters.

Insurgency — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2011 – 2015

Hard SurfaceFPS AnimationRiggingMaterials

Source Engine3DSMaxQuixelModo

Contributions:

Pipeline for creating FPS weapons and upgrades.
Refined existing FPS rigging setup.
.QC scripts for animated models.
FPS animation.
Created and improved weapon art.

Tripwire Interactive

2005 – 2015

Killing Floor 2 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2012 – 2015

Hard SurfaceEnvironmentMaterials

Unreal Engine 3Modo3DSMaxPhotoshopZBrush

Contributions:

Created and improved weapon and environment art.
Assisted in defining synced normal baking workflow.

Red Orchestra 2 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2009 – 2011

Hard SurfaceEnvironmentMaterials

Unreal Engine 3Modo3DSMaxPhotoshopZBrush

Contributions:

Created and improved weapon and environment art.

Killing Floor — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2007 – 2009

Hard SurfaceFPS Animation

Unreal Engine 2.5ModoPhotoshop

Contributions:

Created and improved weapon and environment art.
Created FPS animation.
FPS rigging.

Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2002 – 2005

AnimationRiggingEnvironmentHard SurfaceMaterials

Unreal Engine 2.53DSMaxPhotoshop

Contributions:

Created and improved weapon, vehicle and environment art.
Created FPS animation.
FPS rigging.


PAGES Education Self 2002 – Present A never ending journey. CGMA 2018 – 2020 Various courses to fast track Maya adoption. B. Engineering 2006 – 2008 Incomplete. Languages & APIs Python ~9 years MayaBlenderModoSubstanceStandalone PySide ~7 years PySide2PySide6 PyMel ~4 years C++ ~1 year Unreal Engine MAXScript ~3 years Software Maya Biped rigging Creature rigging Facial rigging Mechanical rigging Tool creation Animation Xsens Motion capture Processing Blender Biped rigging Tool creation 3ds Max Biped rigging Mechanical rigging Tool creation Animation Character Studio Substance Series Painter Designer Advanced usage Tool creation ZBrush Sculpting Modo Modeling Rendering Tool creation Visual Studio Code Extension creation Cursor Agentic coding Rulesets Engines Source Extensive understanding of model and animation systems. Unreal 2.5 -> 5 Extensive understanding of BP, material, animation and skeletal mesh systems. Call of Duty Proprietary Thorough understanding of the character and weapon art systems. Tools & Workflow JIRAConfluenceSlackTeamsPerforceGitFlowMiro BIO Passionate game developer with ~20 years of experience. Looking to advance my knowledge and help make great pipelines. PipelinesPythonAnimation systemsRiggingDynamicsLayered materialsFPSML CoffeeFoodHikingCampingDesigning and printing electronicsDogsML Experience Paragon Interactive 2025 – 2026 Ghost Story Games: Judas — Technical Animator and Pipeline Developer 2025 – 2026 ToolsCharacter DynamicsControl Rigs Unreal Engine 4MayaPython Contributions: Created tools for animation development. Created generic P4 Maya tools to assist development. Created character dynamics and control rigs. Treyarch 2022 – 2025 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — Senior Character Technical Artist 2022 – 2025 RiggingPipelineToolsCharacter Dynamics Call of Duty EngineMayaPython Contributions: Worked with art, code, and animation to design and create a new rigging and integration pipeline for weapons. Various other tool projects to assist development for characters, weapons and animation. MP Operator, joints, physics, weights and integration. Zombie character joint, physics, weights and integration. New World Interactive 2011 – 2022 Cancelled Project — Lead Technical Artist 2019 – 2022 PipelineToolsRiggingAnimation SystemsMaterials Unreal Engine 5MayaPythonSubstance PainterModo Contributions: Common character biped rig. Tools and scripts to support rigging and animation. Weapon/Equipment rigging foundation. Designed and supported character, equipment, and weapon art workflows. Helped programmers take over animation programming. Helped define art requirements to programmers building art based systems. Training and supporting rigging technical artists. Reviewed and contributed to 1st and 3rd person ABPs. Created control rigs for various functionality. Defined how we will use simulation for secondary animation for both first and third person. Designed an advanced layer based material system. Develop creative ways to save on art and animation content without sacrificing quality. Insurgency: Sandstorm — Lead Animated Artist 2015 – 2019 PipelineToolsRiggingAnimationAnimation SystemsCosmetic SystemsMaterials Unreal Engine 43DSMaxMaxScriptPythonSubstance PainterModoZBrush Contributions: Common character biped rig. Created the foundation for FPS rigging. Created vehicle rigging pipeline. Created tools for character animation development. Developed guidelines for character art creation. Designed cosmetic art system for characters. 3rd person ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic. 1st person ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic. Vehicle ABP - Created event graph and anim graph logic. Helped design and support a BP based character cosmetic system. Communicated with code on how code based art system should function. Created foundation for character and weapon materials. Managed animated art on a project wide basis. Defined what was possible in our time frame and ability to deliver content. Supported artists with animation/rigging workflow advice. Skin weighted all characters and cosmetics. Xsens capture and processing. Created/Managed character animation, weapon art and vehicle art. Day of Infamy — Lead Animated Artist 2015 – 2017 PipelineToolsRiggingAnimationMaterials Source Engine3DSMaxSubstance PainterModoZBrush Contributions: Adjusted previous project rigging for FPS and third person. Defined/Assisted in workflow for creating weapon and character art. Designed baked simulation workflow for FPS weapon slings. Developed a layer based third person animation workflow using .qc macro's (unreleased). Adjusted previous projects in engine animation setup for first and third person. Helped skin weight characters and weapons. Assisted animating weapons and characters. Created weapon art, and materials for characters. Insurgency — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2011 – 2015 Hard SurfaceFPS AnimationRiggingMaterials Source Engine3DSMaxQuixelModo Contributions: Pipeline for creating FPS weapons and upgrades. Refined existing FPS rigging setup. .QC scripts for animated models. FPS animation. Created and improved weapon art. Tripwire Interactive 2005 – 2015 Killing Floor 2 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2012 – 2015 Hard SurfaceEnvironmentMaterials Unreal Engine 3Modo3DSMaxPhotoshopZBrush Contributions: Created and improved weapon and environment art. Assisted in defining synced normal baking workflow. Red Orchestra 2 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2009 – 2011 Hard SurfaceEnvironmentMaterials Unreal Engine 3Modo3DSMaxPhotoshopZBrush Contributions: Created and improved weapon and environment art. Killing Floor — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2007 – 2009 Hard SurfaceFPS Animation Unreal Engine 2.5ModoPhotoshop Contributions: Created and improved weapon and environment art. Created FPS animation. FPS rigging. Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 — 3D Generalist (Freelance) 2002 – 2005 AnimationRiggingEnvironmentHard SurfaceMaterials Unreal Engine 2.53DSMaxPhotoshop Contributions: Created and improved weapon, vehicle and environment art. Created FPS animation. FPS rigging.