Autodesk Alias
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer-aided industrial design software |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Stephen Bingham, Nigel McGrath, Susan McKenna, David Springer |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Alias Design, Alias Surface, Alias Automotive (AutoStudio), Alias Concept |
| Parent | Autodesk |
Autodesk Alias (previously known as Alias StudioTools) comprises a suite of computer-aided industrial design (CAID) applications predominantly utilized in automotive design and industrial design for crafting class A surfaces through Bézier surface and non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) modeling techniques.
Unlike traditional CAD software, Alias is positioned as a CAID solution emphasizing the "styling" dimension—focusing on exterior product design—without incorporating mechanical engineering details found in programs such as Siemens NX, Inventor, CATIA, Creo, or SolidWorks.
Alias Research
The inception of Alias traces back to four computer scientists—Stephen Bingham, Nigel McGrath, Susan McKenna, and David Springer—who sought to develop accessible software for realistic three-dimensional modeling.
Alias Research was established in 1983 in Toronto, releasing its inaugural software, Alias/1, at SIGGRAPH '85 held in San Francisco. Initially, it operated exclusively on Silicon Graphics workstations running the Irix operating system. Later, during the late 1990s, the software was adapted for Microsoft Windows platforms. Versions compatible with Mac OS emerged in 2011 but were discontinued by 2019. Over time, Alias secured its reputation as a premier provider of advanced 3D graphics software.
Under Silicon Graphics
In 1995, Alias Research was acquired by Silicon Graphics, which then merged it with Wavefront Technologies, a 3D software developer founded in 1984 in Santa Barbara, California. This merger resulted in Alias/Wavefront, which was subsequently renamed Alias Systems Corporation.
Under Autodesk
On October 4, 2005, Alias became part of Autodesk through acquisition, and the StudioTools product line was rebranded as Autodesk AliasStudio. The integration into Autodesk’s portfolio was completed in 2006.
Products
The Alias product lineup spans from Alias Design aimed at early conceptualization to Alias Surface, culminating with Alias Automotive as the flagship solution offering comprehensive features.
These applications combine sketching, modeling, and visualization functionalities tailored to designers’ requirements for exploring shapes, creating organic models, reviewing designs visually, and facilitating CAD data interoperability.
Starting with version 2021, Autodesk Alias is segmented into individual products:
- Autodesk Alias AutoStudio (previously Alias Automotive)
- Autodesk Alias Surface (formerly Surface Studio)
- Autodesk Alias Concept (formerly Design Studio)
Usage and application
Autodesk Alias supports styling and design tasks across multiple industries including automotive, marine, aerospace, sporting goods, packaging electronics, toys, and fashion accessories.
Files with the .wire extension created in Alias can be imported directly into applications such as Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk ImageStudio, Autodesk Maya, and Autodesk VRED. Additionally, it exports through IGES or STEP formats to engineering software like Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, and CATIA for further detailed engineering work.
The software accommodates two primary modeling approaches: NURBS and Subdivision modeling.