Learning Alias Level One - Contents

About this book

Which Lessons should you complete

For Version 8.5 users

Modeling, Rendering, and Animation

The Alias User Interface

Menus

The Tool Palette

The Tool Icons

Tool Display Options

Option windows

Customizing the User Interface

The Tool Shelf

Marking menus

Working in a 3D world

Modeling Windows

Orthographic Views

Cameras and the Perspective Views

The Scene Block Diagram (SBD) Window

Dag Node states

Object Display

The View icons

XYZ Coordinate Space

UV Parametric Space

The Prompt Line

Entering Coordinate values

Absolute vs. Relative

Picking Objects

The Alias File Structure

The Project concept

The File Lister

Logging into the system

Launching Alias

The Alias Workspace

Menus

Window Layouts

The Tool Palette

The Tool Shelf

Creating lesson shelves

Saving and Retrieving Shelf sets

Interface Display

Hot Keys

Marking Menus

Deleting objects

The Project Directories

Retrieving files

Window Options

Merging files

Changing views

The Camera View icons and Viewing Panel

Picking Objects

The SBD Window

Display Options

The Multi-lister

Exiting Alias

Stages

Initial Setup

The Stage Editor

Displaying Geometry

Templating Geometry

Making geometry invisible

Layers

Creating layers

Assign the lamp to its layer

Working with layers

Construction Planes

Moving the plane

Move the Wall sign

Working at an Angle

What is a 3D model?

Primitives

Transformations (Xforms)

Pivots

Curves

Curve Parameterization

Uniform Parametrization

Chord Length Parametrization

Keypoint Curves

Curve Modifications

Surfaces

U and V Surface Direction

Surface Creation

Faces

Construction History

Curves on Surface

Trimming

Fillets and Rounds

Constructing Quality Curves

A Mathematical Description of Curves

Polynomials

Degree

Parametric Curves

NURBS

Building a Greek Temple

Launch Alias

Building the Base of the Temple

Setting the Grid Snap

Setting Grid Spacing

Saving your Work

Building the Columns of the Temple

Using Absolute and Relative Values

Moving the Pivot

Copying an existing object

Grouping the Primitives

Copying a Column

Creating the Entablature

Creating the Roof of the Temple

Quick Rendering the Temple

Part One - Modeling a sombrero

Initial Setup

Drawing a Curve using CVs

Display Options

Adding Points

Modifying a Curve using CVs

Creating a Revolved surface

Editing the Revolve's History

Construction History

Breaking construction history

Displaying Surface CVs and Hulls

Editing a Surface using CVs and Hulls

Clean up the Model

Part Two - Modeling a guitar

Drawing an Edit Point curve

Using Symmetry

Setting up for Symmetry

Inserting more Edit Points

The Curve Editor

Mirroring a Curve

Attaching curves

Drawing Keypoint Curves

Creating a Keypoint Circle

The Neck of the Guitar

Drawing a straight line

Cutting the line

Drawing a Parallel line

Joining Keypoints

Notching the guitar Profile

Drawing the left edge

Drawing the arc of the notch

2D Fillet

Creating the guitar's Headstock

Part Three - Building the Surfaces

Extruding the guitar body

Set Face - Trim

A Skinned surface

The Neck and the Headstock

Editing with Construction history

Clean up

Initial Planning

Creating Skinned surfaces

Creating a Boundary Surface

Creating Revolved Surfaces

Creating an Extruded Surface.

