CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 9, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

New Parametric Content and Reporting Capabilities Improve Construction Coordination and Accuracy in Cost Estimating, Saving Time and Project Costs

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the leading design software and digital content company, today announced the availability of Autodesk Revit 4.5, the 12th release of the product, demonstrating Autodesk's commitment to the rapid release cycle previously established by Revit Technology Corp. Autodesk Revit 4.5 improves construction planning and management by allowing building professionals to model construction staging scenarios and to produce always coordinated quantity reports for improved cost analysis and estimating. In addition, the Autodesk Revit 4.5 building modeler allows architects and designers to more accurately model building design details while substantially enhancing productivity and streamlining workflow.

"When coordination and constructability issues are missed in construction plans, substantial delays and costs can be added to a construction project," said Andy Ball, president and CEO of Webcor Builders. "We've chosen the Autodesk Revit building modeler because we believe it can help us work with the architect to solve these problems. Our construction managers will now have the distinct advantage of being able to model each project phase in advance, ensuring that our construction projects are planned from the outset for maximum efficiency and completion on schedule."

    Construction Planning, Coordination, and Estimating Support

The Autodesk Revit 4.5 parametric building modeler introduces new construction phase planning and management capabilities that offer significant benefits to construction professionals and design-build teams. Using the advanced documentation system in Autodesk Revit, construction managers can now model and analyze construction logistics and staging, including how material stockpiles will be stored and managed, to determine the fastest and most efficient way to move projects toward completion. New construction-specific parametric components, such as scaffolding, cranes, and trailers, allow construction professionals to model construction project phases and graphically document logistics, to ensure coordination of construction activity. Users, for example, can create ideal scenarios for cast-in-place concrete forming, shoring, and pouring, to be assessed before implementation. Using powerful parametric families in Autodesk Revit, construction planners can simulate how dynamic components of a project, such as a crane, will interact and operate on the construction site.

"Autodesk is expanding its model-based design options for architects, engineers, and construction professionals," said Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president of Autodesk's Building Industry Division. "By offering an integrated building model for use during construction as well as design, the Autodesk Revit 4.5 parametric building modeler breaks down traditional barriers and improves building industry practices."

The Autodesk Revit 4.5 building modeler also increases the speed and reliability of construction quantity surveys and take-offs. The new release's construction template includes 20 bi-directionally associative quantity reports that remain consistent -- no matter how or when changes are made to the model -- and contain accurate counts of materials such as concrete, precast panels, masonry, and steel as well as lighting, furniture, fixtures, and flooring. More detailed quantity take-offs, as well as quantity data from the entire building model, are also available for cost estimating and analysis through the Autodesk Revit ODBC-compliant data export feature, which has been further enhanced in this release to provide additional quantification of the building model in the exported data.

    Refined Modeling Capabilities and Productivity Enhancements

In addition to these new planning and management tools, Autodesk Revit 4.5 includes features that allow designers to model building details with greater precision, making the development of construction documents easier. Wall, floor, and roof materials in compound assemblies join in more realistic ways; intricate angled and corner mullions in curtain-wall assemblies are now explicitly available. To save time in designing graphically intensive interiors, as commonly found in retail and entertainment environments, building graphics can be applied as "decals" from any image file to any building component for rendering.

Productivity is also enhanced through several new features that allow for better workflow among team members, easier preparation of underlay graphics for export or use for engineering or other plans, and improved speed of onscreen displays and printing from models.

    Product Availability

Autodesk Revit 4.5 is available immediately worldwide on an annual subscription basis in English, Italian, and Dutch. A subscription can be purchased through a Revit Solutions Provider or online at www.revit.com, where customers may also download the software or request a CD. Current subscribers will also receive a copy of Autodesk Revit 4.5 on CD via regular mail. For general information or questions, e-mail info@revit.com or call 1-866-GO-REVIT (United States or Canada) from M-F, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (EDT) or +1-781-839-5300 from other parts of the world.

    About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design and digital media creation, management, and distribution company. The company serves a diverse portfolio of markets, including building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering tools that foster innovation and creativity, Autodesk helps customers throughout the value chain leverage digital design data to work better, faster, and smarter. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. Revit is a trademark of Revit Technology Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Autodesk, Inc. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT:          Autodesk, Inc.
                  Carol Lettieri, 415/507-6908
                  carol.lettieri@autodesk.com

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