SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2003--

3D Software Combines Ease of Use with Flexibility to Help Students

Achieve Success for Electric Car Project

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced the successful integration of Autodesk Inventor(R) software with the College of Technology's Mechanical Design Technology program at Bowling Green State University (www.bgsu.edu) in Bowling Green, Ohio. Applied to the "Electric Falcon" electric race car project since January, Autodesk Inventor software provides students of the Mechanical Design Technology program the tools needed to model complex electric car parts such as gear boxes and electric motors. It also equips students with the 3D mechanical design skills that will help them embark on careers in manufacturing and engineering.

Using the Autodesk site license already in place on their campus, Bowling Green has successfully moved from Autodesk(R) Mechanical Desktop(R) to Autodesk Inventor software in four different labs. Although Assistant Professor Angelo Brown evaluated Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, and SolidEdge, he selected Autodesk Inventor software for its ease of use and flexibility. While Autodesk Inventor software is currently being used in Upper Division coursework such as mechanical design, modeling, animation, and analysis, Professor Brown plans to expand the program to freshmen and sophomore level classes.

"After only one semester, the ease-of-use, flexibility, and affordability have provided students the opportunity to build electric cars when they didn't think it was possible," said Professor Brown of Bowling Green State University. "We found Autodesk Inventor software to be the best choice because it not only provides students with the ability to take ideas and make them reality, it does so with an ease that permits students to find success in a shorter period of time which makes for more enthusiastic and more accomplished students."

IMAGINiT Technologies (www.imaginit-tech.com), an Autodesk Channel Business Partner, provided training, support, and tutorial materials helping instructors and students to learn together. IMAGINiT is a member of RAND Worldwide, a global, diversified engineering group with 110 offices in 28 countries.

"I'm very excited to be involved with Bowling Green State University's program. The software is exciting, and the books from our Ascent division provide one of the fastest ways for the students to learn Autodesk Inventor software," said Cindi Meier, senior account executive, IMAGINiT Technologies.

"As more and more manufacturers standardize their product development processes on Autodesk Inventor, it becomes an increasingly important program for college students to learn in order to achieve future success as mechanical design professionals," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Division at Autodesk.

Bowling Green's Mechanical Design Technology Program

From its beginnings as a teacher-training college, Bowling Green State University has grown into a multi-dimensional, four-year institution that offers more than 260 different majors degree programs on the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Its Mechanical Design Technology program, part of the Department of Visual Communication and Technology Education, prepares students to design products, tools, and machines for manufacturing processes, and to deal with the practical aspects of mechanical and manufacturing design in industry. The Electric Falcon project, which gives students practical 3D-mechanical design experience by reverse-engineering an electric powered race car, began in the Spring 2002 semester and recently completed during the Fall 2002 semester. One of the goals is to be able to analyze and redesign components to improve performance, reduce weight, and shorten the time it takes to access compartments during pit stops at races.

About Autodesk

Founded in 1982, Autodesk, Inc., is the world's leading design software and digital content company. Autodesk offers solutions for professionals in building design, geographic information systems, manufacturing, digital media, and wireless data services. By delivering progressive products and services, Autodesk helps customers create, manage, use, and maximize the value of their digital data throughout the lifecycle of their projects. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Note to Editors: Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, and Mechanical Desktop 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.

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