User Manual

Install the Connector

Follow our Connector installation instructions to install this connector.

Note

Before installing the Omniverse Alias Connector from your Workstation Launcher, make sure you have a compatible version of Autodesk Alias installed.

User Interface

The Alias Connector brings Autodesk Alias into the Omniverse Platform through the use of NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connect tools similar to other NVIDIA Omniverse™ Connect applications.

Once installed, the Connector will be enabled automatically with all compatible Autodesk Alias versions. To confirm that the Connector is enabled, in Autodesk Alias and navigate to Utilities > Plug-in Manager. Scroll down to section Other. The Omniverse Alias Connector Plugin should be listed.

Alias plug-in Manager

Note

We recommend keep Auto Load checked, otherwise the plug-in will have to be reinstalled for the next start of Autodesk Alias because it won’t be listed in the Plug-in Manager.

Now you will find the Omniverse menu under Utilities > Omniverse.

Alias Utilities

Clicking this menu will reveal the ribbon panel for Omniverse Interactions.

Option

Description

Send to Omniverse

Sends the scene directly to your chosen Kit Application for viewing.

Export Prop

Exports scene as a prop (No project container) to be used within a project.

Connect Server

Allows sign in to an Omniverse NVIDIA Omniverse™ Nucleus Server.

Fix Layer Assignments

Automatic layer reassignment for group nodes and child nodes.

Settings

Adjust connections and settings of the Omniverse Alias Connector.

Help

Directs users to this page.

About

Displays version and other useful information regarding the Omniverse Alias Connector.

Send to Omniverse

Sends your file directly to a Kit Application for viewing. The Send To application is controlled in the settings. Simply click Send to Omniverse and the chosen Kit Application will launch with your model loaded and ready to go. If you do not have your specific Kit Application installed, you will see the Settings dialog.

Send to Omniverse

The exported USD data sets will be saved temporarily in a default location:

omniverse://localhost/users/[USERNAME]/SentToView/[FILENAME]_[DATE_AND_TIME]

Note

You must be sure that your preferred Kit Application is installed or that you can access it from a server for this feature to work. See Settings for more details.

Export Prop

This feature exports your file to the desired location as a more compact USD data set without creating additional folder or sub-USDs. In addition to an assembly USD representing the Autodesk Alias assembly structure, further USD’s are created from the individual layers. These are collected in a folder called [USD_NAME]_layers, which is stored in the same folder as the assembly USD. In the layer files are hierarchy and tessellated meshes and in the assembly USD only materials and the links as sublayer. You can disable this feature in Settings.

Layer groups that are partially used to group layers together are not exported.

Export Prop feature

When Export Prop is clicked, a window appears to configure the export:

  1. Navigate to the location you want to save the exported file.

  2. Choose a file name.

  3. Export the Autodesk Alias data set in USD file format.

Export Prop window

When Export clicked, the Autodesk Alias data set is saved as a .usd file.

Element

Result

Uri

Path to the Currently Selected Directory

Left Pane

Lists Nucleus Directories (If Logged-In) and Local Drives / Directories

Center Pane

Lists Files and Folders in Currently Selected Directory

Right Pane

File/Folder information, Checkpoint Comment input

File Name

Name of the File to Save

Extension

Choose between .usd, .usda etc

Export

Exports the Autodesk Alias file.

Cancel

Stops the Export Process and Closes Export Dialogue

Note

The file name needs to be entered in field File name before exporting a file.

A progress bar is displayed during the export. Depending on the size and complexity of the structure in Autodesk Alias, the export may take a little more time.

Export progress

The Autodesk Alias model is saved as a .usd file and you’ll see a notification Confirm.

Export finished

If anything failed during export you can double check in Autodesk Alias Promtline History for more information.

Export finished

Connect Server

Allow users to connect to an existing NVIDIA Omniverse™ Nucleus server you want, or choose between existing NVIDIA Omniverse™ Nucleus servers.

Connect Server

When the connection is established, in Autodesk Alias you can see a notification in the Promptline History. By selecting the symbol on the far left side you can expand and scroll through the history.

Setting

Result

Server

Address of Omniverse Nucleus Server

Ok

Begins the Connection with Selected User/Server

Cancel

Stops the Sign-In Process and Closes the Sign-In Window
Alias Promt line History

Note

The live sync feature is not implemented in this Omniverse Alias Connector version.

Fix Layer Assignments

For USD exports this feature allows you to reassign layers in Autodesk Alias before the export. This will change your currently open scene and will only be stored permanently after saving the scene.

Fix Layer Assignment

After executing the function, a message box appears explaining what changes will be made. This note can be confirmed with Yes or No.

