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New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab
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<p>The Computer Graphics Lab is a <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computer</a> <a href="/facts/Laboratory/kqR3Vtx9">lab</a> located at the <a href="/facts/New_York_Institute_of_Technology/aaDvUB2C">New York Institute of Technology</a> (NYIT), founded by the late Dr. <a href="/facts/Alexander_Schure/05EG44nd">Alexander Schure</a>. It was originally located at the "pink building" on the NYIT campus. It has played an important role in the <a href="/facts/History_of_computer_graphics/lapBE8wv">history of computer graphics</a> and animation, as founders of <a href="/facts/Pixar/McUyzor2">Pixar</a> and <a href="/facts/Lucasfilm/7WjKBSjM">Lucasfilm</a>, including <a href="/facts/Turing_Award/HbEEp0GF">Turing Award</a> winners <a href="/facts/Edwin_Catmull/4o0C8Nrl">Edwin Catmull</a> and <a href="/facts/Patrick_Hanrahan/np0rxDJf">Patrick Hanrahan</a>, began their research there. It is the <a href="/facts/History_of_computer_animation/vPQ47Sj6">birthplace</a> of entirely 3D <a href="/facts/Computer-generated_imagery/ThJ2gh1X">CGI</a> films. </p><p>The lab was initially founded to produce a short high-quality feature film with the project name of <i><a href="/facts/The_Works_(film)/YkX65a8t">The Works</a></i>. The feature, which was never completed, was a 90-minute feature that was to be the first entirely computer-generated <a href="/facts/Computer-generated_imagery/ThJ2gh1X">CGI</a> movie. Production mainly focused around <a href="/facts/Digital_Equipment_Corporation/ztxs6keA">DEC</a> <a href="/facts/Programmed_Data_Processor/Rgwfdqjy">PDP</a> and <a href="/facts/VAX/N3r13IHH">VAX</a> machines. </p><p>Many of the original CGL team now form the elite of the CG and computer world with members going on to <a href="/facts/Silicon_Graphics/DKvkrfLX">Silicon Graphics</a>, <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>, <a href="/facts/Cisco_Systems/ocDgQt6T">Cisco</a>, <a href="/facts/NVIDIA/8QfCgqbu">NVIDIA</a> and others, including <a href="/facts/Pixar/McUyzor2">Pixar</a> president, co-founder and <a href="/facts/Turing_Award/HbEEp0GF">Turing laureate</a> <a href="/facts/Ed_Catmull/4o0C8Nrl">Ed Catmull</a>, Pixar co-founder and Microsoft graphics fellow <a href="/facts/Alvy_Ray_Smith/Q9CXUXv5">Alvy Ray Smith</a>, Pixar co-founder <a href="/facts/Ralph_Guggenheim/8zVe5Ljy">Ralph Guggenheim</a>, <a href="/facts/Walt_Disney_Animation_Studios/TwNCw6nf">Walt Disney Animation Studios</a> chief scientist <a href="/facts/Lance_Williams_(graphics_researcher)/NJqgyf3T">Lance Williams</a>, <a href="/facts/Netscape/JGWlEUI7">Netscape</a> and <a href="/facts/Silicon_Graphics/DKvkrfLX">Silicon Graphics</a> founder <a href="/facts/James_H._Clark/DbY5966g">Jim Clark</a>, <a href="/facts/Tableau_Software/KQrwqcGw">Tableau</a> co-founder and Turing laureate <a href="/facts/Pat_Hanrahan/np0rxDJf">Pat Hanrahan</a>, Microsoft graphics fellow <a href="/facts/Jim_Blinn/UxlnCaWD">Jim Blinn</a>, Thad Beier, <a href="/facts/Academy_Award/CwTxYuNQ">Oscar</a> and <a href="/facts/Bafta/j85zRMSa">Bafta</a> nominee <a href="/facts/Jacques_Stroweis/CWvxhGBC">Jacques Stroweis</a>, <a href="/facts/Andrew_Glassner/cUYJHuEW">Andrew Glassner</a>, and Tom Brigham. Systems programmer <a href="/facts/Bruce_Perens/qlBakkpe">Bruce Perens</a> went on to co-found the <a href="/facts/Open_Source_Initiative/sJtjc2EF">Open Source Initiative</a>. </p><p>Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab created the tools that made entirely 3D <a href="/facts/Computer-generated_imagery/ThJ2gh1X">CGI</a> films possible. Among NYIT CG Lab's many innovations was an eight-bit paint system to ease computer animation. NYIT CG Lab was regarded as the top computer animation research and development group in the world <a href="/facts/History_of_computer_animation/vPQ47Sj6">during the late 70s and early 80s</a>. </p>