Cambridge Animation Systems

Cambridge Animation Systems was a British software company that developed a traditional animation software package called Animo, and is now part of Canadian company Toon Boom Animation. It was based in Cambridge, England, hence the name. Established in 1990, it created the Animo software in 1992 after acquiring Compose in Color, which was developed by Oliver Unter-ecker.^[1] Animo was used for several animated feature films, shorts, and television series, and it powered the UK animation industry until the 2000s as it was used by studios like King Rollo Films, Telemagination, and Cosgrove Hall Films,^[2] but it was also used by studios in other countries, most notably Warner Bros. Feature Animation, DreamWorks, and Nelvana. In total, Animo was used by over 300 studios worldwide.^[3][4][5]

In 2000, CAS developed Animo Inkworks, a plug-in which allowed Maya and 3ds Max users to export 3D data into Animo and integrate it into 2D animation via the Scene III plug-in.^[6][7][8] In 2001, they developed another plug-in called Animo Sniffworks, which exports Flash output to Maya.^[9]

In 2009, CAS was acquired by Toon Boom Animation and has since folded.^[10]

Filmography

• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (TV series)
• Ah My Buddha
• Anatole
• The Animals of Farthing Wood (1995)^[11][12]
• Ben Hur (2003 film)
• Birdz
• Bob and Margaret^[3]
• Captain Pugwash
• The Cartoon Cartoon Show ("Johnny Bravo" and "Lucky Lydia" shorts)
• Clone High
• Corudroy
• The Cramp Twins
• Elliot Moose
• Enchanted (2D sequences)
• Fairy Tale Police Department
• Fantomcat^[11][13]
• Flipper and Lopaka
• The Foxbusters^[14]
• Franklin
• Fred Bastard
• George and Martha
• George Shrinks
• Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
• Gurin with the Foxtail
• House of Rock
• The Iron Giant^[5][15][16]
• Joseph: King of Dreams
• Kill Bill Vol. 1 (anime sequence)^[17]
• Kim Possible^[18]
• The King and I^[19]
• Kung Fu Panda (2D sequences)^[20][21]
• The Lampies
• The Last Polar Bears
• Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers
• Little Bear
• Little Ghosts
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action
• Maggie and the Ferocious Beast
• Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse
• Metalheads
• Microscopic Milton
• Muhammad: The Last Prophet
• Ned's Newt (1995 onward)
• Noah's Island
• Osmosis Jones^[5]
• Pettson and Findus
• Pippi Longstocking (1997 film)
• Pippi Longstocking (1997 TV series)
• Pond Life
• Pongwiffy
• Prelude to Eden^[11][22][23]
• The Prince of Egypt^[3][11][19]
• Quest for Camelot^[19]
• Read or Die
• Redwall^[24]
• The Road to El Dorado
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
• Rugrats in Paris: The Movie^[25][26][27]
• Rupert (Season 4 onward)
• Salty's Lighthouse^[19]
• Sam & Max: Freelance Police^[19]
• The Secret World of Benjamin Bear
• Seven Little Monsters
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
• Skippy: Adventures in Bushtown
• Soul Music^[14]
• Space Jam^[28][29][30]
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
• Spot the Dog (Spot's Magical Christmas onward)
• Stellaluna
• The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain^[19]
• The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom^[19]
• Tabaluga
• Tales from the Crypt ("The Third Pig" episode)
• Timon and Pumbaa ("Stand by Me" episode)
• Timothy Goes to School
• The Trumpet of the Swan
• Wheel Squad
• Wiggly Park
• Wyrd Sisters^[14]

See also

• Toon Boom Animation, which acquired CAS and its Animo package
• Toonz, another prolific animation software used by the 2D industry in the 1990s and 2000s
• USAnimation
• Computer Animation Production System (CAPS), used by Disney from the 1990s to the mid-2000s
• Adobe Flash
• List of 2D animation software

References

1. "NeXT Computers :: View topic - WANTED: Cambridge Animation Systems "animo"". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
2. "Cosgrove Hall studio history". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
3. "Respect for Tradition Combined With Technological Excellence Drives Cambridge Animation's Leadership". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
4. "SIGGRAPH 96 Exhibitor / Cambridge Animation Systems". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
5. "Cambridge Animation Systems". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
6. "Cambridge Animation Systems announces Animo Inkworks". Animation World Network. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
7. "Cambridge Animation Systems Releases Animo Inkworks". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
8. "Spotlight: Cambridge Animation Stretches 2D". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
9. "Swiffworks Brings Flash Output To Maya". Animation World Network. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
10. http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=date&newsitem_no=25966
11. "Move over Mickey, here comes the microprocessor". The Independent. 30 June 1996. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
12. "ANIM-AMIGA – Part Two". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
13. "Cosgrove Hall shows: Drawn animation (PAGE 1)". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
14. "Cosgrove Hall shows: Drawn animation (PAGE 2)". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
15. "TEN-TON TOON". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
16. "Animation Artist". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
17. "Production I.G [WORK LIST[Details]]". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
18. "Kim Possible - The Making of". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
19. http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.6/AWMissue2.6.pdf
20. "Intense Collaboration on Kung Fu Panda's End Credits". Studio Daily. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
21. "Motion Graphics And Compositing Video". Brad Hurley SDC. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
22. "Michel Gagné - Prelude to Eden". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
23. "Michel Gagné - Prelude to Eden". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
24. "Ancient World of Redwall Abbey Brought to Life by Nelvana". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
25. "Refining the Rugrats". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
26. "Klasky Csupo Uses Animo Inkworks To Blend 2D and 3D in Rugrats Feature Film". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
27. Animation Artist. "Animation News". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
28. "Behind the Jam". Retrieved 23 May 2016.
29. "Space Jam- Blog #5". Animashunation's Blog. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
30. "Animo gets feature length". Retrieved 23 May 2016.

External links

• "Official website". Archived from the original on 2014-05-16. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
• Cambridge Animation Systems at the Internet Movie Database