SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2003--

  DWF 6 for Mac OS X Extends the Design Team to Enhance Collaboration
      and Improve Productivity Across the Lifecycle of a Project

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced that it will make Autodesk DWF(TM) 6 (Design Web Format(TM)) files available for Mac OS X, an operating system with more than seven million users. The support for Mac OS X will allow Mac users to view and print design information created by Autodesk design software, and will provide a DWF Developer's Toolkit for Mac OS X developers to create third-party design applications that leverage DWF files.

"Making DWF available to Mac users is a strategic piece of our future and a tremendous first step for Autodesk," said Carl Bass, executive vice president of Autodesk's Design Solutions Group. "Multi-sheet design information will now be available to a whole new world of users, extending the design review process and allowing architects and engineers to share their designs with security and confidence, knowing Mac users will see the design information of an original CAD drawing exactly how the creator intended for it to be seen."

"The power and stability of a UNIX-based operating system, the cutting-edge graphics technologies, and the revolutionary user interface make Mac OS X a great fit for the architectural design industry," said Ron Okamoto, Apple's vice president of developer relations. "By enabling these users to share intelligent design data across OS boundaries, Autodesk is able to support the needs of a much larger customer base which accesses building information throughout a project's entire lifecycle."

DWF is an open, non-editable, file format that helps customers share data for seamless design collaboration and communication throughout project lifecycles, allowing designers, engineers, developers, and their colleagues to quickly and easily communicate design information to anyone needing it.

Extending the Design Process to the Mac Environment

To give Apple users access to DWF files, Autodesk is now working with Apple to port the Autodesk(R) Express Viewer to Mac OS X. The Autodesk Express Viewer is a lightweight, high-performance application that will allow Mac OS X users to be a part of the design review process, allowing them to view and print design data, without having access to the software used to create them.

Building a New Developer Community

Both Autodesk and Apple have extensive and active developer communities. Autodesk will provide a DWF Developer's Toolkit to allow Mac OS X third-party developers to read and write multi-sheet DWF drawings.

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.

Autodesk and DWF are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks are used solely for identification and belong to their respective holders.

    CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc.
             Dawn Van Osdell, 415-507-6554
             dawn.van.osdell@autodesk.com

    SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.