Cleaning up the model

Initial Setup

Proportional Modification

Creating a Curve on Surface

Intersecting surfaces

Trimming

3D Fillets

Initial Setup

Building a Rounded corner

The Back Edge

Construction of the side edges

Finishing the top of the mouse

Constructing the bottom edge

Create the bottom curves

Cleaning up the Model

Adding Detail to the Mouse

Adding a logo with beveled text

Beveling

Placing the text

Initial Setup

Revolve

Boundary

Skin

Another Boundary Surface

Attaching Surfaces

Attach the upper body surfaces

Completing The Main Bottle

Creating the hook

Create inner and outer curves

Trimming the bottle hook

For Studio Users

Initial Setup

Rounding corners

Building a variable fillet for the disc cover

The Multi-Lister

Shaders

The Shader Editor

Shading Models

Basic Shading Parameters

Texture Mapping

Solid vs. Parametric Mapping

Solid Projections

Convert Solid Texture

Texture Placement

Texture Mapping Effects

Bump Maps

Displacement Maps

Transparency Map

Reflectivity Map

Combining texture maps

The Environment Shader

Initial setup

Creating and assigning a new shader

Editing shader parameters

Copying a shader

Copying shader parameters

Editing a shader from the Multi-lister

Importing a transparent shader

Editing the Environment shader

Quick Rendering

More QuickRender options

Initial setup

Creating a projection map

Pick the Apple shader from the Multi-lister

Creating a Ramp texture

Change the colors of the Ramp

Positioning the Projection map

Surface Mapping

Stencil Map the banana

Position the Label on the surface

Displacement Map the orange

Bump Map the bowl

Solid Texture Map the table

Xform the Texture placement object

Save the file

Lighting

The Multi-lister

The Light Editor

Light Types

Lighting Parameters

Spotlight parameters

Positioning Spotlights

OptiF/X

Rendering

The Rendering Pipeline

Rendering Types

Quick Renderings

Render Globals

Render Subdivisions

Adaptive and Uniform Subdivisions

Adaptive Subdivisions

Uniform Subdivisions

Subdividing Trimmed Surfaces

Subdividing Faces

Using Subdivisions

Managing Rendering Time

Initial Setup

Retrieve a new candle object

Create a New Layer

Spotlight

Place a spotlight in the scene

Move the view component of the light

Linking Lights

Make the point light exclusive to the orange

Light Glows

QuickRender the scene

Initial Setup

Preparing to Render

Render Globals

Performing a Test Render

Creating a RayCast render

Creating a Raytraced render

Initial Setup

Setting the Turntable Options

Importing Curves for an Autofly

Setting the Autofly Options

Rendering the SDL File

Viewing the Rendered Animation

Part One: Modeling

Initial Setup and Planning

Constructing the hull

Adjusting the Hull with History

The Deck and the Transom

Editing with Construction curve History

Cleaning up the Model

Constructing the main sail and the jib

Modifying the sail

Constructing the Mast

The Boom

Completing the model

Part Two: Assigning Shaders

Assigning Shaders

Editing a shader

Positioning the Logo on the Sail

Setting up your environment

Part Three: Lighting the Scene

Adjusting Lights

Test Render the Scene

Part Four: Animating the camera

Autofly

Part Five: Rendering

Creating an SDL file for rendering

Rendering the scene

Viewing the Rendered Animation

Frames and Keyframes

The Time Slider

Setting Keyframes

Copying and Pasting Keyframes

The Parameter Control Window

Hierarchical Animation

Motion Paths

The Action Window

Animating Lights

Animating Cameras

Animating Shaders

Animating CVs

Metamorphosis

Expressions

Rendering Animations

Preview the final animation

Initial Setup

Modeling the logo

Split the letter "i"

Bevel the text

Move the letter's pivot point and rename the group

Keyframing the Objects

Preview the animation in the Perspective view

Copying Keyframes

Cleaning up the Animation: Action Window

Setting a motion path

Creating a new shader

The Environment Shader

Animating the Environment Shader

Rendering the Animation

Viewing the Animation: Flipbook

Initial Setup

Creating a Hierarchy

Place a default sphere at the origin

Setting the Animatable Parameters

Bouncing the Ball

Using the action window

Changing Parameters

Scaling the Ball on Impact

Stagger the scale amounts in the Action window

Rotating the Ball

Setting Shaders

Create a new shader for the ground plan

Set the Environment and Animate the Glow

Link the scale and the glow

Casting Shadows

Raytrace and View the Animation

Adding to the Hierarchy

Copy Shader animation parameters

Initial Setup

Revolve the two profile curves

Setting Keyshape

Using Play Blast

Assembling CVs

Open the Set lister.

