Danny Tran

Game Developer | Technical Animator

  • Heymoji

    Engine: Unity (C#)

    Packages Used: TriLib Model Loader, native iOS/android plug-ins for media sharing

    Core Features Built:

    • 3D model import and runtime rendering pipeline
    • In-app animation preview and recording
    • Real-time GIF/video export
    • UI-driven scene management for tile browsing
    • Lightweight texture/material compression for mobile performance

  • Overview

    Heymoji, developed by iVirtual, is a mobile app that turns two simple photos into a fully animated 3D version of yourself, your digital twin. Using real-time 3D rendering, users can generate a personalized model and instantly insert it into dozens of animated scenes, called tiles, that can be shared as GIFs or videos on social media.

    Originally, Heymoji relied on server-side rendering to process animations, but I helped shift this workflow directly into the app using Unity — dramatically improving speed, reliability, and user experience.

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    My Role

    I led the Unity-side implementation of Heymoji, focusing on creating a scalable and efficient system for real-time 3D avatar generation and animation playback. My responsibilities included:

    • TriLib Integration: Implemented TriLib – Model Loading Package to dynamically import and render user-generated 3D avatars directly on-device, eliminating the dependency on server-side model rendering.
    • In-App GIF Generation: Developed an in-app GIF creation pipeline that captured Unity animations frame-by-frame, enabling users to instantly preview and export personalized animated content.
    • Performance Optimization: Optimized memory usage and asset streaming to support smooth playback and encoding across a variety of iOS devices.
    • UI + UX Implementation: Collaborated with design and backend teams to build a seamless flow between the photo capture stage, avatar generation, animation selection, and sharing/export options.

  • Design & User Experience

    I collaborated closely with designers to ensure the Unity scenes reflected the app’s bright, playful brand identity:

    • Vibrant yellow and magenta palette for UI elements
    • Simple photo capture overlays ("Head in circle," "Feet go here")
    • Instant visual feedback during avatar loading and animation playback

  • Challenges & Solutions

    One of the biggest challenges was ensuring real-time rendering performance while generating GIFs from dynamic scenes.
    To solve this:

    • I implemented off-screen rendering and frame buffer capture workflows optimized for mobile GPUs.
    • Reduced texture memory footprint using Unity’s ASTC compression pipeline.
    • Streamlined asset loading by batching scene resources to reduce disk I/O.
    • The result was a fully client-side experience — users could generate and share personalized GIFs within seconds, without relying on backend processing.

    Outcome

    • This Unity-driven architecture empowered Heymoji to deliver instant feedback, offline capability, and a much faster content generation cycle.
      The app launched successfully on iOS, praised for its playful design and technical innovation in real-time personalized animation.
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