Typestry
Pixar's 3D text rendering and animation software for fonts.
via Wikipedia: Typestry · Fair use
Typestry was a 3D software application released by Pixar in the 1990s for Apple Macintosh and Windows PCs. Unlike general-purpose modeling and rendering tools, it focused specifically on turning user-entered text into three-dimensional rendered and animated objects. The program extruded fonts into 3D shapes, applying various bevel styles and textures during rendering. It worked with both Type 1 and TrueType fonts and offered a range of effects: four bevel styles, the ability to add Looks, nine front and nine back lights (each with adjustable intensity, position, and style), one ambient front light and one ambient back light, object scaling, movement, and rotation, plus text and light animation. Supported file formats included TIFF, EPS, PICT, and RIB. Version 2.0 added compatibility with EPS files from Adobe Illustrator 3.0 and later, a particle system, rubber sheets for flag effects, tubes for outline text, a fog effect, and a RenderMan Expert mode for editing Looks. It required Adobe Type Manager 2.0 or later for Type 1 fonts, and on Windows needed Windows 3.11 or later with Win32s, or Windows NT, along with 8MB of RAM and 7MB of hard drive space. Version 2.1 introduced TrueType GX font support (Mac System 7 only), import/export of 3D Portable Digital Documents, and native PowerMac support. On Macs, outline fonts could not be used if the screen font was missing; Type 1 fonts were more accessible because each style (italic, bold, heavy, etc.) had its own screen font, while TrueType fonts had only one screen font for the main style. Windows users could use any Windows font. Typestry was one of several Pixar application software packages sold on the open market—others included RenderMan, MacRenderMan, NetRenderMan, IceMan, Glimpse, Showplace, and One Twenty Eight. It was discontinued when Pixar decided to focus on film production rather than application development. Glimpse, a separate tool for creating photorealistic 3D objects and environments by applying shaders, was sold by Pixar for use with Typestry and ShowPlace; later, ShowPlace 2.0 included Glimpse. Glimpse offered sliders to adjust material attributes such as color, reflection coefficients, and surface roughness, providing a real-time preview without needing RenderMan to render, but did not allow users to edit shader source code.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Pixar
- Discontinued
- YES
- Latest Release Version
- 2.1.1
- Operating System
- MacOS System 6, System 7, Windows
- Genre
- 3D graphics
- License
- Pixar EULA
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Typestry was released in the 1990s by Pixar for Apple Macintosh and Windows-based PC systems. It specialized in rendering and animating text entered by the user, extruding fonts into three dimensions with multiple bevel styles and textures. Version 2.0 added compatibility with EPS files from Adobe Illustrator 3.0+, a particle system, rubber sheets for flag effects, tubes for outline text, fog effects, and a RenderMan Expert mode to edit Looks. It required Adobe Type Manager 2.0+ for Type 1 fonts, and on Windows required Windows 3.11+ with Win 32s or Windows NT with 8MB RAM and 7MB hard drive space.
Version 2.1 introduced TrueType GX font support for Mac System 7 only, import/export of 3D Portable Digital Documents, and native support for PowerMac. Mac users could not use outline fonts if the screen font was not installed; Type 1 fonts were more accessible because they had a screen font for each style, while TrueType fonts had only one screen font as the main style. Windows users could use any Windows font. Typestry was one of Pixar's several application software packages released in open markets, alongside RenderMan, MacRenderMan, NetRenderMan, IceMan, Glimpse, Showplace, and One Twenty Eight. It was discontinued when Pixar chose to concentrate on film production instead of application development.
Reader's Guide
Typestry represents a niche but notable chapter in Pixar's history as a software developer before its full pivot to feature animation. By focusing exclusively on 3D text rendering and animation, it served graphic designers, video producers, and multimedia artists who needed quick, high-quality extruded text without the complexity of general-purpose 3D suites. Its integration with Glimpse—a tool for applying shaders to create photo-realistic objects—allowed users to adjust material attributes like color, reflection coefficients, and surface roughness via sliders, with real-time previews. Typestry's support for multiple font formats (Type 1 and TrueType), bevel styles, lighting setups, and animation made it a specialized tool in the pre-2000s desktop publishing and motion graphics landscape. Its discontinuation, along with other Pixar application software, marked the company's strategic shift away from software sales toward film production, leaving Typestry as a historical artifact of a time when Pixar competed in the commercial software market.
Did You Know?
- Typestry could apply four different bevel styles to extruded text.
- Version 2.0 included a particle system and rubber sheets for flag effects.
- It was one of eight application software packages Pixar released in open markets, including RenderMan and Showplace.
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