Fix Layer Assignment

After successful execution, a message window appears which must be confirmed.

Fix Layer Assignment

Note

The changes will become permanent only after saving in Autodesk Alias.

Command Line Interface

Export from Autodesk Alias can also be performed using a Command Line Interface. You can convert single Autodesk Alias files or multiple files in a source folders into a target folder. The Autodesk Alias files will be converted and the same subfolder structure recreated in your target folder to avoid file name collision.

Open a Powershell and execute this command in the Connector installation DLL folder. The DLL folder usually can be found in: C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ov\pkg\alias-connector-201.0.0-rc.1\dlls

Run the command and first you will get information how to use it and a list of all available options:

.\AliasConnectorCli -h

The DLL folder usually can be found in:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ov\pkg\alias-connector-201.0.0-rc.1\dlls\

Path to .exe file:

../dlls/AliasConnectorCli.exe

You can give the Command Line Interface a source and target folder location and it will iterate over all .wire files converting them to the target folder. If you do not provide a target folder location, it creates the USDs next to the original Autodesk Alias files.

Fix Layer Assignment

Note

You will need to have Autodesk Alias installed on the same system.

Settings

The settings dialog allows you to select a preferred Kit Application install as your viewer and to edit other settings.

Note

You will need to have your preferred Kit Application installed and selected to use Send to Omniverse feature in Autodesk Alias.

Settings

Omniverse Settings

Description

Unset

No App Settings (This setting disables Send to Omniverse)

Send to installed Viewer

Choose between different Kit Application Launch Path.

Custom Kit Application

Allows selection of custom Kit Applications not found automatically.

Publish/Export Options

Allows you to set or change options for your USD export on global level.

Chord Height Deviation Tolerance

Choose between different export tolerance values in centimeter.

Stitching Tolerance

Choose between different Stitching tolerance values in centimeter.

Enable Auto Stitching

Allows activation for Auto Stitching within export.

Map layers to USD files

With this feature each layer in Autodesk Alias will be exported as a separate USD layer in a folder next to the main USD file.

Export Hidden

This feature enables the export of all hidden objects and layers.

Export Default Layer

This feature enables to export the default Layer. If it is not activated default layer will not be exported.

Export Lights

This feature enables to export all existing lights in Autodesk Alias.

Enable Optimization

Runs USD optimizations on scene data for USD export or sending to Omniverse.

Save

Commits the Changes and Closes the Window.

Cancel

Closes the Window and Discarding the Changes.

Custom Kit App

If you want to use custom Kit Applications that should be used for Send to Omniverse feature, it can be set with Custom Kit App. To use a different Kit Application, click > + then navigate to the desired kit file.

Scene Optimization

Scene Optimization utilizes core optimization libraries found in the standalone application and kit extension that performs scene optimizations at the USD level. This allows complex scenes to be converted into more lightweight representations which can be displayed and evaluated more quickly.

The integration provides various processes which can be used individually or in combination stack to optimize a scene. A few base configurations have been provided in the connector to optimize the data prior to sending to your preferred Kit Application.

Scene Optimization

To use a different optimization preset, click > + then navigate to the desired json configuration file.

Scene Optimization json

Please see the Scene Optimizer user manual for information on the optimization operations and how to create custom configuration files.

LOD Properties

To improve the export quality of the data, change the LOD properties in the Publish/Export Options.

Chord Height Deviation Tolerance

The chord Height deviation tolerance is the maximum distance from a planar surface of the facet to the actual curved surface. The value can be selected with the sliders between 1.0 centimeter and 0.01 centimeter.

About

Note

The tessellator is still in early stages. Due to this early version this tessellator is not feature complete. If you experience any issues please use our Forum.

Stitching Tolerance

The stitching tolerance is the maximum distance at the patch boundaries between two surfaces that will be closed during the stitching step. The value can be selected with the sliders between 1.0 centimeter and 0.01 centimeter.

Export without Auto Stitching activated:

About

Export with Auto Stitching activated:

About

Note

For Auto Stitching, the surfaces must be in a group and have the same material so that they can be stitched together.

Omniverse Export Content

Box UV mapping

With the latest release of Omniverse Alias connector we implemented a simple base UV coordinate generation. The generated UV coordinates provide additional information to the tessellated meshes and allowing proper texture support when applying materials in downstream applications.

About

The About dialog shows the current version information, and provides helpful links to access Release Notes and to Get Support

About

Button

Description

Release Notes

Directs you to Omniverse Alias Connector release notes on this page.

Get Support

Directs you to our Developer Forum

Close

Closes About window.