Animating CVs

Rotate the top again and set keyframe

Rotate the top a third time and set keyframe

Move the leftfoot and set keyframes

Move the rightfoot and set keyframes

Set the Start and End point of the animation

Applying Time Cycles

Animating Shaders

Playblast the animation

Animating a car and trailer

What is an expression?

Syntax

Initial Setup

Relating the car node to trailer node

Rotating the wheels

Copying equation to the other tires

Using expressions on the trailer tires

More Advanced Expressions

Establishing the problem

Making the windshield wipers wipe

Adding trigonometric expression

Conditional statements

Changing the trailer expression

Raising and lowering the rail crossing

Adding the expression

Setting Two Keyframes

The Expression Control Window

Inverse Kinematics

Building Skeletons

Skeleton Display options

Editing Skeletons

The Rest Pose

IK Chains

The Single Chain Solver

The Multi chain Solver

Setting Joint limits

Animating an IK skeleton

Run IK

Constraints

Constraint Types

Point Constraint

Orientation Constraint

Aim Constraint

Editing Constraints

Surfaces and skeletons

Grouping surfaces into skeletons

Deformation

Clusters

Assembling Clusters

The Cluster Editor

Deformation Frames

ShapeShifter

Initial Setup

Draw a Skeleton

Construct the neck and head of the character

Modifying Skeletons

The Rest Pose

IK Handles

More IK Handles

Setting Limits

Adding General Selection Handles

Animating the skeleton

Animating the character

Sitting the character down

Adding Secondary movement

Edit the Control type for the left arm

Working with the Rest Pose

Comparing Rest positions

Animating the two IK Chains

Initial Setup

About the Robot Skeleton

About the Robot Geometry

Grouping Geometry to a Skeleton

The Advanced SBD window (ASBD)

Grouping in the ASBD

Other ASBD functions

Hiding the surfaces

Adding IK Handles

Constraints

Adding a Point constraint

Adding constraints to the Feet

Testing the movement

Naming the pieces

Adding an Expression

Animating the Robot

Cycling the motion

More keyframes

Cycling the motion with an offset

Adding an Aim constraint

Rendering and viewing the animation

Run IK

Baking your animation

Preview the final animation

Initial Setup

Building the Model

Curve Deformation

More Curve Deformation

Axis Deformation

Grouping Clusters

Setting Keyframes

Finishing the sequence

Randomizing

Shaders

Assigning more shaders

Final Render

Preview the final animation

Initial Setup

About the Surfaces

Attaching the Torso to the Skeleton

Attaching the Arm to the Skeleton

Change the Bulging parameters

Evaluate the movement of the arm of the character

Attaching the Arm to the Torso

Creating Deformable Textures

Rendering and Evaluating the Surfaces

Initial Setup

Preparing for ShapeShifter

Copying the Frog's head

Setting the Open mouth target

Setting the Smile target

Make CVs visible on parts of the new head

Setting the Throat target

Make CVs visible on parts of the head

Setting the Bulging Eyes target

Scale and move the eyes

Using ShapeShifter

Cleaning up the scene

Setting the key shape

Choose the base shape and the targets

Using the sliders

Pick and move the Smile control

What has ShapeShifter done?

