Autodesk Encourages Students to Exhibit Their 3D Design Talent

Student Design Contest Evokes Creativity and Innovation Using Autodesk Inventor

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) today furthered its ongoing commitment to education, launching the Inventor Student Design Contest. Until May 1, 2007, post-secondary students are invited to enter their innovative 3D designs created with Autodesk Inventor software for a chance to win top-of-the-line prizes from HP, AMD and 3Dconnexion. The judges, who include Autodesk employees, design professionals and industry experts, will judge the entries based on their broad use of Inventor capabilities, innovation and overall aesthetic appeal. Winners will be announced May 15, 2007.

"Students are the innovative leaders of tomorrow, and this contest is Autodesk's way of showcasing their talent and creativity," says Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. "This is a valuable opportunity for young designers to further develop their real-world design skills while being recognized by their peers and leading industry experts."

Autodesk Inventor is the world's foremost 3D mechanical design software and is taught at esteemed university and college campuses around the globe. The easy-to-learn software helps students build, apply and test their design skills and eventually enter the workforce with a competitive advantage. In its commitment to serve the next generation of engineers, Autodesk recently launched the Student Engineering and Design Community, a Web portal that allows students to download free* copies of Autodesk software, such as Inventor. In order for students to participate in the Inventor Student Design Contest, they must first register with the Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Community by visiting www.students.autodesk.com

Along with peer and industry recognition, the winners will receive the following prizes:

Grand-Prize: HP xw4400 Workstation, including an ATI FireGL V7200 card and a 20" flat panel monitor, as well as a 3Dconnexion SpacePilot. 

First-Place: Xbox 360 gaming system designed using ATI FireGL from AMD, courtesy of AMD and a 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer. *

Second-Place: ATI FireGL 7200 Graphics Card and 3Dconnexion SpaceTraveler. 

Third-Place: ATI FireGL 3300 Graphics Cards from AMD and 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigators - Personal Edition to five third-place winners.

"Designers rely on the best 3D hardware and software tools to bring their ideas to life," said Janet Matsuda, senior director, Workstation Graphics, AMD. "Our focus is on creating products that substantially enhance the creativity and productivity of designers. Working with Autodesk, AMD is delivering high-performance graphics hardware solutions that remove design and production barriers, enabling artists, architects and engineers to create with greater speed and precision."

For specific submission requirements and detailed judging criteria, please visit http://students.autodesk.com/inventorcontest

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a Fortune 1000 company, wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the manufacturing, infrastructure, building, media and entertainment, and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage, become more productive, streamline project efficiency and maximize profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California.

www.autodesk.com

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