TheFLY

1984

Robert Able & Associates produces the 1st computer generated 30 second commercial used for Super Bowl (Brilliance)

Wavefront Technologies is the first commercially available 3D software package (founded by Mark Sylvester, Larry Barels and Bill Kovacs )

Thomson Digital Image (TDI) founded

Jim Clark receives the 1984 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

International Resource Development report predicts the extinction of the keyboard in the next decade

A-buffer (or alpha-buffer) introduced by Carpenter of Lucasfilm

Distributed ray tracing introduced by Lucasfilm (Ref: Cook, Robert L., Thomas Porter and Loren Carpenter. Distributed Raytracing. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 84 Proceedings) 18(3) July 1984, p. 137-145. )

Cook shading model (Lucasfilm) (Ref: Cook, Robert L. Shade Trees. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 84 Proceedings) 18(3) July 1984, p. 223-231. )

14.5 minute computer generated IMAX film (The Magic Egg) shown at SIGGRAPH 84 - 18 teams; 20 segments

Universal Studios opens CG department

First Macintosh computer is sold; introduced with Clio award winning commercial 1984 during Super Bowl

McDonnel Douglas introduces the Polhemus 3Space digitizer and body Tracker

Radiosity born - Cornell University (Ref: Goral, Cindy M., Kenneth E. Torrence, Donald P. Greenberg and Bennett Battaile. Modeling the Interaction of Light Between Diffuse Surfaces. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 84 Proceedings) 18(3) July 1984, p. 213-222. )

John Lasseter joins Lucasfilm

Digital Productions (Whitney and Demos) get Academy Technical Achievement Award for CGI simulation of motion picture photography

Lucasfilms introduces motion blur effects

Porter and Duff compositing algorithm (Lucasfilm) (Ref: Porter, Thomas and Tom Duff. Compositing Digital Images. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 84 Proceedings) 18(3) July 1984, p. 253-259.)

The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. (Lucasfilm)
1985

Commodore launches the new Amiga

Loren Carpenter receives the 1985 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

Pierre Bezier receives the 1985 ACM SIGGRAPH Steven A. Coons Award

Sogitec founded (Xavier Nicolas)

Max Headroom - computer-mediated live action figure

Judson Rosebush Co. started

Abel Image Research takes Robert Abel & Associates to shaded graphics business

Tony de Peltrie airs

stereo TV

Biosensor (Toyo Links)

CGW predicts 90s graphics workstation

Targa 16 board (AT&T) goes to market

Pixar Image Computer goes to market

Perlin's noise functions introduced (Ref: Perlin, Ken. An Image Synthesizer. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 85 Proceedings) 19(3) July 1985, p. 287-296.)

CD-ROMs High Sierra (ISO9660) standard introduced

PostScript (Adobe - John Warnock)

PODA creature animation system developed by Girard and Maciejewski at Ohio State (Ref: Girard, Michael and A. A. Maciejewski. Computational Modeling for the Computer Animation of Legged Figures. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 85 Proceedings) 19(3) July 1985, p. 263-270.)

Boss Films founded by Richard Edlund

MIT Media Lab moves to new home

Young Sherlock Holmes stained glass knight (Lucasfilm), 2010 (Boss Films)and Looker (DP)
1986

The Great Mouse Detective was the first animated film to be aided by CG.

Pixar purchased from Lucasfilm by Steve Jobs

Trancept Systems founded by Nick England and Mary Whitton - graphics board for Sun

CGI group starts at Industrial Light and Magic (Doug Kay and George Joblove)

Softimage founded by Daniel Langlois in Montreal

Microsoft goes public (IPO raises $61M; share prices go from $21 to $28)

Apple IIgs introduced

Turner Whitted receives the 1986 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

Waldo project introduces motion capture (Digital Productions)

Kajiya's Rendering Equation (Ref: Kajiya, James T. The Rendering Equation. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 86 Proceedings) 20(4) August 1986, p. 143-150.)

Omnibus assumes Robert Able & Associates and Digital Productions in hostile takeovers by John Pennie and investors

Whitney/Demos Productions founded

Intel introduces 82786 graphics coprocessor chip ; Texas Instruments introduces TMS34010 Graphics System Processor

NSFNet

Luxo Jr. nominated for Oscar (first CGI film to be nominated - Pixar)

TIFF (Aldus)

Scitex founded for prepress
1987

GIF format (CompuServe)

Willow (Lucasfilm) popularizes morphing

Max Headroom debuts

LucasArts formed

Side Effects Software established

VGA (Video Graphivs Array) invented by IBM

Windows 2.0, MS/OS 2, Excel

Reynolds' flocking behavior algorithm (Symbolics) (Ref: Reynolds, Craig W. Flocks, Herds and Schools: A Distributed Behavior Model. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 87 Proceedings) 21(4) July 1987, p. 25-34.)

Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice

Rob Cook receives the 1987 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

Don Greenberg receives the 1987 ACM SIGGRAPH Steven A. Coons Award

Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) founded at Ohio State (formerly CGRG)

Omnibus closes, eliminating DP and Abel

Cranston/Csuri Productions closes

Marching Cubes algorithm (Lorensen and Cline - GE) (Ref: Lorensen, William and Harvey E. Cline. Marching Cubes: A High Resolution 3D Surface Construction Algorithm. Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH 87 Proceedings) 21(4) July 1987, p. 163-170. )

Metrolight Studios, RezN8 Productions, Kleiser/Walczak Construction Co., DeGraf/Wahrman founded
1988

PICT format (Apple)

Apple sues Microsoft for copyright infringement for GUI

Solid Texturing introduced (Perlin Noise Functions) (Ref: K. Perlin. An image synthesizer. Computer Graphics, 19(3):287--296, 1985)

Al Barr receives the 1988 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

Internet Worm infects servers all over the world

Gary Demos founds DemoGraFX

US Patent awarded to Pixar for RenderMan

Who Framed Roger Rabbit mixes live action and animation

Willow (Lucasfilm) uses morphing in a feature film

Disney and Pixar develop CAPS (Computer Animation Paint System) (academy technical award in 1992)

PIXAR wins Academy award for Tin Toy
1989

John Warnock receives the 1989 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

David Evans receives the 1989 ACM SIGGRAPH Steven A. Coons Award

8MM videotape introduced by Sony

ILM creates the Abyss

PIXAR starts marketing RenderMan


1990

1990

Microsoft ships Windows 3.0

NewTek Video Toaster

First edition of Graphics Gems published by Academic Press (Andrew Glassner, editor)

US Patent awarded to Pixar for point sampling

Richard Shoup and Alvy Ray Smith receive the 1990 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

3D Studio (AutoDesk)

Windows 3.0

John Wiley & Sons begins publishing The Journal of Visualization and Computer Animation
1991

World Wide Web (CERN)

Jim Kajiya receives the 1991 ACM SIGGRAPH CG Achievement Award

Andy van Dam receives the 1991 ACM SIGGRAPH Steven A. Coons Award

Disney and PIXAR agree to create 3 films, including the first computer animated full-length film Toy Story

ILM produces Terminator 2

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects for Total Recall (Metrolight Studios)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney)

Symbolics Graphics Division sold to Nichimen Graphics

Kodak PhotoCD

JPEG/MPEG

Disney (Randy Cartwright, David Coons, Lem Davis, Tom Hahn, Jim Houston, Mark Kimball, Dylan Kohler, Peter Nye, Mike Shaantzis, David Wolf) get Academy Scientific and Engineering Award for CAPS production system.

Ray Feeney, Richard Keeney and Richard Lundell get Academy Scientific and Engineering Award for the Solitair Film Recorder .