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Autodesk: Design Re-design

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DQI Bureau
New Update

In a world where globalization is constantly expanding the range
of choices available to consumers, great design has become a way to stand out in
the crowd," emphasized Autodesk CEO, Carl Bass, at a gathering of global
media who had collected to witness the launch of the new strategy and product
line in San Francisco in mid-February. The event coincided with the World Press
Day on Feb 12-13, 2007.

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Bass added: "Fortunately for Autodesk, there has never been
a better time to be a leader in the design software category. Autodesk is on a
mission to democratize this powerful ability to experience ideas before they are
real, with 2D and 3D design tools that help customers of all sizes, shapes,
locations and industries to fully leverage the power of design innovation."

Bass identified five major global forces that exert great
pressure on companies to innovate as well as address social and environmental
issues. Emerging economies; a boom in worldwide infrastructure, from highways to
utility lines; the rise of the middle class in nations such as China; the
necessity for sustainable design; and the advent of technology and digital
lifestyles have raised the stakes for success, requiring companies to innovate
in order to remain competitive and profitable, he said.

"By making changes early in the development process,
companies reap the benefits of design innovation namely cost-effectiveness,
efficiency, faster time to market, better quality and performance that add up to
competitive advantage in a fast-changing global economy," he added.

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Citing examples from leading customer work, Bass explained how
Autodesk solutions "are redefining design as the world knows it." Bass
was joined by Autodesk chief technology officer, Jeff Kowalski, who gave a
technology preview of Autodesk's product portfolio.

Customer Tribute

On the occasion, Autodesk customers who are leading their industries in the
areas of predictive analysis, visualization and simulation, presented examples
of their latest work and demonstrated how Autodesk solutions are helping them
experience innovative ideas before they are real.

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Todd Sue, a 3D environment artist of Infinity Ward Inc, an
award-winning developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Inc, a
leading publisher of interactive entertainment software products, discussed his
use of Autodesk Maya 3D animation, modeling and rendering software to create
game environments. "Thanks to Autodesk solutions, Infinity Ward has
garnered more than 100 Game of the Year awards and 50 Editor's Choice
awards," Sue said.

Father-son duo, Joe and Jason Palumbo of US-based Palumbo
Motorcar, a car design and manufacturing company focused on producing
environmentally-friendly sports cars, elaborated on how Autodesk solutions
allowed their company to visualize, simulate and analyze the real-world
performance of its designs early in the design process.

"By making changes
early in the development process, companies reap the benefits of design
innovation that add up to competitive advantage in a fast-changing global
economy

-Carl Bass, CEO,
Autodesk

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Joe Palumbo explained, "The Palumbo M-80 car was designed
and developed using a combination of Autodesk manufacturing solutions, including
Autodesk Inventor software and Autodesk AliasStudio software. Concept drawings
were created in Autodesk AliasStudio, which is a complete set of tools for the
conceptual design process, and then efficiently transferred into Inventor, the
3D mechanism design software."

Palumbo Motorcar plans to leverage the high-performance sports
car markets with the development of Palumbo M-80 car, which claims to deliver
not just speed and acceleration, but outstanding fuel economy and minimal
environmental impact.

Patrick MacLeamy, CEO of HOK, which is an architecture and
engineering firm, discussed how the company has aggressively adopted Revit,
Autodesk's BIM platform, throughout the firm and is using Autodesk software
including Revit, 3ds Max and Autodesk VIZ for building design, engineering and
visualization.

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The 2008 Lineup

The second and concluding day of the Autodesk World Press Day event featured
Autodesk industry vice-presidents unveiling the lineup of new 2008 product
solutions.

Autodesk has updated its AutoCAD-based solutions for architects,
civil and MEP engineers. "AutoCAD Architecture 2008 (formerly Autodesk
Architectural Desktop), AutoCAD MEP (formerly Autodesk Building Systems) and
AutoCAD Civil 3D software applications incorporate new features and
functionality to help architects, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and
civil engineers improve productivity and increase efficiency," said Jay
Bhatt, vice president, Autodesk AEC Solutions. "From our vantage point as a
driving force in design software, we can see tremendous opportunity for our
customers to continue to improve design and documentation productivity for even
the basic tasks of engineering and building design," he added.

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Bhatt also announced comprehensive updates to Autodesk Revit
platform. "The latest updates to the Revit platform help provide immediate
competitive advantage, better coordination and quality, and increased support
for sustainable design, all of which can lead to better performing buildings and
higher profitability for architects, engineers and the extended building
team," he said.

Autodesk also unveiled enhancements to AutoCAD Map 3D 2008 and
AutoCAD Raster Design 2008 geospatial software products, which further improve
the integration of geospatial data by planning, engineering and operations
personnel in utilities and municipal governments. "Whether they are
repairing a water pipeline or planning a subdivision, engineers, field personnel
and asset managers need up-to-the-minute location and design information,"
said Lisa Campbell, vice president, Autodesk Geospatial Solutions. "This
essential requirement is key to improving organizational productivity in
multiple industry sectors, which is why Autodesk continues to enhance our
portfolio of core technologies to meet this challenge."

Autodesk has introduced AutoCAD 2008 software-the latest
version of the world's most widely used computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Amar Hanspal, vice president, Autodesk Platform and Geospatial Solutions:
"The market success of AutoCAD is a direct result of our effort to respond
to customer needs and raise the standard for innovation to take our customers
one step further."

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"Since creating the design software market with the debut
of AutoCAD software, Autodesk has remained focused on making the design process
smoother and smarter. That's why we continue to integrate our core drafting,
visualization and collaboration technologies in order to accelerate the
evolution of design, and ultimately, help our customers become more innovative,
productive and competitive," he added.

Autodesk also unveiled the latest versions of its manufacturing
solutions, which help customers redefine the product development process by
experiencing their ideas before they are real. With updates to Autodesk
Inventor, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, Autodesk AliasStudio, Autodesk
Showcase and Autodesk Productstream software products, the company is offering a
complete approach to digital prototyping that allows manufacturers to
cost-effectively validate their ideas and foster product innovation.

Additionally, an onsite demo lounge at the World Press Day venue
provided participants to get up close with the latest Autodesk 2D and 3D
technology.

Namratha Jagtap

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in


The author was hosted in San Francisco

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