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Allows you to transfer data from different file formats into the current scene.
To replace the current scene with the contents of a file, use File > Open. The PTC Granite format is also supported, but because there are no options, it is not listed in the option window.

WIRE Options
Programmers can access wire files via the Alias OpenModel library.
From within Alias you can open an older wire version. Rename older wire files to keep the older file format version and begin working in the latest version of Alias. Supported entities include surfaces, curves, and polygon sets.
Imports windows.
Imports cameras.
Imports lights.
Imports shaders.
When importing shaders (Keep Shaders turned on), you can choose to replace the incoming shaders with shaders in the currently set User Library location. Replace Shader by Name only works with shaders that have the same name.
This option is not visible if Keep Shaders is turned off.
For more information, see the Replace shaders by name.
Imports animation. Determines whether to retrieve animations or only models. The default is ON.
When selected, both models and animation are retrieved. A window that contains an animated camera is retrieved with the model.
When not selected, only models are retrieved.
Imports backgrounds contained in a wire file.
Prompts you to Accept the construction options contained in the wire file.
Imports the render globals set for the wire file into the system, overriding the current settings.
To set render globals, use Render > Globals.
Imports the layers you set in the wire file.
Imports variants.
IGES Options
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Imports degree 1 curves as section data.
Creates a logfile containing a list of path names of imported files, and a list of warning and/or error messages.
VDAIS Options
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation.
Processes supported VDAIS entities that have been flagged for use as annotation.
Removes multiple knots in curve or surface geometry read from VDAIS files containing parametric spline curves or surfaces.
Specifies the trim curves that the processor will use. You can select parameter space curves, world space curves, or use the flag that is present in the .VDAIS file.
Changes the size of models stored in VDAIS file formats as you import the file.
Defines how the level (layer) information associated with a VDAIS entity is mapped to Alias Set and Alias Layer information.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
JAMAIS Options
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation.
Processes supported JAMA-IS entities that have been flagged for use as annotation.
Removes multiple knots in curve or surface geometry read from JAMA-IS files containing parametric spline curves or surfaces.
Specifies the trim curves that the processor will use. You can select parameter space curves, world space curves, or use the flag that is present in the.JAMA-IS file.
Changes the size of models stored in JAMA-IS file format as you import the file.
Defines how the level (layer) information associated with a JAMA-IS entity is mapped to Alias Set and Alias Layer information.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
VDAFS Options
Items in VDAFS files that were grouped using BEGINSET/ENDSET are grouped in a hierarchy in Alias after import. Entity names are preserved.
Imports degree 1 curves as section data.
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation.
Removes multiple knots in curve or surface geometry read from VDAFS files containing parametric spline curves or surfaces.
Maps VDAFS groups to Alias Layers. All items in the group are assigned to the created layer. The name of the group becomes the name of the layer.
Specifies the curves that the processor will use to trim surfaces. You can select parameter space or world space curves. If the trimming fails, the translator will try to trim with the alternative curves.
Changes the size of models stored in VDAFS file format when you import the file.
NX Options
Produces a report containing a list of path names of imported file(s), and a list of warning and/or error messages.
Converts entities of type Mesh.
Converts entities of type Point.
Converts entities of type Nurbs.
Converts entities of type Curve.
Converts solids to Alias shells. Otherwise, they are converted to a collection of trimmed surfaces.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Divides periodic surfaces into multiple surfaces.
Optimizes the CV layouts of the imported file for use in Alias.
Translates empty layers. The NX layers map directly to Alias layers.
Translates empty categories to Alias categories. Layers are subsets of categories.
Translates category names to Alias layers.
Lets you specify which layers in the imported NX file to open in Alias. After enabling this option, type the designated numbers of the target layers in the Specified Layer field. To do this, you can use a comma separated list, a layer number range, or a combination of both. The valid layer number range is between 1 and 256.
NX part and assembly format Reference Interpret NX log files
STEP Options
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Imports meshes.
Imports points.
Imports curves.
Imports NURBS for surfaces and solids.
Keeps the topology for sheet and solid bodies.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Imports invisible geometry.
Autodesk Inventor Options
When this option is checked, curves and surfaces are converted to NURBS geometry.
Converts polygonal geometry to meshes.
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Imports points.
Imports curves.
Imports solid and sheet bodies as shells/surfaces, meshes for bodies, or meshes for faces.
Keeps the topology for sheet and solid bodies.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
DXF Options
Converts DXF invisible geometry to Alias invisible geometry.
Converts entities of type Curve.
Converts entities of type Mesh.
Produces a report containing a list of path names of imported file(s), and a list of warning and/or error messages.
DWG Options
Converts DWG invisible geometry to Alias invisible geometry.
Converts entities of type Curve.
Converts entities of type Mesh.
Produces a report containing a list of path names of imported file(s), and a list of warning and/or error messages.
CATIA V4 Options
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Converts CATIA meshes to Alias meshes.
Converts CATIA points (Type 1) to Alias points.
Converts CATIA parametric curves (Type 3), composite curves (Type 24), and NURBs curves (Type 46) to Alias curves.
Converts CATIA NURBS to Alias NURBS.
Converts CATIA skins to Alias shells. Otherwise, they are converted to a collection of trimmed surfaces.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Converts CATIA invisible (not datum) entities to Alias invisible entities.
When this option is not selected, CATIA invisible (hidden) entities are ignored and are not converted.
Converts CATIA entities which are considered as having an infinite geometry (for example, lines, planes).
When this option is not selected, CATIA infinite entities are ignored and are not converted.
CATIA V5 Options
You can open either part (.CATPart) or product (.CATProduct) documents in Alias by selecting the file name in the file browser. If you get “File not recognized” errors on your CATIA part file, you can either use drag or drop with Alias or use the stand-alone utility to convert the file.
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Converts CATIA cloud mesh data (which is generally scan data) to Alias mesh data.
Converts CATIA weld data (assembly joints) to NURBS data in Alias.
Increases edge accuracy and reduces the gaps between surfaces while maintaining continuity.
Converts tessellated data associated to a part in CATIA (that is, the graphical representation of the geometry data in CATIA) to meshes in Alias.Note:
In general, you do not want to import both NURBS and Mesh data, as they are different representations of the same objects.
This option only appears when Convert Meshes is selected. It preserves the color for each face of tessellated data.
This option only appears when Convert Meshes is selected. It merges all coincident vertices (within tolerance) in a mesh (tessellated data), and averages normals at the merged vertices.
This option only appears when Merge Vertices is selected. It merges Vertices that are within this distance of each other.
Converts CATIA points (Type 1) to Alias points.
Converts CATIA parametric curves (Type 3), composite curves (Type 24), and NURBs curves (Type 46) to Alias curves.
Imports curve, surface, shell, and solid geometry data in CATIA as NURBS in Alias.
Converts CATIA skins to Alias shells. When this option is not selected, they are converted to a collection of trimmed surfaces.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces. This is the default.
Converts CATIA invisible (not datum) entities to Alias invisible entities.
When this option is not selected, CATIA invisible (hidden) entities are ignored and are not converted. This is the default.
Imports CATIA entities which are considered as having an infinite geometry (for example, lines, planes) into Alias.
When this option is not selected, CATIA infinite entities are ignored and are not imported. This is the default.
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Lets you specify how the incoming materials and object fill colors are processed when your file is translated to a .wire file.
Materials to HW Shaders - Materials are converted to Alias hardware shaders and object fill colors to Alias diagnostic shader colors.
Fill Colors to HW Shaders - Materials are ignored and object fill colors are converted to Alias hardware shaders.
Material Naming Scheme - (Applies to Fill Colors to HW Shaders) Defines how the resulting shaders are named.
When set to By RGBA Values, the imported shaders are named using their RGB color values.

