# PowerAnimator

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3D computer graphics software

Alias Research (Software) Developer Alias Systems Corporation Release 1988; 38 years ago (1988)[1] Stable release 9.0.2 / July 22, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-07-22) Operating system IRIX, AIX Type Computer graphics License Proprietary Website www.alias.com/products/maya/

**PowerAnimator** and **Animator**, also referred to simply as "Alias", the precursor to what is now [Maya](/source/Autodesk_Maya) and [StudioTools](/source/StudioTools), is a highly integrated industrial 3D modeling, visual effects, and animation suite. It had a relatively long track record, starting with *[Technological Threat](/source/Technological_Threat)* in 1988 and ending in *[Pokémon: the Movie 2000](/source/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_the_Movie_2000)* in 1999. PowerAnimator ran natively on [MIPS](/source/MIPS_architecture)-based [SGI](/source/Silicon_Graphics) [IRIX](/source/IRIX) and [IBM](/source/IBM) [AIX](/source/AIX_operating_system) systems.

## History

PowerAnimator was launched in 1988.[1]

In 1997, John Gibson, Rob Krieger, Milan Novacek, Glen Ozymok, and Dave Springer were presented with the Scientific and Engineering Award for their contributions to the geometric modeling component of the PowerAnimator system. The citation was:

"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."[2]

## Television and film

Alias PowerAnimator 9.0 scene showing dynamic attributes used in VFX

PowerAnimator was used to create the water creature in the 1989 film *[The Abyss](/source/The_Abyss)*, as well as the T-1000 character in *[Terminator 2: Judgment Day](/source/Terminator_2%3A_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](/source/Independence_Day_(1996_film))*. PowerAnimator also served as the solution used to produce *[South Park](/source/South_Park)* episodes digitally before production was moved to [Maya](/source/Autodesk_Maya) starting with Season 5.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Game development

PowerAnimator was also used in game development, in particular as a part of [Nintendo 64](/source/Nintendo_64)'s SGI-based developer kit. It saw some use for modeling, texturing, visual effects, and animation for other titles and platforms as well.

Notable titles:

- *[Crash Bandicoot](/source/Crash_Bandicoot_(video_game))*[3]

- *[Casper](/source/Casper_(video_game))*[4]

- *[Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger](/source/Wing_Commander_III%3A_Heart_of_the_Tiger)*

- *[Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom](/source/Wing_Commander_IV%3A_The_Price_of_Freedom)*[5]

- *[Quake](/source/Quake_(video_game))*

- *[Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee](/source/Oddworld%3A_Abe's_Oddysee)*

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-launched1988_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-launched1988_1-1) ["History of Alias"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121001033654/http://digital-sculptors.com/cms/index.php/tutorials/alias/2-history-of-alias.html). Archived from [the original](http://digital-sculptors.com/cms/index.php/tutorials/alias/2-history-of-alias.html) on October 1, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["HISTORY OF DIGITAL IMAGING/COMPUTER GRAPHICS SCI-TECH AWARDS"](https://web.archive.org/web/20030423134845/http://www.virtualcinematography.org/SciTech/SciTechHistory.html). *www.virtualcinematography.org*. Archived from [the original](http://www.virtualcinematography.org/SciTech/SciTechHistory.html) on 2003-04-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Gavin, Andy](/source/Andy_Gavin) (4 February 2011). ["Making Crash Bandicoot – part 3"](https://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/04/making-crash-bandicoot-part-3/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "Interplay to "Spook" Platform Gamers". *[Electronic Gaming Monthly](/source/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly)*. No. 71. [Ziff Davis](/source/Ziff_Davis). June 1995. p. 30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["PowerAnimator 8 Games Flyer | PDF | Texture Mapping | Computer Graphics"](https://www.scribd.com/document/133225106/PowerAnimator-8-Games-Flyer).

## External links

- [Animation Software Companies and Individuals In CGI](https://web.archive.org/web/20050728103422/http://accad.osu.edu/~waynec/history/tree/ani-software.html)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [PowerAnimator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerAnimator) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerAnimator?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.