History Main / ShiftedToCGI

* While ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' franchise first shifted to CGI with the 2016 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'' by Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (not counting numerous German and Belgian commercials), the third animated series also titled ''The Smurfs'' that first released in French-speaking regions of Belgium on April 18, 2021 and an American release on September
10th, 2021. Is the first animated series completely animated in CGI, unlike previous works featuring the titular blue characters.

* While ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' franchise first shifted to CGI with the 2016 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'' by Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (not counting numerous German and Belgian commercials), the third animated series also titled ''The Smurfs'' that first released in French-speaking regions of Belgium on April 18, 2021 and an American release in October 2021. Is the first animated series completely animated in CGI, unlike previous works featuring the titular blue characters.

* For the first eleven seasons, ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' was animated using scale train models and wooden figures of people and animals. Season 12 was used as a transition to CGI, as while it still used the scale train models, CGI was used for the engines' faces, as well as the people and animals. Season 13 through 24 has the entire show animated in CGI all the way up until Season 24. Starting in Season 25, the series averts this and shifts to 2D animation by Nelvana.

* ''WesternAnimation/PostmanPat'' had a theatrical movie that was animated in CGI. [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks Let's just say that is wasn't as good as the TV series]].

* While ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' franchise first shifted to CGI with the 2016 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'' by Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (not counting numerous German and Belgian commercials), the third animated series also titled ''The Smurfs'' scheduled to release in 2021 is the first animated series completely animated in CGI, unlike previous works.

* The pitch trailer for a ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' reboot was in CGI. All the voices were [[RoleReprise reprised]] [[TheOtherDarrin except]] for Eustace's (due to AuthorExistenceFailure).

* This happened to ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' during ''production''. The original idea was for it to be an {{animesque}} cartoon similar looking to ''Franchise/PrettyCure'' aimed at teens. The original 2013 trailer shows the original concept. Networks [[AnimationAgeGhetto didn't want the cartoon]] so the animesque style was mostly scrapped (for example Marinette lost her IdiotHair, though that could have been due to NoFlowInCGI) and it was changed into an AllCGICartoon aimed at a younger audience.

* Creator/ShirowMasamune's ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'' had a one-shot OVA adaptation in 1988, but in 2004 received a new adaptation in the form of CGI. After that, a couple of movies and a 13-episode OVA were released, all of them in CGI too. Sadly, [[InNameOnly none of them shares the story of the original manga]].

** The Disney Animated Canon slowly made the shift. After the underwhelming performance of ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' and ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'', they declared that ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' will be their last 2D animated film. Their first attempts at AllCGICartoon, such as ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' and ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons'', were not particularly successful though the latter was critically better received than the former. ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}'' seemed to break the streak, and starting with ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' (which was originally to be done in a 2D/3D mix ala ''WesternAnimation/{{Paperman}}'' but was changed due to developmental issues) all of their AllCGICartoon films are major hits. They made two attempts to return to the 2D animation they used to be famous for, but the lukewarm success of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' and ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011'', paired up with such CGI blockbusters as ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' (which was announced as a traditionally animated film but was quickly changed to CGI) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', means that we shouldn't expect any 2D Disney films in the near future.

* While ''Franchise/TheSmurfs'' franchise first shifted to CGI with the 2016 animated film ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'' by Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation (not counting numerous German and Belgian commercials). The third animated series also titled ''The Smurfs'' scheduled to release in 2021 is the first animated series completely animated in CGI unlike previous works.

* For the first eleven seasons, ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' was animated using scale train models and wooden figures of people and animals. Season 12 was used as a transition to CGI, as while it still used the scale train models, CGI was used for the engines' faces, as well as the people and animals. Season 13 and beyond has the entire show animated in CGI.

* Zig-zagged with the Advertising/EnergizerBunny, the American mascot for Energizer Batteries. From 1989 to the early 2000s, the Bunny was a remote-controlled model that ran on the batteries it was advertising. This proved difficult for the company during filming due to how much power the model consumed. In the early 2000's, the Bunny was animated in CGI as part of Energizer's "Do You Have the Bunny Inside?" campaign, in which he would dance inside an Energizer battery. After the campaign ended in the mid-2000's, the remote-controlled model of the Bunny was brought back for commercials. As of the 2010's, the Bunny is animated in full CGI.

In the 2000s traditionally-animated works fell out of fashion due to blockbuster hits like the Creator/{{Pixar}} films and ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' along with the simplicity of animating in CGI compared to traditional animation. While 2D style animation is popular in France and Japan (though many use [[TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects obvious CG occasionally]], and CGI cartoons are also prominent) and amongst televised cartoons (though they're usually UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash styled), {{All CGI Cartoon}}s have been rising in popularity over the years, and Western-produced traditionally-animated theatrical films are rare. Thus many series that used to be done in traditional animation have changed to being CGI over the years.

[[folder: Anime]]

* The first season of ''Anime/BangDream'' was animated in 2D by Issen and Creator/{{Xebec}}. From Season 2 on, it and its SpearCounterpart ''Music/{{Argonavis}} from [=BanG=] Dream!'' are done in full 3D by Creator/SanzigenAnimationStudio.

