Does the form tool and surface modeling in Fusion 360 software make you a little uncomfortable? For longtime SolidWorks users, surface modeling is usually fine. The form tool, on the other hand, can cause some head scratching. The key to maximizing the form tools is building a level of prediction for what your actions will produce. It’s all about the how, why, and when you should use these tools. Adding in Surface (and Solid) skills sets makes a very powerful team set. Come and learn about the speaker’s process and combination of these different tool worlds.

This intermediate-to-advanced hands-on lab offers 3D AutoCAD software veterans as well as AutoCAD 2D users a chance to explore 3D solid and surface modeling techniques for creating compelling composite 3D solid and surfaced part models in AutoCAD 2014. Tools for creating 3D solids with surfaces will accelerate your design workflow. Learn new techniques that will supersede your old-school techniques and develop a new level of understanding for creating and editing 3D models. In this lab, we explore solid and surface extrudes, sweeps, lofts, and revolves. We also explore creating procedural, networked, blended, patched, and trimmed surfaces using surface slicing workflows. If you used AutoCAD 3D in the past, attend this class and get ready to be surprised!

Learn how to reduce time and improve the quality of surface models in Civil 3D software using geographic information system (GIS) data. The Autodesk and Esri partnership has spurred advances in surface modeling that fuel collaboration between civil engineers and GIS professionals. Newly developed tools simplify the processing of triangular irregular network (TIN) surfaces originating from Civil 3D and formation of complementary terrain data sets within ArcGIS Pro. Surface model data propagated into ArcGIS web feature layers then establishes both a system of record and an avenue for two-way synchronization extending into Civil 3D. In this class, we'll walk through key steps of surface modeling workflows and show how the new tools facilitate ground assessments and visualization in multiple environments. Civil engineers and GIS professionals will come away from this class better equipped to jointly participate in design workflows for existing and proposed ground.

This class is for Inventor software users who (just occasionally!) find themselves ready to create a complex model and don't know where to start. We will cover the basics concepts of surface and curvature continuity, then look at some examples of difficult topology and how to avoid it, and then we’ll take a deep dive into the toolset for surface modeling in Inventor software. Finally we will run through a complete step-by-step example of building a model from surfaces with Inventor software from concept to solid body. This class will benefit students who find themselves modeling challenging topology with Inventor software and who want to go from hack and whack . . . to planned and perfect!

Surface modeling is an efficient and accurate way to create existing 3D models, and you can use this existing geometry to add proposed geometry. This class will start with the importance of the way in which the original scan data must be processed in order for it to become a useable format. The attendees will then work through how to manipulate the point cloud in order to create 3D geometry of the existing structure. We will show attendees how to overcome problems that arise during surface modeling. We will also show how this geometry can then be used in other Autodesk, Inc., software, such as Inventor software. The class will introduce a unique way to create existing 3D geometry and show how one can use this in other Autodesk software.

This class is for Fusion 360 users who (just occasionally!) find themselves ready to create a complex model and don't know where to start. We'll cover the basics concepts of surface and curvature continuity, and look at some examples of difficult topology and how to avoid it. And then we'll take a deep dive into the toolset for surface modeling in Fusion 360. Finally, we'll run through a complete step-by-step example of building a model from surfaces with Fusion 360, from concept to solid body. This class will benefit students who find themselves modeling challenging topology with Fusion 360, and who want to go from "hack and whack" to planned and perfect.

Too often, excellent technical modeling work is obscured by poor presentation to management. Taught by Class-A surfacing guru Barry Kimball, this class discusses methods to more effectively present surface models to the design and engineering communities.

When asked to design some fishing lures, I found myself wishing that I knew Alias® software. However, I just didn't have the time to learn new software and dove into the project with Inventor 3D CAD software. Along the way I learned some valuable tips and tricks about working with complex lofts and surfaces. In this class, I explain the evolution of several fishing lures. I cover the entire process: concept sketching, surfacing, mold analysis, and finally, the finished solid models. We go over lofting good practices that make future edits much easier and with far fewer failures. We also review exactly what surfacing can do for you in day-to-day modeling.

This class will demonstrate a workflow that uses the T-Splines Module in Fusion 360 software to create NURBS like surface patches utilizing sketches as a base start and sub-d modeling and pair the generated boundary representations (BREPs) with solid modeling tools inside the parametric timeline environment. The class will focus on best practice and proper T-Spline patch topology to maximize resulting BREP quality for further modeling steps inside the parametric timeline. This session features Fusion 360.

“Class A” (or "strak") is a term used specifically in automotive design. It describes the final production surface data for the aesthetic parts of a car. The term is often misunderstood, but it's generally seen as the holy grail of surface modeling: It achieves the highest surface-quality levels, which demands a high level of automotive design knowledge and surface modeling skills. Class A represents the craftwork end of the design process. It combines superior highlights on the surfaces by matching the engineering requirements of legal regulation. Creating the main surface shapes that describe the vehicle is the primary design activity. But the painstaking, detailed craftsmanship of perfecting those surfaces, designing flanges and panel gaps, is what guarantees that a beautiful design will become a beautiful, manufacturable product. In conjunction with the latest release of Alias software, we'll review the enhancements that make Class A modeling easier and more efficient.

