Our Founder: Robert Free

Mr. Free began his 2D/3D/imaging career in 1973 by creating and publishing an innovative 3D hidden line algorithm, followed by the industry's first 3D scalable font engine.

Press releases

Over the years, he has held key posts at various imaging companies:

  • CTO: Appscio - Actionable Video Intelligence - making your apps see.
  • VPE / Technologist: Fabrik - the first Web2.0 personal media appliance, OEM'd as Maxtor Fusion.
  • VP of Engineering: ClubPhoto - the first profitable, online photo-sharing and online printing site.
  • VP of Production & Engineering: Photoloft - the first IPO'd photo-sharing site; acquired by Canon USA.
  • Director of Engineering (HW/SW): ISDCorp (Cirrus Logic Graphics Division); acquired by LynuxWorks.
  • Program Director: LivePicture - designed/deployed the Best New Product at Demo '97.

  • Adobe Systems - Sr Manager; Sr Computer Scientist
  • Netmanage - SSL Architect; 3D Web Server Technologies Architect
  • Novell/STI - Cross-platform Graphics/Networking Architect
  • McDonnell Douglas - Automated 3D Wiring Systems, Architect
  • Data General / SysComp - 3D CAD Architect
Innovations:
  • 1973 - Hidden-line-removal and Fast Polygon Hit-detection Algorithms
  • 1973 - Industry First 3D Scalable Fonts
  • 1974 - 3D Specular Reflections on Curved Surfaces
  • 1976 - 3D Solar-analysis and Cast Shadow System
  • 1982 - First Commercial Overlapping GUI Windowing System
  • 1990 - Faster-than-GDI Polygon BLT'g on Windows
  • 1993 - Industry First Cross-platform, Multi-transport, Peer-to-Peer Named Pipe
  • 1994 - First Scriptable MUD Client on Windows
  • 1995 - First Open Windows Library (DLL) for Client/Server SSL
  • 1996 - First Commercial, Web-based, 3D File Navigation System
  • 1996 - First Cross-indexed Online Search Engine for RFCs
  • 1997 - First VRML-based Remote-control 3D Avatar System
  • 1997 - First Photorealistic 3D Immersive Authoring Tool for the Web
  • 1999 - Industry First B2B Photo-Ecommerce Engine
  • 2003 - First LAMP-based TiVo Home Media Server
  • 2006 - Invented the IHC Color Space Model for Enhanced Image Recognition
  • 2007 - 3D Captcha/Authentication engine
  • 2007 - Released a portable OpenGL Perl module with FBO support