Practisim Designer Web
I built Teams, Matches, and Matchbooks around the work Match Directors do before an event. Setup crews can find and approve stages together, generate the printed documents, and give competitors an online Matchbook with 3D previews and shooting simulation.
01 · The customer problem
The problem
A practical-shooting match needs several stages, each with a layout and written briefing. Setup teams can spend weeks finding designs, adapting them to the range, and getting approvals. Briefings and a complete Matchbook can add months of document work.
The opportunity
Give organizers one place to plan the stages and review changes. Generate the match documents from that work, then let competitors explore the same stages online. The Match Director has more time for the crew, the competitors, and the event itself.
Make collaboration and approvals part of the stage-planning workflow.
Reuse stage information across the plan, briefing, and Matchbook.
Automate document production while keeping people in charge of review.
Help competitors understand the match before they arrive.
02 · Teams and Matches
I built Teams for shared stage libraries and feedback, and Matches for organizing the event. Match Directors can follow a stage from first suggestion through approval.
Keep reusable designs in the team's stage backlog. Setup crews can choose a starting point without searching through old files and messages.
Adapt the stage to the range, inspect it in 3D, and discuss changes on the design itself.
Assign stages to bays and track their review status. The Match Director can see which designs are ready to build and which need another pass.
03 · Automated match production
Generate written stage briefings (WSBs) from the stage designs and apply a shared template. The same information fills the complete Matchbook, so organizers don't have to assemble each document by hand.
Generate all stage briefings together, including layout images, stage details, and saved views. Teams can also reuse approved HTML or PDF briefings.
Add the cover, schedule, range information, and stage summary to the briefings. Customize the complete Matchbook, then print it or share it online.
The time saved goes back into running the match and making it enjoyable for competitors.
04 · The competitor experience
The online Matchbook makes the publication interactive. Viewers can read the WSB, launch a 3D flythrough, and switch to a shooting simulation, all in a browser.
Competitors can move through the 3D layout and try the shooting simulation before visiting the range. They arrive knowing more than a static diagram can show.
That preparation is part of the match's quality, and one way to improve competitor satisfaction.
Product screenshots: Texas Open Championships, Robotiks team · September 2026
05 · The stage-design foundation
Practisim Designer Web opens existing stage files and adds 3D editing, overhead plans, walkthroughs, build instructions, sharing, and touch support.
06 · How AI supported the work
I used AI to inspect existing code, compare options, write tests, and debug failures. Customer needs, product boundaries, and release decisions stayed with me.
Define what should get better for the customer, what must not break, and what evidence will show the change worked.
Use the current code, stage files, settings, and browser behavior instead of guessing from a description.
Use AI for speed while keeping the work small enough to review, test, and reverse if needed.
Save tests, screenshots, comparisons, and notes so the next change starts from what is already known.
AI supported how I built the product. The customer value is time saved planning, producing, and sharing a match.
07 · Solving a real performance problem
Practisim's catalog had grown to thousands of images and 3D models. I measured what the browser downloaded, then built tools to shrink the files and check the result. One broken model no longer had to delay the rest.
Browser tests showed how much data the product downloaded and which files caused the largest delays.
Each file type needed its own way to reduce size without hurting its appearance.
Small tools now find files that need work, shrink them, and upload the results in controlled groups.
One invalid model was left unchanged while the other 1,604 models received the improvement.
Catalog image library
136.8 MB → 3.6 MBImages became much smaller while keeping a similar appearance.3D model library
6.7 GB → 431.6 MB1,604 of 1,605 models became smaller while keeping the visual detail needed in the editor.Invalid source files
1 isolatedThe broken model was documented and left unchanged instead of blocking the full improvement.
08 · From browser to AR and VR
Each experience uses the same stage design, so the plan does not have to be rebuilt for every device. Support varies by device, and the build-day tools remain future work.
Create or open a stage, place objects, save useful views, walk through the plan, and save the design.
Open the same stage to review it, make small changes, or walk through the plan with touch controls.
On supported devices, view the stage at full scale, select and move objects, and bring those changes back into the design.
More field measurements, easier immersive review on iPhone, and build-day coordination are future opportunities.
The recording starts with the stage open in Practisim Designer Web on a phone. It then moves into the iOS AR prototype, where the same barriers and targets appear over the live camera view.
ReviewOpen and inspect the stage on a phone.
Enter ARMove from the browser into the camera-based viewer.
Walk the planSee the planned stage objects against the real surroundings.
09 · How the pieces work together
Shared stage information connects the editor, team reviews, match lineup, generated briefings, and interactive Matchbooks. The phone layout and XR Viewer extend the same design into other settings.
10 · Reusing existing plans
A separate conversion service turns recognized SketchUp shapes into Practisim objects and compares the result with the source so mistakes are easier to spot.
Designers can reuse an existing plan instead of rebuilding the stage from scratch.
The converter saves a side-by-side image of the source and result so mistakes are visible before anyone uses the stage.
11 · Product direction
Connect Teams, Matches, stage approvals, and Matchbook production so organizers can carry the same work from planning to publication.
Track time spent finding and approving stages, preparing documents, and updating a Matchbook. Pair those results with organizer feedback and competitor satisfaction.
Add partner connections, more file conversion, easier build-day handoff, and immersive teamwork when customers show the need.
12 · What works today
Match preparation
Teams + MatchesA shared stage backlog, match lineup, team feedback, and approvals connect the people planning the event.Match publication
Print + interactiveGenerated WSBs and complete Matchbooks carry the stage plan into printed documents, online reading, 3D flythroughs, and browser simulation.Live product
In productionThe web product has sign-in, subscriptions, regular releases, and tools for operating it safely.Works across screen sizes
Desktop to phoneAutomated checks cover desktops, tablets, touchscreens, and phones in both portrait and landscape views.Open to senior and principal product roles
I can set direction, work through hard technical details, and help a team ship.