When set to None, imported shaders are named sequentially as "Shader".

Retrieves empty geometric sets from CATIA and imports them into Alias.
Converts CATIA annotations to Alias annotations.
When importing multiple CATIA files, merges layers with the same name.
OBJ Options
Preserves vertex normals in the file. When this option is not selected, vertex normals are ignored, which means that they are recalculated during rendering.
Specifies the major linear unit for the incoming file.
Specifies the scaling factor for this save.
Merges vertices if they are within the position tolerance. When this option is not selected, vertices are not merged.
Specifies how close vertexes must be to be merged, in the current major linear units.
FBX Options
Generates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Imports FBX curves.
Imports FBX cameras.
Imports FBX lights.
Imports FBX materials.
Imports subdivision objects
Splits a periodic surface into multiple surfaces.
Converts the imported file to either a Z-up or Y-up coordinate system. For example, if you import an .fbx file created by an application that defines the Y axis as pointing up by default, such as Autodesk Maya, you can set this to Z Up Axis to correctly orient the object in Alias.
For more information see Transfer Maya polygon objects to Alias.
You can exchange subdivision geometry between Alias and Maya using the FBX file format.
When transferring these objects between Alias and Autodesk Maya, be aware of the following:
In Maya, select the polygon object you want to transfer to Alias.
Choose File > Export All or File > Export Selection.
The Export All or Export Selection dialog box appears.
In the Export Options, under General Options, select FBX export from the File type list.

To ensure that the creases in your object are preserved in the exported file, Smooth Mesh must turned on before exporting. To do this:
Click Edit preset.
In the Edit export preset window, click Geometry and ensure that Smooth Mesh is turned on.

Click Close.
Click Export Selection, name your file, and then click Export Selection.
In Alias, choose File > Import > File >
.
In the Import File Options window, select FBX Options from the list.
Ensure that Import Subdiv is turned on.

