Editing Timeline of computer animation (section)

==1990s==
{| class="wikitable"
!Film
!Year
!Notes
|-
|''[[Total Recall (1990 film)|Total Recall]]''
|rowspan=4 align="center" |1990
|Use of [[motion capture]] for CGI characters. This primitive form of motion capture involved tracing the animation of CGI skeleton models by hand over footage of the performers.
|-
|''[[Die Hard 2]]''
|First digitally-manipulated [[matte painting]].<ref name=netzley50/>
|-
|''[[RoboCop 2]]''
|An early use of real-time computer graphics or "[[digital puppetry]]" to create a character in a motion picture.<ref name=filmsite14>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/visualeffects14.html |title=Greatest Visual and Special Effects (F/X) - Milestones in Film, 1989-1991 | last = Dirks | first = Tim |website= Filmsite.org | publisher = Filmsite | access-date=October 3, 2012}}</ref>
|-
|''[[The Rescuers Down Under]]''
|First 2-D animated film to be produced with solely digital ink and paint ([[Computer Animation Production System|CAPS]]). First fully digital feature film.
|-
|''[[Backdraft (film)|Backdraft]]''
|rowspan=4 align="center" |1991
|First use of photorealistic CGI fire in a motion picture.<ref name=filmsite14/>
|-
|''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
|First realistic human movements on a CGI character.<ref name=netzley50/> The first partially computer-generated main character and the first blockbuster movie to feature multiple morphing effects.<ref name=filmsite14/> First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3-D effects. Inducted to the National Film Registry in 2023.
|-
|''Pentagon''
|First use of photorealistic CGI architectural fly-through. First use of human movement on a CGI character<ref name=filmsite14/>
|-
|''[[Quarxs]]''
|One of the earliest computer-animated series.
|-
|''[[The Lawnmower Man (film)|The Lawnmower Man]]''
|rowspan=4 align="center" |1992
|First feature film to use computer animation to explore the subject of virtual reality. First virtual reality sex scene.<ref name=filmsite15>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/visualeffects15.html |title=Greatest Visual and Special Effects (F/X) - Milestones in Film, 1992-1994 | last = Dirks | first = Tim |website= Filmsite.org | publisher = Filmsite}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[The Babe]]''
|First computer-generated crowds.
|-
| ''[[Death Becomes Her]]''
|First human [[skin]] CGI software.<ref name=netzley50/>
|-
| ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''
|First use of a green screen for digital [[chroma key]] compositing in a feature film.
|-
|''[[Babylon 5]]''
| rowspan="6" align="center" |1993
|First [[television program|television series]] to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects. First TV use of virtual sets.
|-
|''[[The Incredible Crash Dummies (film)|The Incredible Crash Dummies]]''
|First fully CGI-animated TV special.
|-
| ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]''
|First photorealistic CGI creatures.<ref name=netzley50/> Added to the United States National Film Registry in 2018.
|-
|''[[Live & Kicking]]''
|First TV program to feature a live computer-generated character as part of its cast.
|-
|''[[VeggieTales]]''
|First completely computer-animated direct-to-video release.
|-
| ''[[Insektors]]''<ref>Created in 1993. ''2nd Prize for the category 3D Animation Imagina'' in 1993 for the episode "''Some Flowers for Bakrakra''" [http://www.awn.com/fantome/english/fr_prix.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820142722/http://www.awn.com/fantome/english/fr_prix.htm|date=2008-08-20}}</ref>
|First fully computer-animated TV series. First use of [[character animation]] in a computer-animated television series.
|-
|''[[The Crow (1994 film)|The Crow]]''
|rowspan=5 align="center" |1994
|First deceased actor ([[Brandon Lee]]) to be re-created through CGI.
|-
|''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]''
|First CGI-rendered fur.<ref name=netzley50/>
|-
|''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]''
|First use of CGI to transform a live actor into a photorealistic cartoon character.
|-
|''[[ReBoot]]''
|First half-hour computer-animated TV series.<ref>{{cite news|title= 'Reboot' Is First Series to Be Fully Computerized |newspaper= LA Times|date=1994-11-10|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-10-ca-61086-story.html|access-date=2010-08-23 | first=Sharon | last=Bernstein}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Radioland Murders]]''
|First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors.<ref name=first>{{cite book | author= Marcus Hearn | title = The Cinema of George Lucas | publisher =[[Harry N. Abrams, Inc.]] | year =2005 | pages =79–80 | isbn = 0-8109-4968-7 | location = New York City}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]''
|rowspan=5 align="center" |1995
|First CGI lead character in a feature-length live-action film, and first CGI characters to interact realistically with live-actors.