Setting Keyframes

Set Keyframes on the Throat and Eyes

Set Keyframes for the mouth opening and closing

Set Keyframes for the mouth smiling

Editing the Action Curves

Rendering and viewing the animation

Motion Dynamics

Setting up a simulation

Passive and Active Objects

Environment Forces

Force Objects

Simulation Sets

Recording Keyframes

Particles

Particle Emitters

Particle Emission

The Particle Simulation

Initial Setup

Smoke: Creating Particles from a Light

Previewing the particle systems

Editing the Particle Attribute Parameters

Previewing the Simulation

Preview the simulation using Color outlines

QuickRender a frame

Creating an Object Set

Adding Environment Turbulence

Adding a Wind Force

Re-run the simulation

Chemical Goo: Creating Shader Particles

Create a simulation for the Goo

Adjusting the object's normals

Particle Collisions

Editing the Particle Attribute Parameters

Running both simulations

Rendering a still frame

Rendering an Animation

Resetting your user colors

Polygons

Polygon Types

Polygon Model creation

Polygon Editing tools

Planar and Non Planar polygons

Modeling with Polygons

Initial Setup

Building with Polygons

Polygonal Extrusions

Making a window

Positioning Polygons

Editing Polysets

Verifying your polygon count

Deleting polygons

Modeling with Degree One Curves

Cleaning up the polyset

Checking the Surface normals

Placing a primitive cylinder

Creating the gun barrel

Using Displacement maps

Importing a DXF model

Rendering Polygons

Initial Setup

Using Shade mode

Assigning Shaders to Polysets

Assigning Shaders to individual polygons

Shade more polygons

Projecting onto polygons

Make a new projection shader

Orient the projection icon to the geometry

Apply the shader to the boot polygons

Apply UV co-ordinates

Duplicate the boots shader

Adjust mapping

Working with a Decal Texture

The Texture Placement Window

Duplicate the skin shader and assign it

Use the Texture Placement Window

Separating Overlapping Vertices

Texturing Several Polygons

Texturing a polygon quadrilateral

Adjust the texture vertices

Force UV Plug-in

VRML

Prelight the model

High degree Curves and Surfaces

Surface Continuity

Positional Continuity

Tangent Continuity

Curvature Continuity

Creating Surfaces

Preparing Curves

Advanced Surfacing tools

Swept

Birail

Square

N-sided

Curve Network

Booleans

Initial Setup and Planning

Set up of Design Constraints

Creating a Skinned surface

Creating a Birail surface

Place a copy of the curve on either side of the box.

Adding the Bottom surface

Modifying the surfaces

Creating the inset grip surface

Project the curve onto the surface and trim.

Trim off the bottle top

Place a cylinder to represent nozzle.

Preparing the Bottle for Rendering

Raycast the Bottle

Initial Setup

Building the hood - Birail

Building the front fender

Build the hood/fender transitional surface

Construction History with the Square Tool

Build the Truck Box

Creating a Swept Surface

Trimming the Surface

Rounding the Surfaces

Repeat the round process

Build the front bumper

Make a mirror copy of the model

Stages

Retrieve a new Stage

Initial Setup

Opening an Image Plane

Curve Construction

Project Tangent

Evaluating the curve

Recreate the curve

Delete the curve

Evaluate and edit the curve

Create three more curves

Draw a curve for one side of the boot

Draw a curve for the other side of the boot

Surface Construction

Check the properties of the existing surfaces.

