Is Alias Portable to ICEM Surf / NX or Catia?

Hello Gustavo,

I am Kevin de Smet. I have been forwarded your question by Graham and thought I’d give you a few pointers.

Q) The Class A workflow you apply is somehow portable to ICEM Surf, NX or CATIA? I mean, the same techniques can be used?”
First of all, as a mechanical designer you must be aware surfacing is black magic! oh wait, no, that’s the myth 😉
I am familiar with CATIA from my current job doing electrical harnessing and I have dabbled in CATIA Icem kind of just reading the manual and such.
CATIA Icem actually did for ICEM kind of what Alias always has been. CATIA Icem also has features that are associative (i.e. a 10mm fillet surface is intelligent enough to know it always needs to stay 10mm and be continuous with its parent surfaces)
I’m not sure about NX but I would reckon it’s about the same thing. Except they don’t have the brand recognition of Icem but instead run on what used to be ImageWare back in the day, now long gone and forgotten.
Vanilla ICEM Surf is a little different to Alias primarily because it’s less intelligent, less parametric if you will. But the fundamentals of direct modeling as also done in Alias should transfer over quite readily.
You are correct not to mention for example SolidWorks or Inventor or even Creo (former Pro/ENGINEER) because those software approach surface modeling in a different way. Even standard CATIA like Generative Shape Design is much different to CATIA Icem / Alias / Icem Surf.
I’m sure NX has both also, standard surfacing functions and then NX Shape Studio for the more kind of Class A direct modeling push-and-pull control points approach.
I must add both have their value, and place. It would be wrong to say one is better for everything, and the other is crap.
But for the whole Class A exterior automotive thing, direct modeling in Alias or Icem really are the best tools.

Good luck with your Alias

Kevin de Smet (elite student at LearningAlias ).

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To Learn Alias Automotive to Industry Entry level has been made easier.

For student’s who have the objective of finding a CAD job in the near future, I still teach One to One students and all of these students get Automotive Modeling or Design/Modeling jobs, so it’s a great investment to make. The hourly rate is very high and there are vacancies in UK. France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, USA, Brazil etc. I can only take a maximum of 5-7 students at any one time. I teach all levels right up to Post Graduates. I have never had a Private student fail to get an Alias Automotive job (Companies include Ferrari, GM, Lotus, Opel, Audi Seat etc. ). If you wish to apply for a place, please email me with all your details.
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