|-
| ''[[Batman Forever]]''
|First CGI stunt doubles, created through motion capture.
|-
| ''[[Waterworld]]''
|First realistic CGI water.<ref name=netzley50/>
|-
| ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]''
|First use of digital compositing to create a period-appropriate setting, and first use of [[Radiosity (computer graphics)|radiosity]] lighting in a feature film.
|-
|''[[Toy Story]]''
|First CGI feature-length animation. Added to the United States National Film Registry in 2005.
|-
|''[[Cassiopeia (1996 film)|Cassiopeia]]''
| rowspan="5" |1996
|Second feature-length CGI animation and first CGI feature film not to use scanned models for heads. First Brazilian CGI feature animation. Produced and released by NDR Filmes.
|-
|''[[The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996 film)|The Island of Dr. Moreau]]''
|First film to use motion-capture CGI to portray a character.
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country (TV series)|Donkey Kong Country]]''
|First half-hour computer-animated TV series to use motion capture for their characters.
|-
| ''[[DragonHeart]]''
|First 2-D all-CGI backgrounds with live-actors. First film to use ILM's Caricature software (created during the film's production).
|-
| ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers]]''
|First CGI ''[[Transformers]]'' animated series produced by [[Rainmaker Entertainment|Mainframe Entertainment]]. Sequel to the [[The Transformers (TV series)|original ''Transformers'']].
|-
|''[[Star Wars]]'' (Episodes ''[[Star Wars (film)|IV]], [[The Empire Strikes Back|V]] and [[Return of the Jedi|VI]] [[List of changes in Star Wars re-releases|Special Editions]]'')
|rowspan=4 align="center" |1997
|First re-release of a film to incorporate CGI characters and elements.
|-
|''[[Marvin the Martian in 3D]]''
|First CGI film created for viewing with 3-D glasses.
|-
|''[[Spawn (1997 film)|Spawn]]''
|First extensive use of CGI fire in a feature film beyond sweetening. First film to integrate a CGI fabric onto a character's costume.<ref name=filmsite17>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/visualeffects14.html |title=Greatest Visual and Special Effects (F/X) - Milestones in Film, 1997-1998 | last = Dirks | first = Tim |website= Filmsite.org | publisher = Filmsite | access-date=March 3, 2024}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''
|First wide-release feature film with CGI elements rendered under the [[Open-source software|open-source]] [[Linux]] operating system.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6339 | publisher=Linux Journal | title=Linux and Star Trek | author=Rowe, Robin | date=2003-01-01}}</ref> Also included a number of advances, specifically in the rendering of flowing water.
|-
|''[[A Bug's Life]]''
|rowspan=3 align="center" |1998
|First CGI anamorphic widescreen film. First all-digital transfer to [[DVD]]. First film to be reframed for [[home video]] releases.
|-
|''[[Invasion: Earth (TV series)|Invasion: Earth]]''
|First major use of digital effects in a British TV series.
|-
|''[[What Dreams May Come (film)|What Dreams May Come]]''
|First use of CGI in combination with 3-D location scanning ([[Lidar]]) and motion-analysis based 3-D camera tracking in a feature film.
|-
|''[[Fight Club]]''
|rowspan=3 align="center" |1999
|First [[photogrammetry]] based [[virtual cinematography]] scenes, including the first [[bullet time]] sex scene with fully naked body renderings of body doubles for [[Helena Bonham Carter]] and [[Brad Pitt]]; renderings of different settings with both extreme close-ups and wide shots; and the first very photorealistic close-up rendering of a human face - which also belongs to a famous actor in a leading role ([[Edward Norton]]) - with detailed facial deformation and extreme close-ups (starting at the cell-level of the brain, flying through the different layers of tissues, a follicle and the skin with sweat droplets).
|-
|''[[The Matrix]]''
|First use of CGI [[interpolation]] with [[bullet time]] effects. Added to the National Film Registry in 2012.
|-
|''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]''
|First film to have a fully CGI-rendered supporting character using performance footage captured on-set, pioneering this commonly used technique. Extensive use of CGI for thousands of shots, including backgrounds, visual effects, vehicles, and crowds. 
|}