Alias 3D Software Demo 1989 created on Silicon Graphics 4D Workstations

Syd Bolton
Syd Bolton
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Published 2016-01-20
Featuring people like Jay Riddle from Industrial Light and Magic (LucasFilm) demonstrating the movie "The Abyss", and other companies like Volvo Cars, Goodyear Tire, Timex, Risdon Corporation, British Telecom, Sundberg-Ferrar and Design Vision, this demo clearly shows how early Alias was taking over the 3D space. All of the graphics shown here were created on Silicon Graphics 4D Workstations using software from Alias like Render, Animation and more. Judy Riley from Timex is also interviewed.
All Comments (21)
  • @NeilOwenUSA
    It's hilarious to see this after 30 years. I'm the guy in the green blazer 16:56 in the video demoing the Rockwell TripMaster. Straight out of college and using $200K Alias software. Powerful stuff for the day, but now fully eclipsed by your average smartphone. The group was very friendly, but I was pretty intimidated interacting with industry leaders that I'd only read about.
  • @psycho0815
    Young me in '89 on a friends C64 could only dream about stuff like that. Now we run around with devices in our pockets that have 1000x more computing power. Watching stuff like that is like opening a time capsule. It gives a good impression of how fast technology evolves.
  • @houstonhelicoptertours1006
    Started with Alias back at film school, used it throughout the 90s, mostly in conjunction with other 3D packages. It had some great NURBS-based modelling tools.
  • @gcolombelli
    7:30 what a massive chunk of resin printed tire section. I can't imagine how much a SLA printer would have cost back then, or the ridiculous amount of resin that went into that piece. Even today, despite becoming a lot cheaper, not everyone doing 3D printing will have (or need) a printer with the volume to print a similarly sized piece. I'm just happy I can afford such amazing tech for my humble DIY projects after all those patents expired.
  • @HerrFlachpfeife
    That's so cool. This software was used to make The Abyss and Terminator 2 and also for modeling the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.
  • @MadameSomnambule
    The interior design in the office shots in the beginning..... it's a thing a beauty, I tell you. Beautifully 80s. 💜
  • @SalivatingSteve
    This is incredible technology for 1989, the year I was born!
  • @rodc2678
    Any veteren Alias users out there remember having a bunch of CV's selected and hitting 'info' ...the resulting tsunami of opening windows for every CV would have busy clicking and closing for a never ending freaking ages. Such a great feature with those deadlines pressing:)
  • @barbatron100
    WOW! And I thought Lightwave on the amiga was way ahead of its time
  • @hanniffydinn6019
    Real men use all wire frame Modeling with chunky 3 button mice with balls and giant CRTs !
  • @Aranimda
    I love the intro. They don't make them like that anymore.
  • @recklesflam1ngo968
    22:39, takes a couple of seconds to render a still image with ray tracing and now we have real time RT with graphics cards that don't cost half your body parts.
  • @KevBoy3D
    Holy shit, I was like "hmm, never saw this video must not have been uploaded that long ago" and apparently it has been up for.. 3 days! Enjoyed it, thanks
  • @tomwilkinson3336
    when nvidia tries to sell the RTX cards as "ray tracing" meanwhile these legends be using it in 1989