Professionals and Students around the United States and Canada Receive

                  Awards at Autodesk University in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, this week awarded the winners of the Autodesk Design Awards 2003 in 11 categories, including three specifically created for students. Customers from around the world entered the contest and winners received a trip to Autodesk University, Autodesk's annual user conference, $400 spending money, a copy of the software of their choice, an award dinner, and a custom-designed trophy.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000518/SFTH083LOGO )

"Our customers are the most imaginative people in the world," said Carl Bass, senior executive vice president of the Design Solutions Group at Autodesk. "Through the Autodesk Design Awards we are able to honor several customers who have demonstrated the endless possibilities of our software and showcase their creativity."

Professional Winner: Heavy Machinery

Using Autodesk Inventor(R) software, Autodesk Inventor(R) Professional, AutoCAD(R) Mechanical, and other Autodesk(R) products, James Teske of Input/Output designed an off-road vibrator vehicle for use in oil exploration. The vehicle frame is unique in the way it steers and oscillates to allow for a better ground following on rough terrain.

"This is a new model we are coming up with called the AHV 5 and we are trying to minimize part count and reduce overall costs," said Teske. "This being my first attempt with (Autodesk) Inventor, it helped greatly in this project as I was able to create this model in about 3 weeks to show to clients."

Professional Winner: Civil Engineering

Timothy Reese of Seattle Public Utilities designed natural roadway drainage systems alternatives using Autodesk(R) Civil Series, Autodesk Map(TM) Series, Autodesk MapGuide(R), and Autodesk(R) VIZ software products. The project was designed to reduce the amount of sediments and chemicals from street runoff that were directly affecting a nearby salmon spawning stream which eventually entered the Puget Sound waterway. The design was also effective for traffic calming and gave a nice visual and property improvement aspect to all of the homeowners living inside the design area.

"This project is under construction right now, but on our past two projects of this nature we reduced the amount of chemicals and sediments entering the same creek by as much as ninety percent using the same design methods we used on this project," said Reese.

Professional Winner: Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, or Building Systems

Jim Gleeson, AIA at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, used Autodesk(R) Revit(R) software to convert a 1960's dormitory at the University of North Carolina into an updated, high-end residence hall. Using the Revit building information modeling, the towers are being designed and analyzed in order to improve interior comfort and energy use as well as update and improve the exterior appearance.

    Other Winners
    Other winners include:

    -- Ray Bennett, AIA, from Hammers + Partners:  Architecture, Inc., won in
       the AutoCAD(R) or AutoCAD LT(R) software category for professionals.
       Bennett uses AutoCAD and Autodesk VIZ and won for his work on the
       RiverEdge project in Dallas, Texas.
    -- Jack Lloyd of Pima County's Department of Transportation used Autodesk
       Map and Autodesk MapGuide to allow the public to access over 200 layers
       of GIS information, orthophotography, database information, and scanned
       documents via a Website.
    -- Peter Van't Hoff of Blue Falls Manufacturing won in the manufacturing
       consumer products category with his spa design, created with Autodesk
       Inventor(R) Series.
    -- Igor Knezevic, graphic artist and architect, won the stylistic
       rendering category using 3ds max(R) software to create a rendering of a
       nightclub/restaurant in Hollywood, California.
    -- Joseph Kosinski, of KDLABs, won the photorealistic design visualization
       category by using 3ds max to create a design that postulates the
       evolution of the personal media device and experience.

    Student Winners
    Student winners include:

    -- Christiano Pereira designed a resort hotel in Kauai, Hawaii, using
       AutoCAD, 3ds max, and Autodesk VIZ.
    -- Adam Paul Bauer won for his design of a light mid-engine sports car he
       created using Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD.
    -- Josh Barandon used 3ds max to create an animation in which space is
       generated through sound.

    About Autodesk

Autodesk is the world's leading design software and digital content company, offering customers progressive business solutions through powerful technology products and services. Autodesk helps customers in the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media, and wireless data services fields increase the value of their digital design data and improve efficiencies across their entire project lifecycle management processes. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

    NOTE:  Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Map,
Autodesk MapGuide, Revit, and 3ds max are either registered trademarks of
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All
other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective
holders.

     Contact:  Nicole Pack, 415-507-6282
     Email:    nicole.pack@autodesk.com


SOURCE  Autodesk, Inc.
    -0-                             12/05/2003
    /CONTACT:  Nicole Pack of Autodesk, Inc., +1-415-507-6282, or
nicole.pack@autodesk.com/
    /Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000518/SFTH083LOGO
             AP Archive:  http://photoarchive.ap.org
             PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840/
    /Web site:  http://www.autodesk.com /
    (ADSK)

CO:  Autodesk, Inc.
ST:  California, Nevada
IN:  CPR STW MLM
SU:  AWD TDS



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