Always Moving in the Right Dimension

It's safe to say that 3-D technology is in NYIT's DNA. Instead of simply purchasing 3-D technologies, the college has pioneered them since the early 1970s.

The story starts in 1974, when NYIT's famed Computer Graphics Lab (CGL) was a forerunner in 3-D computer animation for nearly two decades, and paved the way for Pixar Animation Studios. The team's primary mission was to create a feature-length computer animated film.

The dream, as NYIT Magazine pointed out in its Winter 2003/2004 cover story, was about two decades ahead of its time, the equivalent of landing a person on the moon ... in 1949. At first glance, NYIT's CGL didn't achieve its dream of producing a computer-animated film. But take a closer look, and you'll learn that many of the 3-D animators who worked on Toy Story--the first computer--animated film of its kind, which debuted in 1995--were part of NYIT's CGL.

Those NYIT CGL veterans pioneered multiple breakthroughs during their time at the Old Westbury campus, including the first 24-bit RGB (red, green, blue) frame buffer, a type of memory that revolutionized how computers manage color images. NYIT also pioneered computer-controlled video editing systems; "paint" programs that helped 2-D cartoons at Disney; and morphing and reflection mapping technologies that evolved into special effects seen in the latest Hollywood movies.

As 3-D technology moved into the mainstream, most 3-D research shifted from college campuses to Silicon Valley businesses. Still, NYIT's professors and alumni continue to shape the world of 3-D technology by managing digital animation, photography, and 3-D projects for Disney, ESPN, HBO, IBM, and other prominent entertainment businesses.

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