[[folder: Films -- Animation]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* The films avert this but in terms of television cartoons ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' switched with ''My Friends Tigger And Pooh'' from 2007. Previously everything had been done with either puppets or traditional animation. When the characters appeared on ''WesternAnimation/DocMcStuffins'' in 2017, they were also CGI just like the show is, though the two flashbacks in the episode are hand drawn.

* ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaSecretsOfATeenageWitch'' is the first ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' adaptation done in CGI. Previously they had all been live action or traditionally animated.

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' was all hand-drawn animation until the release of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', which was all CGI. From then on, the next series would shift between [[ZigZaggingTrope inverting and playing this trope straight]] with ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' also being CG, while ''Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'' and ''[[Anime/TransformersArmada Armada]]'' wen't back to 2d, only for ''[[Anime/TransformersEnergon Energon]]'', and [[Anime/TransformersCybertron Cybertron]] to bring the CG back. The trend would continue with ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin also inverting this trope]]. The [[Franchise/TransformersAlignedUniverse ''Aligned Universe'']] (''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', ''WesternAnimation/TransformersGo'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise2015'') also went back to being all CG before ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'' once again inverted the trope.

* Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries''. The original [[WesternAnimation/BigHero6 film]] was an AllCGICartoon; however, the cartoon series is hand drawn.
* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' also inverts this. ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' was CGI but its cartoon midquel is in hand drawn animation.

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' was all hand-drawn animation until the release of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', which was all CGI. From then on, the next few series (''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' [a sequel to ''Beast Wars''], and then ''[[Anime/TransformersArmada Armada]]'', ''[[Anime/TransformersEnergon Energon]]'', and [[Anime/TransformersCybertron Cybertron]] [collectively known as the ''Anime/UnicronTrilogy'']) were all CGI. A later series, ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin briefly reversed this trend]]. Another new wave of shows collectively known as the [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAlignedUniverse "Aligned Universe"]] (''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'', ''WesternAnimation/TransformersGo'' and ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRobotsInDisguise'') went back to being all CGI.

* After decades of being the longest-running traditionally animated series, ''Anime/SazaeSan'' made a gradual change to digital starting with its opening animation in 2009 before fully making the leap in 2015.

In the 2000s traditionally-animated works fell out of fashion due to blockbuster hits like the Creator/{{Pixar}} films and ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' along with the simplicity of animating in CGI compared to traditional animation. While 2D style animation is popular in France and Japan (though many use [[ThreeDEffectsTwoDCartoon CG occasionally]], and CGI cartoons are also prominent) and amongst televised cartoons (though they're usually UsefulNotes/AdobeFlash styled), {{All CGI Cartoon}}s have been rising in popularity over the years, and Western-produced traditionally-animated theatrical films are rare. Thus many series that used to be done in traditional animation have changed to being CGI over the years.

** The Disney Animated Canon slowly made the shift. After the underwhelming performance of ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' and ''WesternAnimation/BrotherBear'', they declared that ''WesternAnimation/HomeOnTheRange'' will be their last 2D animated film. Their first attempts at AllCGICartoon, such as ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' and ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons'', were not particularly successful though the latter was critically better received than the former. ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}'' seemed to break the streak, and starting with ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' (which was originally to be done in a 2D/3D mix ala ''WesternAnimation/{{Paperman}}'' but was changed due to developmental issues) all of their AllCGICartoon films are major hits. They made two attempts to return to the 2D animation they used to be famous for, but the lukewarm success of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' and ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh'', paired up with such CGI blockbusters as ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' (which was announced as a traditionally animated film but was quickly changed to CGI) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', means that we shouldn't expect any 2D Disney films in the near future.

** The Disney Animated Canon slowly made the shift. After the underwhelming performance of ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'' and ''Disney/BrotherBear'', they declared that ''Disney/HomeOnTheRange'' will be their last 2D animated film. Their first attempts at AllCGICartoon, such as ''Disney/ChickenLittle'' and ''Disney/MeetTheRobinsons'', were not particularly successful though the latter was critically better received than the former. ''Disney/{{Bolt}}'' seemed to break the streak, and starting with ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'' (which was originally to be done in a 2D/3D mix ala ''WesternAnimation/{{Paperman}}'' but was changed due to developmental issues) all of their AllCGICartoon films are major hits. They made two attempts to return to the 2D animation they used to be famous for, but the lukewarm success of ''Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' and ''Disney/WinnieThePooh'', paired up with such CGI blockbusters as ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' (which was announced as a traditionally animated film but was quickly changed to CGI) and ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'', means that we shouldn't expect any 2D Disney films in the near future.
** As for characters, ''Disney/RalphBreaksTheInternet'' features the Franchise/DisneyPrincess characters (well, those who weren't CGI to begin with) in CGI during a sequence taking place within a Disney-themed website.

* The two Disney ''Disney/PeterPan'' [[Disney/ReturnToNeverland films]] are traditionally animated while the spinoff series ''Franchise/DisneyFairies'' is CGI.

* Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries''. The original [[Disney/BigHero6 film]] was an AllCGICartoon; however, the cartoon series is hand drawn.
* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' also inverts this. ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'' was CGI but its cartoon midquel is in hand drawn animation.