Danie Conradie

Danie Conradie is a South African-born games and simulation technology engineer based in Orlando, Florida. He represented South Africa at the 1997 International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) in Cape Town, winning a silver medal (rank 53, 305 points). He began freelance graphics/tools programming in South Africa in the mid-1990s, wrote the 3D world editor for the Vulpine Vision Game Engine, co-founded German game-engine firm Trinigy GmbH (later acquired by Havok), and ran Trinigy's US expansion before leading Havok's simulation engineering. Since 2016 he has run Ace 3D Middleware (Ace Middleware LLC), an Orlando consultancy applying commercial game engines to modeling and simulation.

Notes7

• Won a silver medal for South Africa at IOI 1997 in Cape Town, ranking 53rd with 305 points - the strongest public marker of his early programming ability, predating his games-industry career.
• Founded Ace 3D Middleware (Ace Middleware LLC) in Orlando in 2016, consulting on 3D/VR in simulation, modeling and geospatial, working with Havok, Unity and Unreal - his current venture, 10 years running.
• Co-founded and funded Trinigy GmbH in Germany (2003) to continue developing the Vision Game Engine, then ran the company's US office from Austin from 2007 - a founder-to-US-GM arc that ends when Havok absorbed Trinigy in Aug 2011.
• Stayed at Havok after the Trinigy acquisition, becoming Lead Software Engineer for Simulation and standing up Havok's Orlando simulation office (2012-2015) - the pivot from games engines to modeling & simulation that defines his later work.
• Freelance work in South Africa in 1994-1995 on a 2D graphics engine for 'Cyril Cyberpunk' (Cyberboard Kid), reported as the first South African commercial game published internationally - his industry entry point before turning to engine middleware.
• Education: BSc Hons, Computer Science, University of Pretoria (1997-2001); high school 'Wierda Park' - the 1997 IOI medal and the start of his CS degree coincide, consistent with the same person.
• The IOI official medalist table lists the name as 'Daniel Conradie' (RSAC03) while stats.ioinformatics.org lists 'Danie Conradie', confirming Danie is the Afrikaans diminutive used for the same competitor.
• Earlier roles at Vulpine GmbH (Head of Tools, 2001-2002; freelance tools programmer 1999-2001, remotely from South Africa) created the world editor vEditXP and core engine technologies for the Vision Game Engine.
• A 2015-2016 round-the-world sabbatical sits between the Havok simulation role and founding Ace 3D, so the current company was started deliberately after a deliberate break rather than a forced transition.
• Pressed coverage of Trinigy's US expansion (MCV, Aug 2007) and engine integrations (Game Developer) names Conradie and the Austin office, corroborating the executive role, though he is not credited in the Wikipedia summary of the company.
• Lists Afrikaans alongside German, French and Portuguese - the German fluency fits his 2001-2008 years building and running a German engine company.