Brandy Ryan
We’re thrilled to announce the new Autodesk official Alias Certification program!
This program is tailored for automotive designers and creative professionals who want to learn the skills essential to designing in Autodesk Alias.
Over five modules, you’ll learn
- Alias interface and model controls
- Subdivision modeling methods and terminology
- NURBS surface modeling
- Animation
- Visualization
At the end of the course, you’ll receive official certification for Alias Essentials.
Alias Certification gives you an advantage in your design development and in your career opportunities.
The power of Alias training
We’ve talked with a number of designers and digital sculptors about the power of career software before – and how learning Alias has enhanced their designs and elevated their careers.
Christian Grajewski — Alias as “the right tool”
Back in 2022, we spoke with German designer Christian Grajewski about his intriguing career that reinforces both a “creativity first” and a “know the right tools” mindset. Christian notes that his “professors were really keen on CAD modeling, especially Alias, because they came from the industry. And they said, ‘This is the best program to use for your future.’”
Earlier this year, we talked with four digital sculptors – from Apple, Ford, Lucid and Oakley – all of whom consider Alias a key tool for them to achieve their design vision.
Emily O’Brien — Alias opens up creativity
Emily O’Brien shifted to Alias after school, when she began her own consulting projects. “I noticed that my colleagues using Alias were able to be more creative. It was after I moved to the U.S. and switched to Alias that my creative and technical interests aligned.”
Jacob Lanyon — Alias skillset = long-term value
Jacob Lanyon (who now teaches Alias!) notes that this “skillset goes beyond automotive into industrial design and M&E (Media & Entertainment) – so we’ll always have value.”
Jonathan Clinginpeel — Focus on learning Alias
Jonathan Clinginpeel had to find a balance in his early college days: “When I was given the opportunity to learn Alias, I decided to pause school for a bit to focus my energy on learning from my design and engineering mentors at Oakley.”
Tim Emmott — The value of learning Alias
And Tim Emmott acknowledges the “super steep learning curve” for Alias: “It’s phenomenal to use once you’re a professional, but it’s brutally hard to learn, Apple really showed me the value of spending the time to learn a tool to do it right.”
Frederic Gasson — Making it real with Alias
We also heard from Frédéric Gasson, who has been an Alias 3D Modeler since 2003. In his AIF 2024 presentation, he shared some behind-the-scenes of modeling the Dark Star from Top Gun Maverick in Alias. “Tom Cruise want[ed] to have a real mock-up of the plane, not only a digital model for the movie.”
Frédéric worked with Daniel Simon on the 3D model that became that mock-up, which would be on display for the film’s premiere in 2022.
Jason Hill — Realizing a vision with Alias
It’s not just life-long designers and digital modelers that have come to learn and love Alias. Jason Hill, on a quest to redefine helicopters (currently “overengineered and under-designed), dreamed of a helicopter with the contemporary design, form, and styling like those we see in Porsche or Aston Martin.
Over 13 years of exploration and research (legislation, engineering, and business process), Jason realized he needed the high-end design tools and expertise to fully realize his vision. Jason worked with Symetri’s Nick John to learn Alias and dive into design.
Stay tuned for more on the Design Studio Blog on Hill Helicopters this winter.
Yes, there will be more! Customer spotlights, industry stories, and product updates.
You can also check out our Autodesk Automotive on LinkedIn, subscribe to our Alias and VRED YouTube channels, and follow us on Facebook.
Sharpen Your Skills
Alias and VRED Learning Editions are free for non-commercial use. Learn more and start your journey today.