Autodesk Ships AutoCAD LT for Windows 95; Provides AutoCAD R13 Compatibility and Ease-of-Use Features.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 1996--At today's debut at Spring Comdex, Microsoft Partner Pavilion booth No. W1803, Autodesk announced that AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 is now shipping in the U.S. and Canada.

The latest version of the world's leading low-cost, 2D design and drafting software, AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 is now Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 95 logo-compliant. In addition, this new version of AutoCAD LT also runs on MS-Windows NT 3.51, is 100% data compatible with AutoCAD R13 software, and incorporates numerous tools for faster, easier design and drafting.

With its powerful feature set and intuitive user interface, AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 is suitable for a wide range of users, from seasoned CAD experts to paper-based drafters moving from the drafting board to design software for the first time.

Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 95

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 meets Microsoft Windows 95 and Office 95 standards, including 32-bit architecture, Windows NT 3.51 operating system support and long file names. OLE (object linking and embedding) 2.0 server and container support lets users link spreadsheets or any other OLE 2.0 objects directly into drawings and or embed drawings into reports and proposals. And e-mail enabling now allows users with MAPI compliant e-mail programs to send drawings easily to clients and colleagues from within AutoCAD LT for Windows 95.

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 compliance with Office 95 standards means pull-down menus and toolbars are organized similarly to other Office productivity applications, so users can quickly locate commonly used commands and operations such as file open, save and print.

Compatibility with AutoCAD Release 13

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 offers users full interoperability with AutoCAD Release 13, the latest version of the industry-standard for design and drafting. Users can exchange files with AutoCAD Release 13 users without requiring any translation, ensuring unparalleled speed and accuracy.

"AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 allows the designers and drafters in our office to work together more efficiently," said Steve Durand, Executive vice president of Professional Consulting Engineer, Inc. "The fact that now I can integrate my efforts with the work of others in my office who are using AutoCAD R13 is a great time saver."

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 also reads and writes AutoCAD Release 11 and Release 12 drawing files as well as drawings from previous versions of AutoCAD LT, so users can easily exchange files with the more than 1.5 million AutoCAD users (and the more than 250,000 AutoCAD LT users) worldwide.

"Collaboration in the design industry is essential," said Robert Carr, vice president of engineering at Autodesk. "Unlike users of competitive products, AutoCAD LT customers are guaranteed speed and accuracy when sharing data with AutoCAD."

New tools for faster, more intuitive design and drafting

The latest version of AutoCAD LT incorporates numerous tools designed to help new users to get started drawing quickly, as well as features that accelerate both new and experienced users through their work. Extensive on-line help, in the form of tutorials, concept and "how to..." cards, explain key drafting concepts and lead users step-by-step through drafting operations. Information is organized both by task and by feature; hypertext links route users to related tasks. The on-line command reference and context-sensitive help provides a comprehensive resource for all commands and features, completely indexed for easy access.

A new start-up dialog box appears when AutoCAD LT is launched, providing users four options for starting a new drawing session: Drawing set-up wizards, Use a Template, Start from Scratch, or Open an existing drawing. The new drawing set-up wizards step users through the process of setting up a new drawing, including units, limits, precision level, and title block.

The template option provides a variety of industry standard templates from which to choose (including ANSI, DIN, ISO, and JIS) or users may create their own templates to meet corporate or client standards. For those users opening an existing drawing, thumbnail previews of individual drawings or a set of drawings ensures selection of the desired file before actually opening the drawing.

Once in the drawing, AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 offers numerous new productivity features, including:

Real-time pan and zoom - allows users to dynamically update their view as they move the cursor, permitting faster, more accurate control over the drawing view.

Property Painter - Copy all or a subset of one object's properties to one or more object(s) rather than copying each property manually.

Wintab Digitizer support - This capability allows users to trace existing paper drawings quickly and more accurately. These digitizing devices interface with either Windows 95 or Windows NT as a system level pointing device.

Enhanced text capabilities - Create, edit, and import bodies of text using the new paragraph text feature, use TrueType fonts, check spelling of single words or an entire drawing with the new spell check, and preview text styles using the text-style modification dialog box.

Advanced geometry - New NURBS curves, true ellipses, elliptical arcs, and construction lines simplify the creation of geometry.

AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1

With the release of AutoCAD LT for Windows 95, Autodesk will continue to sell AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 (Release 2) as its solution for customers running the Windows 3.1 operating system.

AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1, with its more modest hardware requirements, is ideal for users with laptop computers or modest systems. AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 is 100% compatible with AutoCAD Release 11 and Release 12.

System Requirements

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51 Windows 3.1x 486DX/66 (minimum) or Pentium- 386-, 486-, or Pentium- based PC based PC 16 MB RAM (recommended) 8 MB RAM (recommended) 30 MB free hard disk space for 16 MB free hard disk space installation for installation

Autodesk Symbols (U.S. and Canada)

Autodesk Symbols packages are a professional, easy-to-use complement to AutoCAD LT or AutoCAD R13 software. The three new versions of Autodesk Symbols, architectural, mechanical, and electrical, are each sold separately in the U.S. and Canada and each include more than 2,000 full-scale U.S. industry-standard symbols. The symbols are accessed directly from a pull-down menu that installs on the AutoCAD LT or AutoCAD R13 menu. The user simply selects the desired symbols and clicks where the symbol should be placed in the drawing, saving time and ensuring accuracy every time.

Pricing and availability in the U.S. and Canada

AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 ships with dual media (both CD-ROM and 1.44 MB diskette) and is available in the U.S. and Canada at an estimated street price (ESP) of US$489. AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 is available in the U.S. and Canada for a new, lower ESP of US$299. Autodesk Symbols, architectural, electrical, and mechanical, are available in dual media in the U.S. and Canada for US$99 each. AutoCAD LT for Windows 95, AutoCAD LT for Windows 3.1 and Autodesk Symbols are available now, and can be purchased from all major software resellers and Authorized Autodesk Dealers. Current AutoCAD LT users can upgrade to AutoCAD LT for Windows 95 for US$129 by calling Autodesk directly at 800-435-7771. German, French, Italian, and Spanish versions are expected to ship in late June/early July. For pricing and availability in other regions, contact your local dealer.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These include the timely development and acceptance of new products, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K filed in December 1995.

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 and video producers, video/game developers and Web content developers. Its Kinetix division is the leader in PC-based 3D modeling, and animation software, providing a full range of products for the digital media and design professionals. The fourth largest PC software company in the world, Autodesk has three million customers in nearly 130 countries. Autodesk products are sold through Autodesk Systems Centers, Dealers and Distributors worldwide. For more information on Autodesk, please call 415-507-5000, type GO ADESK on CompuServe, or visit its World Wide Web site at http://www.autodesk.com. Kinetix can be reached by calling 800-879-4233 or through its World Wide Web site at http://www.ktx.com. Autodesk shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ADSK. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks, and Windows NT and Windows 95 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. CompuServe is a registered trademark of H & R Block. All other brand names, products names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: Autodesk

Jennifer Reidy, 415/507-6536

[e-mail]