Первый в истории анимированный 3d ролик. Pixar 1972⁠⁠

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Computer_Animated_Hand

Эд Кэтмел тоже имеет непосредственное причастие к созданию пиксар. Именно он был ключевой фигурой в студии Лукаса.
Небольшой фрагмент из статьи:
Early History
Pixar was founded as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm that was launched in 1979 with the hiring of Dr. Ed Catmull from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), where he was in charge of the Computer Graphics Lab (CGL). At NYIT, the researchers had pioneered many of the CG techniques that are now taken for granted and worked on an experimental film called "The Works." After moving to Lucasfilm, the team worked on creating the precursor to "RenderMan," called "Motion Doctor", which allowed traditional cel animators to use computer animation with minimal training.
Также больше информации об основателях можете узнать тут:
https://www.google.ru/search?q=pixar%20founders

На wiki нашел инфу, что модель создавалась в собственно написанной программе, но под какую систему она была писалась не сказано.

The model was digitized and laboriously animated in a three-dimensional animation program that Catmull wrote.