SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb 19, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Big Dog Motorcycles Selects Autodesk Inventor over SolidWorks for Increased Innovation, Ease of Use, Flexibility and Value

Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSK), the world's leading design software and digital content company, today announced that Big Dog Motorcycles selected Autodesk Inventor software for the design and manufacture of its highly stylized custom motorcycles. Big Dog selected Autodesk Inventor over SolidWorks 3D design software for its ability to deliver large-assembly performance and accelerate the company's time to market.

After a detailed evaluation of both the Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks software products, Big Dog determined that Autodesk Inventor exceeded the competition in ease of use and functionality, enabling Big Dog designers to produce motorcycle parts more quickly and with greater design innovation. Big Dog was also able to transfer its Autodesk Mechanical Desktop data to Autodesk Inventor seamlessly -- saving the company significant time and expense. In addition to these benefits, Autodesk Inventor software delivered robust sheet metal design capabilities as well as the ability to visualize the fully rendered end result of the product. To illustrate ideas and concepts to groups such as sales and manufacturing early in the design process, and to help shorten cycle time while improving the product's design, Big Dog uses Autodesk Inventor software's AVI animations.

"Before using Autodesk Inventor at Big Dog Motorcycles, I had limited 3D modeling experience," said Dave Davis, a mechanical design engineer at Big Dog Motorcycles. "I prefer Autodesk Inventor to other 3D solutions I've tried because it is extremely easy to learn and use. It is far more intuitive and presents me with a minimum number of commands to accomplish a design task."

Big Dog Motorcycles (www.bigdogmotorcycles.com), based in Wichita, Kansas, produces approximately seven custom bikes a day. To reach these production levels, Big Dog outsources part manufacturing and assembles the motorcycles in-house. Since migrating to Autodesk Inventor software, Big Dog has been able to generate complete, unambiguous models of even the most complex motorcycle parts in full detail, allowing smooth information flow to the part manufacturer. This capability has helped Big Dog shorten cycle times and eliminate errors caused by misinterpretation of 2D drawings.

"Big Dog Motorcycles is a high-profile, well-respected name in the motorcycle community, and we are thrilled that their use of Autodesk Inventor is bringing more compelling designs to market in a shorter amount of time. It's a competitive advantage that can't be beat," said Robert Kross, vice president of the Manufacturing Division at Autodesk. "They are typical of the customers we see moving from 2D to 3D to enhance their business."

Computer Services Helps Big Dog with Product Evaluation and Training

Computer Services (www.computerservices-ks.com), the largest reseller of Autodesk products and the only Autodesk Systems Center for mechanical products in Kansas, offers both product sales and support. Computer Services helped identify Big Dog's design needs, introduced them to Autodesk Inventor software, conducted a product evaluation, and trained their designers.

"We conducted a four-day training class on Autodesk Inventor and had Big Dog's designers productive immediately thereafter," said Pat Corcoran, MCAD account specialist at Computer Services. "In just two short months following training it is amazing to see the type of work Big Dog is doing with Autodesk Inventor. With other 3D systems they would still be creating simple parts, but they have created some very complicated assemblies and castings already. We are very proud of their success."

    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. With annual revenues of $936 million, Autodesk is one of the largest global software companies. For more information about the company, see www.autodesk.com.

Note to Editors: Autodesk, Mechanical Desktop, and Autodesk Inventor are either registered trademarks or 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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