Stopped Creating package.json Scripts
Over the past year, I've reduced the number of scripts in my package.json files. Direct CLI usage often beats script wrappers for transparency, flexibility, and AI-friendliness.
Ben Houston's Blog
This is the personal blog of Ben Houston (bio here), a 3D computer graphics software developer. For a quick overview of the work I am proud of, see my portfolio. I've worked on projects like Web3DSurvey, Three.js, Deadline, Krakatoa, and Exocortex VFX plugins. I'm also an entrepreneur, having founded Land of Assets, Threekit, Clara.io, Exocortex, and Frantic Films Software.
Latest writing, page 5
Upgrading HVAC Control
As a software engineer, I'm used to having full visibility and control over the systems I manage. But my HVAC was operating like a black box running legacy code I couldn't touch. I reverse-engineered it and gave my Ecobee direct, full-stack control.
Origins of Exocortex
The story of how I coined the term "exocortex" in 1999 to describe a synthetic cognitive regulator: a technological layer that joins the brain's regulatory hierarchy and helps govern attention and reasoning.
Vitest Global Setup
Vitest's globalSetup feature runs code once before all tests execute, and optionally a cleanup function after all tests complete.
From VFX Tools to Enterprise SaaS
This is the story of how I went from building Hollywood VFX tools to raising $65M for enterprise SaaS, and the three crucial lessons I learned along the way.
ExoEngine: Writing a 3D Engine in C# Before Anyone Thought That Was a Good Idea
After my Visual Insights internships, I went deep on C# and wrote ExoEngine3D to test whether managed languages could handle real-time 3D graphics.
My University Co-ops: From Robotic Arms to DARPA Battleboards
How three university co-op terms shaped my early graphics career through robotics, experimental 3D information visualization, and real-time command software for DARPA.
How I Learned 3D Graphics in a Basement in Ottawa
How I went from Apple IIe two-liners to C, x86 assembly, the demo scene, 3D engine prototypes, and a high school internship building technology for Wizardry 8.
Three Hard-Won Lessons for Entrepreneurs
After twenty years building computer graphics software used in Hollywood blockbusters and enterprise product visualization, here are the crucial lessons that can help entrepreneurs build more successful companies.
Intent-Driven Testing
Intent-driven testing shifts validation from implementation details to declared intent, ensuring your system works as specified rather th an just as coded. This approach generates comprehensive test suites from your intent files, introducing the powerful concept of specification coverage.
Inline Intent
Declary introduces a new capability for embedding intent specifications directly in your source code—transforming pseudocode into working implementations. This intuitive approach bridges the gap between what you want and how it's implemented, all within your existing files.
Generic Builder
The Generic Builder is a configurable meta‑builder that creates specialized builders on demand, solving the chicken‑and‑egg problem of intent‑based toolkits. This essay explains its design, the router agent, and a chat‑driven workflow that bridges conversational intent with structured files.