Autodesk Delivers Application Programming Interface to MAI Partners for Mechanical Desktop Software; New Tool Set to Improve Product Design.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 1995--Autodesk today accelerated its commitment to provide complete solutions for mechanical design customers by delivering its initial application programming interface (API) for the new Autodesk Mechanical Desktop software suite.

The company also announced a new training package for dealers, training centers, customers and universities using the Mechanical Desktop.

The new API lets Autodesk's 12 MAI (Mechanical Applications Initiative) partners create fully integrated applications for the Mechanical Desktop for complete design through manufacturing solutions. The API is being developed under the guidance of these MAI partners but will be available to all customers who purchase the Mechanical Desktop.

The announcements were made at the AUTOFACT trade show here, where the company is featuring its new Mechanical Desktop, a tightly integrated software application that provides advanced 2D and 3D mechanical design functions on desktop systems. Autodesk is located in booth No. 242.

"The Autodesk Mechanical Desktop combined with solutions from our MAI partners will help users solve complex mechanical design problems, and I believe the capabilities provided by the Mechanical Desktop will dramatically improve the way most products are designed over time," said Dominic Gallello, vice president of Autodesk's Mechanical Market Group. "Coupled with a broad range of high function value priced applications from the MAI partners, the Mechanical Desktop fulfills the promise of sophisticated, easy to use tools being available to `everyone'."

API for MAI Partners

Autodesk's MAI partners, 12 best-in-class application providers, have worked with Autodesk throughout the development of the Mechanical Desktop to ensure it will meet their customers' needs.

"The MCAD APIs of the Mechanical Desktop are the critical foundation for complete design through manufacturing solutions for the Autodesk mechanical user," said Robert J. Majteles, chief executive officer of CAMAX Manufacturing Technologies, one of the key MAI partners specializing in NC capabilities. "CAMAX has product plans in place to leverage the MCAD APIs bringing dynamic new manufacturing capabilities to the Autodesk customer."

The MAI partners are:

Ansys Inc. ICEM Technologies CAMAX Manufacturing Technologies MacNeal-Schwendler Corp. Cimlogic, Inc. Mechanical Dynamics Inc. Design Technology Int'l Moldflow Pty. Ltd. Genius, GmbH NC Microproducts Inc. Hitachi Zosen Systems Int'l Open Mind Software Technologies GmbH

Extensive User Involvement

Demonstrating Autodesk's commitment to provide a quality product for the professional mechanical user, the company has implemented an extensive beta test program and conducted customer seminars in 56 cities throughout the US and around the world. A beta version of Mechanical Desktop software was shipped last week to more than 200 customer sites worldwide. These customers will be able to test the application in their own work environments and to recommend changes in the Mechanical Desktop before the final product ships.

New training tools

To help shorten the learning curve for the Mechanical Desktop, Autodesk today announced training products including a workbook and instructor's guide. The workbook is designed as a self-paced foundation tutorial to complement the product's documentation and the excellent specialized training offered through Autodesk dealers and Autodesk Systems Centers.

The instructor's guide is a curriculum development tool that lets teachers and trainers use individual modules within the workbook to produce courses that address particular objectives of customers and students. The training tools will be used by universities, dealers and training centers, and will also be available for customer purchase through authorized Autodesk dealers.

In addition, Autodesk recently announced Inside Track for Mechanical Drafting & Design. Inside Track is a fast, flexible, computer-based tool to help new and potential users learn how to solve workplace design problems and find answers to technical questions quickly and effectively.

Mechanical Desktop Features

The Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, announced in September and expected to ship in early 1996, contains integrated modules for parametric solid and surface modeling, assembly modeling, and associative drafting, as well as AutoCAD Release 13 and the Autodesk IGES translator. At its core is the ACIS solids modeler licensed from Spatial Technology Inc.

With a suggested retail price in the United States of $6,250, the Mechanical desktop offers a comprehensive solution for the mechanical engineer. Customers who already have purchased AutoCAD Release 13 may upgrade to the Mechanical Desktop for US$2,750. AutoCAD Release 13 customers who have purchased earlier versions of AutoCAD Designer or AutoSurf may upgrade to the Mechanical Desktop for a limited-time promotional price of US$495. The Mechanical Desktop can be installed quickly from a single CD. All the modules share a common interface with completely integrated menus. New applications from MAI partners will have the same look and feel.

Major features and functions incorporated into the Autodesk Mechanical Desktop suite include:

- Parametric, feature-based solid modeling capability for easy creation and revision of 2D and 3D designs, allowing designers to work like they think instead of tediously reworking designs as parameters change. For example, if a cellular telephone designer finds he has made the buttons on the phone model too small, he can change one of them and the others will automatically be adjusted to the new size, with correct spacing and distance from the edge.

- Integrated surface and solids, which means, for example, that a user can take a solid block and easily "cut" a surface design through it to create a particular shape, such as the sculpted surface of a telephone.

- Comprehensive assembly modeling, the feature most requested by AutoCAD Designer customers for future product releases. This allows designers to model parts and combine them into assemblies to create complete product models, such as the exterior casing and interior parts of a cellular phone.

- Windows-based tools for ease-of-use, including pull-down menus, icons and 26 electronic "cue cards" to prompt users through the applications.

- Bi-directional model-to-drawing associativity, which means that a designer can change a part in a drawing and the related model will automatically update, and vice-versa.

- Sophisticated surfacing capability, using the latest NURBS-based geometry to create, edit, join and analyze a wide variety of basic and advanced surfaces. NURBS are free-form Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines -- a type of curve that smoothly passes through and between a given set of points. They are useful in creating irregularly shaped surfaces in mechanical design.

For more information on Autodesk, please call 415/507-5000, type GO ADESK on CompuServe, or log-in with a World Wide Web browser at http://www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk is the world's leading supplier of PC and UNIX-based design software and PC multimedia tools. The company's 2D and 3D products and data management tools are used in many industries for architectural design, mechanical design, film-making, videography and geographic information systems. The fourth largest PC software company in the world, Autodesk has three million customers in 118 countries. Autodesk products are sold through Autodesk Systems Centers, Dealers and Distributors worldwide. -0-

Note to Editors: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. The Autodesk Mechanical Desktop is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. CompuServe is a registered trademark of H & R Block. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. All prices are suggested.

CONTACT: Autodesk, Inc.

Marty Tacktill, 415/507-6484

[e-mail]