Autodesk acquires Alias

Well, the big news today (especially in the 3D industry), is that Autodesk announced that it has bought rival Alias for $182 million. Alias is renowned for is 2D sketching and drafting software, as well as its 3D CAD/CAM systems, but is probably most famous for its Maya 3D animation software, used to create some of the most stunning visual effects in the film industry. Autodesk on the other hand has spent several years trying to push its own 3DS MAX animation software, but has not really had as much of an impact in the visual effects industry, and is instead the tool of choice for games developers.
So it seems to be a classic case of “if you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em”. The acquisition process is expected to take 4-6 months, but it is unclear what will become of Alias’s products, whether they’ll be continued as individual projects, or more likely, if we’ll see them combined with Autodesk ones.
see also Autodesk’s page on the subject
I’ll be at the 3DS MAX roadshow in London, tomorrow, so maybe there’ll be some more news then.

Posted: October 5th, 2005
Categories: News
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