Build next Square Surface

Construction History

Quick Rendering the Model

Initial Setup

Constructing intersecting curves

Ensuring continuity between curves

Creating a curve network

Analyzing the Curve Network Continuity

Adding & Removing Curves

Modifying the Curves

Adding another curve network

Sculpting Curves

Increasing the geometry density

Analyzing the Sculpting Curves

Editing the Sculpting Curves

Curve Network Tips

Modeling an Alarm Clock

Initial Setup

Primitive Shell

Stitching surfaces

Applying a Boolean Subtract

Creating a Boolean union

Using single Surfaces

Splitting a Shell

Use Shell Subtract to carve out the Display

Unstitching and Re-stitching objects

Refining the body of the Alarm Clock

About this lesson

The Concept Modeling Workflow

Step 1. Create 2D sketches of the design idea

Step 2. Trace the 3D shape from the 2D sketches

Step 3. Build a 3D sketched model from the curve network

Step 1. Create 2D sketches of the design idea

Building a hard point model

Exporting perspective views to StudioPaint

Creating the 2D sketches in StudioPaint

Importing the sketches as image planes back into Alias

Step 2. Trace the 3D shape from the 2D sketches

Using construction planes as grids in the perspective view

Drawing character curves with the Blend Curve tool

Editing the Blend Curve

Hiding the hard point model and construction plane

Drawing the bottom edge of the helmet

Add a Y-axis construction plane

Locking the endpoints, and then adding more edit points

Editing curves in "free" space

Hiding the planes you don't need

Drawing another lateral character line

Drawing the cross lines

Locking a curve to other existing curves

Ensuring that the 3D object will mirror properly

More about Blend Curves

Step 3. Build a 3D sketched model from the curve network

Creating surfaces

Texture mapping the sketch on the model

Converting the solid texture map into parametric maps

Presenting the model

Other preview options

Action

Active Window

Algorithm

Alias

Anchor

Animation

Animation Parameter

Anti-aliasing

ASCII

Aspect Ratio

Attributes

Axis, Axes

B-Spline

Backdrop

Background

Bit Mapping

Bitpad

Blend Curve

Blinn Shading

Bone

Buffer

Bump Mapping

CAID

Camera

Chain

Channel

Characters

ClayMate

Click

Clipping

Cluster

Color Map

Color Value

Component

Composite

Configuration

Confirm Box

Contiguous

Continuity

Control Vertex (CV)

Coordinate System

Cursor

Curve

Curve on Surface

DAG Node

Data Files

Default

Diffusion

Directory

Displacement Map

Dolly

Drag

DXF(TM)

Eccentricity

Edit Point

End-effector

Environment Map

Extrude

Face

Fast Render

File

Font

Fractals

Frame Buffer

Gamma Correction

Grab

Gradient

Grid

Hermite

Hidden Surfaces

Hierarchy

High Degree Surfaces

HSL

HSV

Hue

Hull

IBM RS/6000

IGES(TM)

Image Resolution

In-betweening

Information Line

Inverse Kinematics

IRIS(TM)

Isoparametric Curve, Isoparm

Joint

Keyframe

Layer

Leaf Node

Light

Light, ambient

Light, area

Light, directional

Light, linear

Light, point

Light, positional

Light, spot

Mask

Matte

Menu Bar

MetaCycle Window

Modeling Coordinates

Modifier

Monochrome

Motion Path

Mouse Pad

Mouse

Non-rational Surfaces

Normal

NTSC

NURBS

Object

Option Box

Original Curve

Original Surface

Orthographic Window

Paint

Palette

PAL

Parabola

Parameter Curve

Parameter

Parameter Window

Parameterize

Parametric Equation

Parametric Surface Patches

Parametric Texture Mapping

Patch

Path (animation)

Pathname (UNIX)

Perspective Window

Phong Shading

Pick Box

Pix (file)

Pixel

Pop-up Menu

Point Clouds

Primitive

Procedural Texture

QuickRender(TM)

QuickShade(TM)

QuickWire(TM)

Ramp

Rational Surfaces

RayCasting(TM)

RayTracing(TM)

Reference Surface

Reflectivity

Refraction

Refractive Index

Rendering

Reparameterize

RGB

Rotate

Saturation

Scaling

Scene Block Diagram(SBD)

Scene

Screen Resolution

Scroll

Set

Shader

Shading Model

Shading

Shadow

Skeleton

Sketch

Skin

Smooth

Smooth Shading

Snippets

Solid Texture

Specular Reflection

Specular Rolloff

Spline

Stage

Surface

Surface Normal

Tablet

Tangent

Template

Timing Curve

Toggle

Transform

Translation

Transparency

Transitions

Transparency Map

Trimmed Surface

Tumble

Turntable

UNIX(TM)

Value

VDA(FS)(TM)

Vertex Normal

Vertex, Vertices

Wireframe

World

World Space

World Space Texture Mapping

Xform

Zoom