Software Suite aids in transportation and product design.
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Press Release Summary:
Offered as all-inclusive design solution, software suite allows designers to create, craft, collaborate, and convey designs in one complete flow. StudioTools(TM) v13 integrates tools for shape definition and communication processes, from sketching to production modeling. ImageStudio(TM) v3 creates high quality images of 3D models from 3D design and CAD tools, and PortfolioWall® v3 allows teams to organize, review, annotate, and make rapid decisions on 2D and 3D visual data.
Original Press Release:
Alias Announces StudioTools 13, Alias ImageStudio 3
Industrial software solutions foster innovation for transportation and product design
Toronto, Canada - October 18, 2005 - Alias® announced today the latest version of its signature line of industrial design software solutions: Alias StudioTools(TM) 13, Alias ImageStudio(TM) 3 and Alias PortfolioWall® 3. In conjunction with the software launch, Alias has enhanced its Alias StudioTools Platinum Membership, offering top-tier support and maintenance via software downloads, hotline support and learning resources.
The latest release of the Alias suite of design software products redefines the term all-inclusive design solution. These products allow designers to create, craft, collaborate and convey their designs in one complete flow - focusing on the idea rather than the tools. Each of these innovative software products is one of Alias' key solutions for design and visualization - solutions that also include a complete range of consulting, training and custom engineering services.
"Companies that have embraced design as a strategic part of their business are leaders in their respective markets," says Peter Mehlstaeubler, vice president, product development, Alias. "Many world brand leaders in the transportation and consumer product industries rely on Alias design technology and services, which are continually evolving to meet their needs. Alias helps companies make design a competitive advantage."
Alias StudioTools 13
Alias StudioTools is a complete solution for the creative design process. It integrates the tools designers require for the shape definition and communication processes, from sketching to production modeling, within an intuitive working environment.
Damien Fleury, a 3D consultant, was enthusiastic about the release. "StudioTools 13 is now `one of a kind' for reverse engineering data, providing unique freedom for reshaping models. One can reverse engineer a model, starting from a simple shape or surface, and then modify and enhance the result with StudioTools' freeform modeling tools."
The new features and enhancements in Alias StudioTools 13 software offer designers and modelers several key benefits and significant enhancements in the areas of productivity, sketching, 3D modeling, visualization and data interoperability.
Productivity
StudioTools 13 enhances the creative productivity of designers. Significant changes to the intuitive new user interface streamline the design workflow and help new users become productive quickly. Work Shelves present the designer with essential tools for specific tasks and the customizable interface suits individual preferences and unique workflows. New data management features are also available to help designers work more efficiently with large datasets. Enhanced documentation allows users to quickly find information.
Sketching and 2D/3D Design
The Paint workflow has been reorganized and now offers a `Paint Shelf' alongside updates menus and palettes facilitating 2D and 3D sketching. Other new tools include an exclusive paint window, customizable hotkeys and an improved symmetric drawing tool.
Dynamic Shape Modeling
New Dynamic Shape Modeling capabilities in StudioTools 13 enables the global modification of 3D data so that designers can quickly and easily make a correction to a model shape at any stage of the design process.
Modeling
The addition of semi-automated modeling tools such as Ball Corner and Multi-Surface Blends accelerate the overall workflow, allowing designers to quickly create and modify transition surfaces and design details.
Interactive Visualization
Photo-real, interactive visualization provides designers with a real-time feedback and design communication vehicle without the time/expense of having to construct a physical prototype or wait for software rendering. StudioTools 13 delivers faster interactive performance, a simplified visualization workflow and image quality enhancements with attributes previously available only in software rendering.
A new addition to StudioTools 13 software is the High Resolution Screen Grab function that enables designers to create snapshots of any windows. Combined with the new Hardware Shade features, this allows designers to create high-quality, high-resolution images instantly, at the touch of a button.
StudioTools 13 takes advantage of graphics hardware to provide enhancements to interactive visualization that include: Ambient Occlusion; per pixel shading; support for bump map for more realistic textured surfaces; virtual ground planes with interactive shadows and reflections and support for environment mapping (ball, chrome, cube) within hardware rendering.
