PowerAnimator
Encyclopedia
PowerAnimator and Animator, also referred to simply as "Alias", the precursor to what is now Maya
and StudioTools
, was a highly-integrated industrial 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects suite. It has had a long track record, starting with Terminator 2: Judgment Day
in 1991 and ending in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
in 1999. PowerAnimator ran natively on MIPS
based SGI
IRIX
and IBM
AIX
systems up until the late 1990s when it was superseded by Maya.
s ever created, which allowed for an incredible amount of control over scene parameters, but made many tasks, such as animation
, cumbersome and non-intuitive. It was expensive as well, apart from the enormous cost of SGI systems at the time. The standalone software retailed for $7,500, but was also sold with other modules, and a PowerPack containing all modules that retailed for $30,000 US.
with the Scientific and Engineering Award for their contributions to the geometric modeling component of the PowerAnimator system.
"The Alias PowerAnimator system is widely regarded in the computer animation field as one of the best commercially available software packages for digital geometric modeling. Used by many motion picture visual effects houses, it has been a benchmark for comparison of modeling tools and has had a major influence on visual effects and animation."
PowerAnimator was previously used in the creation of animation for the TV series South Park.
PowerAnimator was used to create the water creature in the 1989 film The Abyss, as well as the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, at a cost of $460,000 per minute. It was also used heavily for the many visual effects of the 1996 film Independence Day. PowerAnimator also served as the solution used to produce South Park
episodes digitally before production was moved to Maya
. The title sequence of Disney's One Saturday Morning was created using Alias Wavefront Power Animator.
's SGI-based developers kit. It saw some use for modeling, texturing, animation and realtime effects for other titles and platforms as well.
Notable titles:
Other titles include:
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...
and StudioTools
StudioTools
Autodesk Alias is a family of computer-aided industrial design products starting with Alias Design as the entry-level conceptual design system, progressing to Alias Surface, and then to Alias Automotive as the top-of-the-line product with all of the options.Tools for sketching, modeling and...
, was a highly-integrated industrial 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects suite. It has had a long track record, starting with Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
in 1991 and ending in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
in 1999. PowerAnimator ran natively on MIPS
MIPS architecture
MIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
based SGI
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
IRIX
IRIX
IRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. to run natively on their 32- and 64-bit MIPS architecture workstations and servers. It was based on UNIX System V with BSD extensions. IRIX was the first operating system to include the XFS file system.The last major version...
and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
AIX
AIX operating system
AIX AIX AIX (Advanced Interactive eXecutive, pronounced "a i ex" is a series of proprietary Unix operating systems developed and sold by IBM for several of its computer platforms...
systems up until the late 1990s when it was superseded by Maya.
The software
The software itself featured one of the most complex user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
s ever created, which allowed for an incredible amount of control over scene parameters, but made many tasks, such as animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, cumbersome and non-intuitive. It was expensive as well, apart from the enormous cost of SGI systems at the time. The standalone software retailed for $7,500, but was also sold with other modules, and a PowerPack containing all modules that retailed for $30,000 US.
Alias PowerAnimator 9.0 documentation
- Animating in Alias 9.0 (436 pages) - Provides information to help you create basic animations, build skeletons, bring creatures to life using Inverse Kinematics, produce particles and special effects, and deform time using time warps.
- Basic Tools in Alias 9.0 (610 pages) - General tools that you'll use throughout modeling, animating, or rendering workflows.
- Data Transfer for CAD and Solid imaging in Alias 9.0 (212 pages) - Explains how to exchange 3D model data between Alias 9.0 and CAD packages.
- Games Data transfer in Alias 9.0 (130 pages) - Explains how to translate Alias files to games platforms such as Nintendo 64, Sony Playstation, and Sega Saturn.
- Learning Alias 9.0 (674 pages) - A thorough course in learning how to use the Alias design and animation software.
- NURBS Modeling in Alias 9.0 (554 pages) - Tools to create and modify NURBS curves and surfaces, as well as construction and evaluation tools.