This will be a live demonstration of Alias 2025 software—showcasing the latest features in Alias 2025 and providing a sneak preview of new technologies under development. See firsthand how Alias is still an evolving and powerful surface modeling package for designers.

Modeling in 3D can be easy. Learn how to use new and enhanced AutoCAD® software functionality to apply your 2D AutoCAD experience to the world of 3D modeling. In this class, I will show you how to take your ideas from concept to completion by creating and editing solid objects; creating smooth free-form shapes using meshing tools; and tapping into the power of surface modeling. Take advantage of new context-sensitive PressPull and surface curve extraction capabilities. I will also explain the differences between history- and non-history-based solids and show how you can use add-ins like Autodesk® Inventor® Fusion software to directly manipulate 3D AutoCAD models. If you thought 3D in AutoCAD was just too hard, think again.

“Class A” (or, “strak”) is a term used specifically in automotive design. It describes the final production surface data for the aesthetic parts of a car. The term “Class A” is often misunderstood, but it’s generally seen as the holy grail of surface modeling. This is because as it achieves the highest surface quality levels, it demands a high level of automotive design knowledge, as well as surface modeling skills. Class A represents the craftwork end of the design process. Creating the main surface shapes to describe the vehicle is the primary design activity. But the painstaking, detailed craftsmanship of perfecting those surfaces, designing flanges and panel gaps, is what guarantees that a beautiful design turns into a beautiful manufactured product. This class will cover the workflows and techniques involved in achieving Class-A-level production surfaces using Alias tools.

Capitalize on your knowledge of 2D to create 3D models entirely in AutoCAD software. In this class, you will learn how to take your ideas from concept to completion by creating and editing solid objects; creating smooth, free-form shapes using meshing tools; and capitalizing on the power of surface modeling. We'll look at the differences between history- and non-history-based solids and see how models can automatically update when you modify underlying curves or parameters. You will also learn how to control selection and editing with subobject selection filters, as well as glean valuable tips and tricks for navigating and visualizing your AutoCAD 3D models. If you thought 3D in AutoCAD was just too hard, think again.

Surfacing toolpaths are driven by surfaces. Learn how to create the right surfaces that will create the perfect toolpaths. Learn industry tips and tricks from real-life examples of how the speaker has used surfaces to create the perfect toolpaths in any CAM system. We'll take a deep look at the technology that drives the toolpath so we can better understand how we should create the correct surface.

In this hands-on lab, you discover how to create intelligent and interactive curves and surfaces with Alias industrial design software. Create your models and design alternatives quickly using the power of Alias and Autodesk® Product Design Suite. We cover the different types of curves and the design approach to use them accurately and creatively. Create better surfaces right from the start of your designs.

In this class we are going to look at how we can create and model geological data with the Geotechnical Module in AutoCAD Civil 3D software. The class will cover how to import and generate boring holes and surfaces in AutoCAD Civil 3D software, and then we'll go on to cover the essential techniques in modeling the subsurface data. The class will see how to use Feature Lines and Break Lines to mold and manipulate AutoCAD Civil 3D software surfaces to model geotechnical features. We will then learn how to convert the AutoCAD Civil 3D surfaces into AutoCAD software 3D solids ready for use in other software systems like Revit software and InfraWorks software. This class is designed to assist you in your understanding of the techniques used to model and visualize substrata in order to better understand and present information.

In this session, we'll walk through an end-to-end cloud-centered workflow on using large point-cloud data for detailed design using ReCap Pro software and the Autodesk Forma platform. We will share simple tools to prepare surfaces, intelligently decimate large point-cloud data, publish to Autodesk Forma, and collaboratively extract design elements (like curbs, gutters, median, walls, ADA ramps, driveways, and drainage breaklines) and assets via browser and take them into detailed design technology like Civil 3D software to generate highly accurate surface models. Users can also publish the extracted features and assets to ArcGIS to use the information across the organization. This is a workflow the point cloud industry has been wanting for decades!

Class A (or "strak") is a term used specifically in automotive design. It describes the final production surface data for the aesthetic parts of a car. The term "Class A" is often misunderstood, but it's generally seen as the holy grail of surface modeling. This is because as it achieves the highest surface quality levels, it demands a high level of automotive design knowledge, as well as surface modeling skills. Class A represents the craftwork end of the design process. Creating the main surface shapes to describe the vehicle is the primary design activity. But the painstaking, detailed craftsmanship of perfecting those surfaces, designing flanges and panel gaps, is what guarantees that a beautiful design turns into a beautiful manufactured product. This class will cover the workflows and techniques involved in achieving Class-A-level production surfaces using the latest Alias tools in 2021.

In this class, Uwe Rossbacher, industry specialist for technical surfacing/styling at Autodesk, explains the unique principles of Class A automotive modeling. Specifically, he addresses the importance of modeling beyond the theoretical edges of a model, a key skill for top technical surfacing specialists in the automotive industry.