Key features of Autodesk Alias

Concept modelling

Bring your concepts to life with subdivisional modelling, tailored for product design

Surfacing

Fine-tune your technical surfaces to the highest quality levels inclusive of construction history

Automated surfacing

Build surfaces from scanned or mesh data automatically

Computational design

Quickly create production-quality, repeatable patterns with user-friendly, algorithm-based design

Design in virtual reality

Immersive conceptual design with curve, surface and subdivisional modelling tools

Working with assemblies

Cross-team and -department assembly modelling uses the reference manager to quickly update design changes

Design communication and collaboration

Seamless integration with VRED and Flow Production Tracking (formerly ShotGrid) for enhanced design collaboration

What’s new in Alias 2024

Check out the latest features and workflows of Alias

New features of Alias 2024

NEW

New user experience

Alias 2024 includes a modernised user interface, while maintaining the familiar Alias tools and DNA (video: 2:24 min.)


NEW

Markup and animation editors

Improve collaboration and review with intuitive markup and animation editors. (video: 1:27 min.)


ENHANCED

Surface modifier tools

Easily control objects on curves with the feature modifier. Smooth curved surfaces quickly and easily with the accelerated surface function. (video: 2:30 min.)


Alias 2023 highlights

NEW

Subdivisional modelling workflows

Alias 2023 provides more SubD automation with the reform function, and a unique way to transition creases. Reform gives you the power to take any scanned mesh data and convert it to a SubD model for faster roundtrip design iteration. (video: 1:47 min.)


ENHANCED

Accelerate your design process

Accelerate your design process with multiple enhancements in the latest version of Alias, including a new reworked round tool. (video: 54 sec.)


Alias 2022 highlights

Class-A enhancements

SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Create shareable presets for tools and parametric capabilities. (video: 1:42 min.)


Sharing and reuse of design data

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Custom-built feature sets and Dynamo scripts aid in creating libraries and templates for use by your whole team. (video: 1:31 min.)


Workflow and process improvements

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Improved workflow and user experience, including faster SubD modelling and new Dynamo scripts. (video: 3:22 min.)


Alias 2021 highlights

Subdivision modelling improvements

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
SubD modelling improvements included diagnostic shade, specific menus, and a shelf for the SubD workflow. (video: 1:18 min.)


Alias Create VR with SubD

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
SubD modelling in your VR workflow represents another step forward in Alias Create VR. (video: 1:13 min.)


Dynamo player

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
New interactive UI to work with and modify Dynamo scripts. Improve speed of design automation. (video: 1:47 min.)


Improved design efficiency

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
This update includes enhancements to the tool finder, variant lister and freeform blend tool. (video: 1:19 min.)


Alias assemblies workflow

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Additional enhancements to reference workflows, including a true assemblies workflow. (video: 1:07 min.)


SubD ReTopo tool

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Generate subdivision topology by placing CVs and building SubDs on a reference mesh or NURBS geometry. (video: 1:04 min.)


SubD user profile

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Subdivision modelling workflow includes a customised SubD Marking menu and dedicated SubD shelf set. (video: 2:18 min.)


Dynamo drag and drop

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Save Import Dynamo sample file locations so that you can drag and drop scripts to a shelf. 


Selection sets

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Create, modify and select objects and components using selection sets.


History visualiser

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Get a new way of visualising the flow of construction history in your Alias files. 


Surface fillet

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
G2 curvature/Arc creates a fillet that has curvature lead-in and maintains a more arc-shaped section.


Proportional Crown

SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
This capability has been added to Skin, Surface Fillet, Multi-Surface Draught and Free Form Blend.


Dynamo Wheel Arch script

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Quickly create wheel arches using a Dynamo sample file, saving you time when building a new vehicle concept model.


Transform tool

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
Modify components such as CVs, hulls and edges. Transform entities without moving off the selected plane.


SubD Align to Curve

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
New options allow for better control over how subdivision CVs align to curves and surface boundaries.


Visual Clip

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
A visual clipping plane tool now exists in Alias Concept for quick visual sectioning and clip of geometry.