- Polygonal Modeling in Alias 9.0 (120 pages) - Tools to create and modify polygons and polysets.
- Rendering in Alias 9.0 (562 pages) - Tools to define the look of your scene, create special effects, define how the scene will render, and create final rendered images and animations.
- Global Index for Alias 9.0
History
In 1997, John Gibson, Rob Krieger, Milan Novacek, Glen Ozymok and Dave Springer were presentedwith the Scientific and Engineering Award for their contributions to the geometric modeling component of the PowerAnimator system.
"The Alias PowerAnimator system is widely regarded in the computer animation field as one of the best commercially available software packages for digital geometric modeling. Used by many motion picture visual effects houses, it has been a benchmark for comparison of modeling tools and has had a major influence on visual effects and animation."
PowerAnimator was previously used in the creation of animation for the TV series South Park.
Television and film
The software's more notable contributions to the entertainment industry can be found in films like The Abyss, Jurassic Park and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.PowerAnimator was used to create the water creature in the 1989 film The Abyss, as well as the T-1000 character in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, at a cost of $460,000 per minute. It was also used heavily for the many visual effects of the 1996 film Independence Day. PowerAnimator also served as the solution used to produce South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episodes digitally before production was moved to Maya
Maya (software)
Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video...
. The title sequence of Disney's One Saturday Morning was created using Alias Wavefront Power Animator.
- Disney's One Saturday Morning
- The AbyssThe AbyssThe Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri...
- Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
- Jurassic ParkJurassic Park (film)Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
- Independence DayIndependence Day (film)Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
- South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
- Batman ReturnsBatman ReturnsBatman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
- James and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant Peach (film)James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation....
- Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
- The MaskThe Mask (film)The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. This film was directed by Chuck Russell, and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994 through New Line...
- Speed
- DragonheartDragonheartDragonheart is a 1996 fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen. It stars Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer, and the voice of Sean Connery. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and various other awards in 1996 and 1997...
- The FlintstonesThe Flintstones (film)The Flintstones is a 1994 American live-action comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon television series of the same name about a Stone-Age man, his family and his best friend. The film was directed by Brian Levant, written by Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Steven E...
- True LiesTrue LiesTrue Lies is a 1994 American action-comedy film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston, and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku also appears in the film in one of her first major film roles...
- FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
Game development
PowerAnimator was also used in game development, in particular as a part of Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
's SGI-based developers kit. It saw some use for modeling, texturing, animation and realtime effects for other titles and platforms as well.
Notable titles:
- Crash BandicootCrash BandicootCrash Bandicoot may refer to:* Crash Bandicoot , a video game protagonist* Crash Bandicoot , a video game series* Crash Bandicoot , a 1996 PlayStation video game and first Crash Bandicoot...
- Super Mario 64Super Mario 64is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
- Mario Kart 64Mario Kart 64is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released in 1996 in Japan and in 1997 in North America and Europe. In January 2007, Mario Kart 64 was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service for the Wii...
- Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
- GoldenEye 007
- Turok: Dinosaur HunterTurok: Dinosaur HunterTurok: Dinosaur Hunter is a first-person shooter video game developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim for the Nintendo 64 console and personal computer platforms. It was released in 1997 in North America and Europe. Turok is an adaptation of the Acclaim Comics comic book series of...
- Turok 2: Seeds of EvilTurok 2: Seeds of EvilTurok 2: Seeds of Evil is a first-person shooter video game originally released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1998. A port was released for Windows OS shortly afterwards, in 1999. It is the sequel to the successful Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and was followed by the 2000 entry in the series, Turok 3:...
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
- Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VIIis a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
Other titles include:
- Star Wars Arcade (1993)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final UnityStar Trek: The Next Generation - A Final UnityStar Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity is a computer game by Spectrum HoloByte, based on the Star Trek universe.The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation reprise their roles, providing the voices of their respective characters.-Plot:...
- Quake
- Fallout 2Fallout 2Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...