Aladdin4D was originally created by Greg Gorby at Adspec Programming in Ohio, and was an updated version of an earlier 3D program called Draw4D Pro, which integrated elements of desktop publishing into its environment. In 1996, the 3D program was then acquired and updated by Nova Design, Inc. Nova Design added many modern features and made it easier to use. It was one of the first 3D animation programs on any platform to employ volumetrics, which were primarily used to create volumetric gas. However, unlike the majority of Amiga 3D programs, it used scanline rendering instead of the more photo-realistic ray tracing technique. Scanline rendering is similar to the rendering technique used in most Pixar movies.