Anti-aliasing

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
A supersampling option increases the anti-alias quality by a factor of 4, resulting in a quality of up to 64x.


Replace shader by name

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
You can now replace shaders by name when you import Alias supported geometry with shader assignments.


Create VR

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
An immersive conceptual design tool that lets designers explore form in 3D using simple curve and surface tools.


SubD and Dynamo tutorials

CONCEPT, SURFACE, AUTOSTUDIO
SubD and Dynamo tutorials and exercises for Alias, including example files and three special Alias 2021 scripts.


More features of Alias

Concept design and fast concept modelling

Sketching and illustration tools

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO
Draw and edit with integrated tools. Capture lines, circles and ellipses with predictive strokes. (video: 2:43 min.)


Flexible product modelling

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Fast, repeatable, curve-based modelling tools let you directly edit and sculpt 3D models. (video: 2:32 min.)


Fast concept modelling

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO
Get a complete concept model workflow, from sketch to final concept model. (video: 3:03 min.)


Photoshop live link

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Sketches from Photoshop can be linked to Alias. Changes to sketches are dynamically updated in Alias.


Dynamic shape modelling

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Quickly manipulate your product model and explore shape variations on 3D forms without rebuilding geometry.


3D sculpting

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
3D sculpt surfaces by directly adjusting surface control vertices. Use curve-based tools, direct modelling and more.


Detailed design and surface analysis

Deck seam

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Use the deck seam (similar to a flat fell seam) to create a deck shape and stitch along an edge or curved surface. (video: 3:31 min.)


Precise surface creation

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Use tools that help you create mathematical shapes. Control pitch with the Revolve tool and more. (video: 1:26 min.)


Multiblend tool

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Use the Multiblend tool to easily generate nice-looking, hard-to-build surfaces and make smooth transitions between surfaces. (video: 4:28 min.)


Light ray effects and reflections

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Study your surfaces in a virtual lighting studio with the Light Tunnel tool.


Computational design

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Quickly generate complex repeatable patterns and enable rapid design iterations and exploration.


Automatic arrays of shapes

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Simplify uniform and nonuniform objects using arrays. Create arrays of lines and surfaces in 2D and 3D.


Surface modelling and Class-A surfacing

New subdivision modelling tools

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Take concept modelling to a new level with the strengths of adaptive subdivision controls combined with native NURBS surface technology in Alias. (video: 3:45 min.)


Global refit

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Refit your digital model to the changed physical model. (video: 1:24 min.)


Improved surface from mesh tool

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Create a surface on mesh with one of three surface types. Update original data with scanned clay data. (video: 2:01 min.)


Precision surface modelling

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Create Class-A surfaces with speed and control.


Surface creation and editing

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Perform multiple operations with a single, automated tool.


Predictive control

AUTOSTUDIO
Get more predictable results with new tools such as Freeform Curve Blend and View Flip.


Multicurve profile input

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Profile tools provide an advanced way to work with surfaces, such as rotating a profile to a target surface.


Intelligent form factor capability

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Define ratios with Form Factor tools.


Mesh selection techniques

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Use an expanded mesh selection toolset.


Offset tool

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Maintain offset CV layout quality to enable a semiautomated, time-saving workflow.


Design communication and product visualisation

Save file author options

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Save the file author information under the save information section when saving or exporting a file.


File > Share view

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Disable the share view option using an environment variable.


Virtual reality with Alias

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Enhance design reviews with virtual reality. Explore your design to scale using a HMD in VR.


Interactive product visualisation

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Evaluate design options with real-time visualisations. Use shading models, apply colour, add texture and more.


Convenient data exchange

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Share industrial design data with mechanical design and CAD software, including Inventor, CATIA and SOLIDWORKS.


VRED compatibility

AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Quickly convert Alias files to VRED software for 3D visualisation.


Switch between shading assignments

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Easily switch between colour combinations.


Variant configuration sets

CONCEPT, AUTOSTUDIO, SURFACE
Capture your current view to return to it easily.