Scaling the web: Why I traded heavy simulation for Sensat’s 3D pipeline
By Jad Maqdah, software engineer
After years at Arup working on heavy-duty engineering simulation software for modelling and analysing car crashes, I thought I knew what "complexity" looked like in software. But joining the Build team at Sensat three months ago opened up a completely different front: the sheer technical challenge of rendering massive civil engineering assets directly in a web browser.
The technical "Why"
In the world of desktop apps, you have the luxury of hardware performance. On the web, you don't. I joined Sensat because they are tackling a problem no one else has solved to this degree: taking massive CAD data, point clouds, and meshes and making them performant on a browser.
What surprised me most was the sheer maturity of the data processing pipeline. We aren't just 'uploading files'; we’re running a multi-stage engine that navigates raw engineering data through complex optimisation routes to guarantee lag-free rendering. A core part of this is our tiling architecture: instead of forcing the browser to choke on a massive dataset, we systematically break down the files into manageable 'bits.' This ensures the browser only ever computes and visualises the specific section the user is interacting with.
Shipping from day one
Sensat doesn't believe in "onboarding by watching." Within my first 90 days, I was given real responsibility:
- Orion AI: I worked on bringing our AI tool closer to production.
- 3D Photo Markups: I led the effort to enable users to move photo markups in both 2D and 3D environments.
- Real-time problem-solving: I’m currently handling mesh-processing issues for clients, which gives me a direct view of how our code handles complex, real-world data.
Unlike the six-month release cycles I was used to in desktop software, the feedback loop here is near-instant. If I fix a bug or enhance a rendering feature today, it’s live tomorrow.
High challenge, zero ego
The tech is hard, and the learning curve is steep, some days I feel like I'm "sinking with a smile" but it’s a brilliant challenge. What makes it work is a "straight-talking" culture that encourages me to offer solutions and opinions without fear of judgment.
While the tech is heavy, the culture is anything but. It’s what actually gets me into the office most days. In three months, I’ve been part of company wide painting sessions and Murder Mystery nights. Because of the ‘buddy’ system and the occasional pub trip, I never felt like I was stuck in a 'dev silo', I was integrated with the wider team, from marketing to sales, from week one.
My Advice
If you’re a graphics engineer or a dev who thrives on high-complexity data problems, my advice is simple: Join. You’ll be surrounded by smart people, tackle problems that haven't been solved on the web yet, and see the impact of your code immediately.
We’re always looking for new talent. Please visit our careers page here.