Reverse Engineering and Hybrid Modeling
StudioTools 13 features a number of tools useful for preparing large scan datasets for modification, visualization and reverse engineering including tools for: reversing normals on a mesh; mesh repair; hole filling; smoothing; stitching; mesh reduction, etc. The software now also enables a unique, timesaving hybrid modeling workflow for automotive design - one that combines the advantages of NURBS with polygon scan data, e.g. to update (with scan data) an existing NURBS car model so as to quickly reflect the changes in a new release of the vehicle.
Data Exchange
Alias StudioTools 13 now supports SolidWorks ® data import and enhanced support for Alias SketchBook ® Pro that includes import of layered TIFF images.
Alias ImageStudio 3
Alias ImageStudio is an easy-to-use rendering solution for creating high quality images of 3D models from 3D design and CAD tools. Alias ImageStudio 3 allows users to render larger files, and get faster results, through the addition of satellite rendering. Alias ImageStudio 3 comes with two mental ray ® Satellites enabling users to distribute and hence accelerate rendering across networks of machines. Satellite rendering offloads rendering computation onto networked computers, leaving the user's machine free for interactive work.
Alias PortfolioWall 3
Alias PortfolioWall software allows creative teams to efficiently organize, review, annotate and make rapid decisions on 2D and 3D visual data. PortfolioWall forms the backbone of design workflow by providing a direct link between designers, managers and clients, allowing them to directly share visuals and project data. The third version of PortfolioWall boasts a faster performance, an improved visual quality and a greater scope to its data organization tools, such as data integration with PDM systems.
For further information about the Alias suite of design products, please visit www.alias.com.
Alias Platinum Members Get the Most out of Alias StudioTools
The highly successful Alias Platinum Membership program is now available for StudioTools, enabling users to maximize their investment in their chosen design software tools. For a fixed annual fee, Alias Platinum Membership delivers unlimited telephone and email hotline support, early access to software product upgrades, Alias Insider Case Management to expedite bug fixes, as well as the option to nominate 'super users' within a user organization. Alias Platinum streamlines license relocation functions and provides access to the Alias Expert Resources - a database of advanced information and data to help with every aspect of using, implementing and leveraging the software. New features include interactive training sessions with Alias' world-class product support specialists and quarterly no-charge access to downloadable Alias LearningTools DVDs.
"Alias Platinum Membership is a huge asset to professional organizations needing full access to the expert resources within Alias," said Cristi Hawtin, global product manager for memberships. "It provides the fast solutions, access to software and information that allow designers to focus on the moment of design, not on the tools needed to achieve it."
For further information about Alias Platinum Membership, please visit www.alias.com/platinum .
About Alias
As the world's leading innovator of 3D graphics technology, Alias develops award-winning software, custom development and training solutions for the automotive, industrial design and visualization markets and film and video, games, web, interactive media and education markets. Alias also offers a powerful range of services for new to advanced users in the most demanding environments. Learning Tools and training, support, and professional services help meet rigorous production deadlines.
The company's design customers include AT&T, BMW, Boeing, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Italdesign, Kodak, Kwikset, Mattel, Price Pfister, Renault, Rollerblade, Sharp, Trek Bicycle, Teague and Timex.
Please visit the Alias website at www.alias.com or call 1-800-447-2542 in North America. International contact numbers include: Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, +44 (0) 1494 441273; Germany, East & Southeast Europe, 0049 89 31 70 20; Italy, 39 039 6340011, France, Spain and Portugal, +33 1 44 92 81 60; Japan and other parts of Asia Pacific, 81 3 5797 3500 and Latin America, 770 393 1881.
© Copyright 2005. Alias Systems Corp. ("Alias"). All rights reserved. Alias, the swirl logo, SketchBook and Portfolio Wall are registered trademarks and StudioTools, and ImageStudio are trademarks of Alias in the United States and/or other countries. SolidWorks is a registered trademark of SolidWorks Corporation. mental ray is a registered trademark of mental images GmbH in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. Alias, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5A 1J7, Tel: 416-362-9181, Fax: 416-369-6140.
