Autodesk Marks Another Milestone in Helping Customers Shorten Design Cycles

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In its ongoing effort to provide manufacturers with the most comprehensive and innovative design solutions, Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced a preview of significant new functionality for subscription customers of Autodesk Inventor(R) Series software, the world's #1 selling 3D mechanical design software, and Autodesk Inventor Professional. Subscription customers will receive early access to new tools that will enhance their ability to quickly arrive at accurate and optimal designs. This is another component of Autodesk's new design standard called "Functional Design," creating a different, more direct way to design in 3D. With Functional Design, only Autodesk helps manufacturing customers progress beyond parametric modeling and fully leverage the Autodesk Inventor product line to bring better products to market faster.

This preview of Design Accelerator tools, reflects the integration of technology acquired from MechSoft.com, Inc., announced in February, 2004. With this technology, product designers can focus on their product's end function rather than its form. The Design Accelerator preview will include elements such as a dynamic engineering reference database, mechanical calculators and a component generator to create frequently used machine parts based on real-world attributes such as speed, power and material properties. These tools supplement the geometric design capabilities of Autodesk Inventor Series with engineering-driven design functionality.

Engineers will be able to design their end products based on how they will function, rather than based on their CAD-generated geometric properties. The functional, or independent model of the design, drives the CAD model. For example, engineers can specify gears based on loading and reduction ratios rather than size and placement, and the software automatically generates the geometry as needed.

"This preview delivers another component of our Functional Design plan that gives customers a better way to design in 3D," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Solutions Division at Autodesk. "The new Design Accelerator tools, as well as finite element analysis functionality recently announced as part of the Autodesk Inventor product line, allows customers not only to optimize design and cut out an entire level of engineering busy work, but also avoid over-engineering -- which helps them bring better products to market faster for competitive advantage."

Availability

The Design Accelerator preview is available to Autodesk Inventor Series and Autodesk Inventor Professional subscription customers as a download from www.autodesk.com/subscription.

A Comprehensive Portfolio of Manufacturing Solutions

Delivering on its strategy to help customers create, manage, and share their digital design data and solve critical business challenges, Autodesk(R) offers the most comprehensive portfolio of integrated 2D and 3D design and data management solutions available -- helping customers design better quality products, accelerate time to market, and achieve maximum project visibility and collaboration. Unlike other offerings on the market today, these solutions are easy to deploy and use, and help companies easily transition from 2D to 3D design at their own pace. Autodesk's manufacturing solutions include Autodesk Inventor Series, the world's #1 selling 3D mechanical design software, Autodesk Inventor Professional, AutoCAD(R) Mechanical, and AutoCAD(R) Electrical software -- all with Autodesk(R) Vault data management capabilities built in; and the Autodesk Streamline(R) collaboration service. In addition, customers can take advantage of widely available third-party applications purpose-built for Autodesk software.

For an annual fee, Autodesk Subscription customers benefit from a complete technology, training, and support program that protects their software investments by providing them with the most current design technology; Web Support direct from Autodesk; flexible self-paced training options and a broad range of other technology and business benefits. For more information about Autodesk Subscription, visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

Autodesk Consulting offers services that can help you streamline your business processes and get the best possible return on your investment in Autodesk technology. Visit us at www.autodesk.com/consulting.

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, Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Streamline are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: Tania Kempf of Autodesk, +1-415-547-2469, or Tania.Kempf@autodesk.com.

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
10/20/2004
CONTACT: Tania Kempf of Autodesk, +1-415-547-2469, or Tania.Kempf@autodesk.com
Web site: http://www.autodesk.com