These steps are only required for models imported from Autodesk® Alias™ (previously known as AliasStudio or StudioTools). Models from other CAD formats can be imported directly.

Note on AliasStudio versions

AliasStudio Version 13 (and later) provides a SaveLayers plug-in that lets you automatically export separate files for each layer. With multiple files, you can use distinct tessellation settings for each file (for example, use finer tessellation for small parts and coarser tessellation for large surfaces).

This plug-in is not available for earlier versions of the AliasStudio software. In these versions, you must explicitly save each layer as a separate file if you want to use different tessellation settings.

Prepare AliasStudio models

Before importing an AliasStudio model, follow these steps to make sure that the model will display correctly in Autodesk® Showcase™.

In AliasStudio:

1. Make a copy of your model (so that you can keep a copy of the original).
2. Make sure all layers are visible.
3. Remove all layers and objects that you will not want to view in Autodesk Showcase.

   (This will speed up the workflow and the speed of interaction.)

4. Group relevant geometry into layers if you have not already (for example, put dashboard components into a layer, the car body into a layer, the tires into a layer, and so on).

   This will make it easier for you to set up alternatives and assign materials to the model.

5. Create geometry for any symmetry in layers.
   NoteAutodesk Showcase software does not import symmetrical geometry, but it does import mirrored geometry (and lets you duplicate and mirror geometry in a scene).

   Use mirrored geometry

6. Create geometry for any instances.
7. Remove construction history (to make sure your changes are kept):

   Select Delete > Delete constr history.

On rare occasions, an Autodesk Alias .wire file may produce inconsistent results when it is imported into Showcase. For example, there may be lost transformations, wrong material assignments, or duplicated objects. If this happens, re-open the file in Alias and group all objects under a single node before saving the file and first importing it into Showcase.

If you need to update the model often...

The Autodesk Showcase software allows you to show and reverse normals (Edit > Show Normals, Edit > Reverse Normals), but you may want to fix normals permanently in AliasStudio if you plan on updating the model often.

In AliasStudio:

1. View the model to see if the shaded surfaces are facing in the correct direction:

   Select Display Tgls > Shade.

2. Select from the palette Object Edit > Normal tools > Unify Normals.

   Align the normals facing toward the camera (outward) by selecting groups of attached surfaces.

Create stitched and shelled surfaces

An autostitch script is used when creating APF files to shell (stitch) together all contiguous surfaces in the same layer sharing the same material.

The autostitch script can be turned off during import if you choose one of the default tessellation scripts identified as “Not Merged.” If you turn it off, you need to stitch together and shell these surfaces in AliasStudio. (Otherwise, the surfaces will not show continuous textures.)

Adjust import conversion settings

Save individual layer *.wire files

Save the components assigned to each layer as one individual .wire file.

(By creating several files for a model, you will be able to import particular parts of the model into Autodesk Showcase, keep track of your layers, and get better feedback while loading files.)

In AliasStudio:

1. Select all components assigned to a layer.
2. Select File > Export > Active As (*.wire).
3. Give the file a name you’ll be able to recognize.
4. Click Save.