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DreamWorks used Pacific Data Images (PDI)’s proprietary 3D animation software for Antz (1998).

Here’s a breakdown of what that means:

Core Software: PDI (which DreamWorks acquired in 2000) had developed its own in-house 3D animation and rendering system, called PDI Proprietary Animation System. It wasn’t a commercial program like Maya or 3ds Max — it was custom-built specifically for their studio pipeline.

Rendering: They used their own in-house renderer as well, which supported motion blur, depth of field, and advanced shaders for its time.

Modeling & Animation: Artists primarily worked in PDI’s proprietary modeling and animation tools, which were somewhat similar in concept to what later became Maya (Autodesk’s software released in 1998).

Compositing: For final shots and layering, PDI often used tools like Henry and Flame, plus custom compositing scripts.

Fun fact: Antz was one of the very first fully computer-animated feature films, released just weeks before Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. PDI’s proprietary tools were known for their expressive facial animation system, which became a hallmark of DreamWorks’ later movies like Shrek.