How to learn Autodesk Alias

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Related article: Autodesk Alias

Autodesk Alias online tutorials

In the last years Autodesk has publicly released many official videos and documents. Most of them are aimed at showing the features of the new versions, but there are also a number of purely instructional videos.

Almost all the official material was hosted at the old Alias Design website. Recently Autodesk has integrated the website into its new “Mosaic” portal and unfortunately it seems that most tutorials have been deleted. For this reason we’ll post links to the original videos on YouTube or we’ll group some episode series on single pages.

Autodesk Alias – Free tutorials/guides

• Autodesk Alias Design: from the beginning – is a series of 9 video episodes where Chris Hall explain the basics of the Alias interface, navigation and commands. It is very useful for total beginners. Unfortunately the series didn’t get past the Lesson 1 stage.
• NEW – Autodesk Alias Guy’s YouTube channel is a channel launched on October 2015 by Daniel Wright, Autodesk Technical Specialist in Alias and Speedform. The first videos published cover some UI basics.
• Autodesk Alias – Online Documentation and Help – Autodesk makes available the official guides and documentation on their website for all the latest versions:
• Alias 2016 Online Help
• Alias 2015 Online Help

• Alias 2014 Online Help
• Alias 2013 Online Help
• Alias 2012 Online Help

In particular, we suggest the following sections:

• Learning Alias
• Learning Technical Surfacing – a set of video presented by Roberto Tomarchio, covering tha basic tools for surface modeling in Autodesk Alias Surface and Autodesk Alias Automotive (v.2010 and later).
  Here we have collected the various videos from Autodesk YouTube Channel into a single page.

• Autodesk Alias PDF manuals
  Until version 2011 Autodesk used to provide links to downloadable Alias PDF guides and books. Since they were hosted at the now offline Alias Design, not all the documents are still available. At the moment you can download the free guides:
  • Getting Started with Alias 2011 – a 41-pages book that introduces the basic concepts (link)
  • ICEM Transition Guide 2011 – a 53-pages guide that focuses on the key tools and techniques required to build Class A surfaces, mainly targeting ICEM Surf users (link)
  • Rhino Transition Guide 2011 – a 35-pages manual for users moving from Rhino 3D (link)
  • All the pdf manuals for the Alias 2009 version (link)
• Vladimir Panchenko’s YouTube channel – in his videos Russian modeler Vladimir Panchenko explains many automotive design modeling techniques. The tutorials are narrated in Russian.

Autodesk Alias – Books and DVDs

• Learning Autodesk Alias Design 2016 and Learning Autodesk Alias Design 2015
  These are apparently the only up-to-date guides on the lates versions of Alias. The author is Prof. Sham Tickoo from Purdue University Calumet and published by CADCIM Technologies. We don’t have enough information to review them, but they are certainly worth a look.
• Learning Design with Alias StudioTools
  Released back in 2006 as the Official Alias Training Guide, it is a 300-page book with a bonus DVD containing some videos. While it refers to a rather old version (StudioTools v.9) , it could be of some help for total beginners. The book can be found on the second hand marketplace with various pricing.
• Modeling Essentials with StudioTools – Industrial Design Techniques with Henry Goecke (currently unvailable)
  Back in 2007-2008, the Gnomon Workshop released a DVD that covered the basics of Alias and the main modeling techniques, targeted to new users.
  The lessons are taught by Henry Goecke, who at the time was lead digital sculptor at GM Advanced Design Center, and now is an instructor of 3D design at MSU (Michigan State University).
  The DVD is now out of production and it is not included in the Gnomon Workshop’s current subscription plan, so it might be a good idea to consider buying a copy while there are still some available.

Autodesk Alias – Online paid training

• Autodesk Alias training by Technicon Design – Technicon Design offers several courses for aspiring automotive modelers.
• Alias Essential Training by Veejay Gahir – a course that is part of Lynda.com‘s extensive library of online training. It is aimed at providing beginners an introduction to Alias’ tools and techniques. From the same author is Surfacing an F1 Wheel In Alias, targeted to intermediate users.
• LearningAlias.com – This website offers paid and personalized Alias training targeted to the utomotive design sector. The teacher is professional Alias modeler Graham Bullock
• Essential Alias Training by IGetIt – I Get It offers three courses aimed at beginners and covering the essential skills for Autodesk Alias 2009, 2011 and 2012. The courses are part of the library accessible through a subscription plan.

Autodesk Alias – Intermediate/advanced tutorials

Coming Soon