Click Import.
SAT Options
Creates a log file of the results (<filename>.alias2sat).
Encapsulated Postscript import options
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation.
Changes the size of models stored in Postscript file format as you import the file.
Illustrator import options
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation. When this option is not selected, each of the curves in the model display in the SBD window as separate nodes.
Changes the size of models stored in Illustrator file format as you import the file.
PTC Granite import options
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Converts Granite points to Alias points.
Converts Granite curves to Alias curves.
Converts Granite NURBS for solid bodies to Alias NURBs curves.
Converts Granite Quilts for open bodies to Alias NURBs curves, maintaining the topology.
Converts Granite construction planes to Alias construction planes.
Keeps the topology for sheet and solid bodies.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Converts Granite invisible geometry to Alias invisible geometry.
Pro/E Render import options
The Pro/ENGINEER Render translator converts the triangle data of the Pro/ENGINEER Render format into Alias meshes.
Imports objects as a single group for easier manipulation.
Indicates the units of the Pro/ENGINEER Render coordinate data, so that the data is properly converted to the linear units set in Alias.
Changes the size of models stored in the Pro/ENGINEER Render file format as you import the file.
Vertex normals in Pro/ENGINEER Render files all point towards the inside of objects. For rendering purposes in Alias, these normals must point towards the outside of objects. Consequently, the translator flips all vertex normals during the translation.
The vertex normals of meshes are usually recalculated by the Alias renderer before it renders meshes. By default, the normals assigned to vertices in the Pro/ENGINEER Render file are “frozen” so that they are used by the renderer rather than discarded and recalculated. This allows the renderer to produce a better quality rendering.
To suppress this behavior, deselect Keep Normals so that the renderer discards the Pro/ENGINEER assigned normals and recalculates them.
By default, the translator may merge the vertices of triangles along apparent shared edges. If two vertices have the same x,y,z position within a tolerance and have the same normal within angular tolerance, they are merged into one vertex. This allows Alias to do smooth shading across the edges. If two vertices have the same x,y,z position, but have different normals, then these vertices are not merged to maintain the hard edge.
If this option is not selected, no vertex merging occurs and all edges are rendered “hard”.
If selected, the Position/Normal menu becomes available.
Determines how vertices and normals are merged.
| List Item | Description |
|---|---|
| POSITION + NORMAL | vertices and normals are merged based on their x, y, z position. |
| POSITION | vertices only are merged based on their x, y, z position. Normals are not merged. |
Specifies the tolerance used for comparing vertex positions. The value specified is in the same units as the data (specified in the Input Units option). For example, if you specify 0.01 MILLIMETERS from the Input Units menu, the tolerance for comparing vertex positions is 0.01 millimeters.
Specifies the tolerance used for normal comparisons in degrees and is the angle between the normals of two vertices. The default is that two vertices will be merged if their positions are equal within tolerance and the angle between the normals is less than 1 degree.
STL import options
The triangle data from STL files is imported into Alias as meshes.
before importing the file.Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Processes color binary STL files.
Merges vertices within the given tolerance (see below).
This option is only visible if Merge Vertices has been selected. The value is the tolerance within which vertices of the tessellated mesh are considered to be coincident and will be merged. Increase this value to broaden the distance within which vertices will be considered coincident.
The slider range is 0.0001 to 10. The default value is 0.0001.
Uses the BGR (VisCam) or RGB (Magics) color schema.
Select the units to use.
STL Options
The triangle data from STL files is imported into Alias as meshes.
before importing the file.Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Processes color binary STL files.
Merges vertices within the given tolerance (see below).
This option is only visible if Merge Vertices has been selected. The value is the tolerance within which vertices of the tessellated mesh are considered to be coincident and will be merged. Increase this value to broaden the distance within which vertices will be considered coincident.
The slider range is 0.0001 to 10. The default value is 0.0001.
Uses the BGR (VisCam) or RGB (Magics) color schema.
Select the units to use.
JT Options
The JT Open Program develops and supports the DirectModel format JT. It is a format for the visualization of 3D models.
Supported items are assembly, instances, materials, curves, XT-Brep, JT-brep, LODS.
Alias maintains the following information when importing JT files:
Creates a log file containing a list of path names of imported files, a list of warning and/or error messages, and the options string.
Converts JT points to Alias points.
Converts JT curves to Alias curves.
Converts JT NURBS to Alias NURBS.
Keeps the topology for sheet and solid bodies.
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Converts JT meshes to Alias meshes.
Specify the level of detail if Convert Meshes is selected: Highest, Lowest, All.
Merges vertices within the given tolerance when the file is retrieved.
This option is only visible if Merge Vertices is selected. The value is the tolerance within which vertices of the tessellated mesh are considered to be coincident and will be merged. Increase this value to broaden the distance within which vertices will be considered coincident.
The slider range is 0.0001 to 10. The default value is 0.0001.
Solidworks Options
Alias detects trimmed surfaces whose trim boundaries are the same as, or iso-parametric to, the natural boundaries of the untrimmed surface. It then converts these surfaces into Alias surfaces by shrinking the untrimmed surface to the trim boundaries.
When this option is not selected, Alias converts all trimmed surfaces of this type to Alias trimmed surfaces.
Parasolid Options
Produces a report containing a list of path names of imported file(s), and a list of warning and/or error messages.
Converts NURBS surfaces.
Converts curves.
Converts sheets and solids to Alias.
Divides closed/periodic surfaces into multiple surfaces. This is off by default.
Converts invisible geometry. This is on by default.