July 24, 2003 - Alias|Wavefront has announced the start of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the launch of a corporate identity change from Alias|Wavefront to Alias, along with new and updated software products for industrial design.

Alias Research was founded in 1983, in Toronto, Canada, with Wavefront Technologies launching one year later in Santa Barbara, California. The two companies developed products such as Composer, Kinemation, Dynamation, Alias and PowerAnimator. In the mid-90s, they were acquired and merged under Silicon Graphics as Alias|Wavefront.

The decision to evolve the name comes at a time when the company is planning the launch of several new products. “We are committed to continuing with our historical industry leading investment in both Maya and StudioTools,” said Doug Walker, president, Alias. “Our new name allows us to focus on building a single brand for new products going forward.”

Nearly every major automotive manufacturer uses Alias software in their design studios, from Audi with its TT, to Renault with its Megane II, BMW, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Italdesign, and the longest standing Alias customer, General Motors. Brian Baker of GM Design commented on the 20th anniversary: “For myself and others who have worked closely with Alias|Wavefront for most of those years, thanks for giving our profession the most powerful tool since the first napkin sketch. The Chevy SSR and the subsequent math revolution proved beyond a doubt that passionate production vehicles were possible using StudioTools.”

The new design software products to be released in September include a new application for rendering called Alias ImageStudio, along with significant upgrades to the computer-aided industrial design software Alias StudioTools. An improved version of Alias PortfolioWall, a presentation tool for digital images, will be available at the same time.

“Our goal is to advance the art of industrial design by providing the most productive 2D and 3D design software tools available anywhere in the world,” says Peter Mehlstaeubler, Alias vice president, product development. “We're continuing to build on this goal by bringing another set of innovative improvements to all aspects of design, especially in the areas of sketching, visualisation, concept and Class A modelling.”

New tools in StudioTools 11 speed the creation of rolled surface edges, allowing designers to efficiently model edge finish details. Modelling enhancements include the ability to quickly represent cut and parting lines on concept models, allowing designers to add details and experiment before taking the time to create final geometry.

New image manipulation functionality added to the integrated paint tools streamlines the concept design workflow. Colour correction and replacement tools provide a designer with the sketch and photo manipulation functionality required to fine tune a concept without moving to a different application. Also new are image deformation and warping tools for stretching or pulling an entire sketch or selected parts of a sketch, for faster concept experimentation.

Enhancements in the ability to project and visualise sketches onto 3D concept models further enrich the design workflow that combines sketching and modelling for rapid concept development and evaluation. Sketches projected onto digital models can now be scaled in real-time to allow further tuning of the 2D and 3D design elements. Other enhancements provide more reliable data transfer to CAD and make it possible to handle very large data sets from scanners.

Alias ImageStudio has been created to advance the art of design rendering and communication. It is for the designer who is primarily concerned with concept modelling, but who also needs top quality rendered images for making presentations. It allows designers to quickly transform 3D files created in StudioTools or CAD packages, into appealing, informative rendered images.

While 3D rendering normally requires a high level of technical software skill and can take months to master, ImageStudio will allow designers to spend less time preparing 3D rendering for presentation and more time designing and modelling. First time users should be able to create an image in an average of just one hour, bypassing complex shader and lighting set up requirements.

Once a 3D file is imported into ImageStudio, a designer sets the stage by choosing from a customisable library of environments that are like virtual photo-shoot setups. Different hard surface materials may be applied such as car paint, rubber, plastic, glass and metals; and logos or other decal effects may be added. ImageStudio uses Mental Ray technology and supports state-of-the-art 'Image Based Lighting' for high quality, realistic images. The software accepts 3D files from StudioTools, Maya and most CAD applications via the industry standard IGES data format.

Alias PortfolioWall 1.6 is an upgrade to the presentation tool that assists design teams in quickly accessing, presenting and annotating visual 2D and 3D data, using large touch-screens to allow design teams to easily interact with and present their digital work. The latest release has a more contemporary interface, as well as data handling and productivity improvements. It also includes an enhanced 3D data viewer featuring higher image quality, more efficient handling of large data sets, diagnostic shading tools and tighter integration with StudioTools software.

Alias website: www.alias.com