Customers Benefit From Worldwide Presence and Strong Integration Offering A Complete Design Through Manufacturing Solution

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced it has named Pathtrace (www.edgecam.com) its Global Preferred Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM) Partner. Autodesk chose Pathtrace for its integrated mid-range intelligent CAM system for the machining of Autodesk Inventor(R) parts, ensuring true data integrity -- such as that offered in the Pathtrace EdgeCAM product -- is more accessible to all Production Machining and Mold and Die applications across the majority of manufacturing industries. Pathtrace was selected as Autodesk's Global Preferred CAM Partner for several reasons:

-- Pathtrace offers Autodesk customers leading-edge CAM technology that is fully associative with the Autodesk Inventor design model. If the design is revised, EdgeCAM will automatically update the CNC toolpath to reflect the updated design model, ensuring data accuracy and accelerating time to market.

-- Pathtrace is committed to developing and implementing its file format to fully support Autodesk's vaulting strategy, giving customers a complete design creation, data management, and CAM solution.

-- Pathtrace has a corporate presence, including direct sales offices and support, in all of Autodesk's major markets around the world so that the broadest number of customers have access to the latest innovative solutions.

"The synergy between our solutions will enable customers to more easily and efficiently manufacture their Autodesk Inventor designs and ultimately accelerate their design-to-manufacture time," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Solutions Division at Autodesk.

"This announcement further confirms EdgeCAM's position as the standard in solids-based machining. By integrating with Autodesk Inventor, we are offering Autodesk's worldwide customers a fully associative CAM solution that addresses the major manufacturing disciplines, and enables them to bring their products to market faster," said Steve Sivitter, CEO, Pathtrace Systems Inc.

Autodesk Manufacturing's Design and Data Management Solutions

As part of its strategy to help customers create, manage, and share their digital design data and solve critical business challenges, the Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions Division offers companies the most comprehensive portfolio of integrated 2D and 3D design and data management solutions, critical tools that help customers innovate, increase productivity, simplify processes, improve product quality, and accelerate time to market for less cost. Unlike other offerings on the market today, Autodesk's design and data management solutions are easy to buy, deploy and use, and provide significant process improvements and rapid results without the complex, costly installations of large-scale product lifecycle management systems. Autodesk's manufacturing solutions include AutoCAD(R), AutoCAD(R) Mechanical and AutoCAD(R) Electrical software, Autodesk Inventor Professional and Autodesk Inventor Series 3D mechanical design packages that are integrated with new Autodesk(R) Vault functionality, and the Autodesk Streamline(R) collaboration service. In addition, customers can take advantage of widely available third-party applications purpose-built for Autodesk software and they can utilize Autodesk Professional Services to garner greater value from their software.

For an annual fee, Autodesk(R) 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 products like Autodesk Inventor Series and Professional, the program provides a timely cycle of new releases with rich new content as soon as it becomes available. For more information about Autodesk Subscription, visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

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.

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NOTE: Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, and Autodesk Streamline are registered 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: Cindi Goodsell of Autodesk, +1-415-507-8452, or cindi.goodsell@autodesk.com.

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc. -0- 12/02/2003 /CONTACT: Cindi Goodsell of Autodesk, +1-415-507-8452, or cindi.goodsell@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: CON UC -- SFTU088 -- 3985 12/02/2003 12:02 EST http://www.prnewswire.com