think3 Awards $4.4 Million in 3-D Software to Student Champs and Their Schools in SkillsUSA-VICA Competition.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1999--

Newly Launched Educational Grant Program Promotes 3-D

Learning Through Cool Intergalactic 3-D Video Game

With the goal of opening up a vast world of 3-D design to mechanical and industrial designers of tomorrow, Silicon Valley upstart think3(TM) today announced a $4.4 million software grant to the winners and participants of this week's SkillsUSA-VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) Championships.

With this donation, think3 is formally launching the thinkstart(TM) education program for students and academic institutions. Through the program, think3 will work closely with vocational schools, colleges and universities to establish 3-D game-based learning labs for mechanical design engineering students -- using the company's intergalactic 3-D video game, "The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy," and powerful 3-D design software.

SkillsUSA-VICA is a national organization serving over 240,000 high school and college students and professional members who participate in training programs in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations. The annual SkillsUSA-VICA Championships include hands-on skill and leadership contests.

"Students competing this week from all over the country are tomorrow's skilled workforce," said Timothy Lawrence, director, business and industry partnerships, National VICA. "SkillsUSA-VICA is an applied method for preparing America's high performance workers in public vocational-technical programs."

"Education is a top priority for think3 and a key element of our strategy for bringing the power of 3-D design to everyone, everywhere," said Joe Costello, chairman and CEO of think3. "We're delighted to support SkillsUSA-VICA and the thousands of students participating in this championship event. This marks the beginning of a long-term partnership for think3, students and academia -- and professional organizations like SkillsUSA-VICA."

think3 is a corporate sponsor for four contests: architectural drafting, automated manufacturing technology, robotics and automation technology, and technical drafting. Each of the six student winners in each contest named on July 2 will be awarded copies of think3's 3-D design software -- thinkdesign(TM), advanced surface modeling component -- thinkshape(TM), and 3-D learning software - thinkfast(TM)/"The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy." think3 will also award 25 copies of the 3-D design and game-based learning software to the winning students' schools.

The thinkstart education program bolsters think3's efforts to bring the benefits of 3-D to "the masses" of mechanical engineering students and designers still designing in 2-D -- primarily with AutoCAD(TM) from Autodesk(R) (NASDAQ: ADSK). think3's unique, game-based approach to education and training gives students a fun and entertaining "video arcade classroom" atmosphere for learning and using 3-D design skills. The world's first think3 game-based learning lab was announced on April 22, 1999 at the Singapore Polytechnic Institute.

"We're excited about the potential for this radical new approach to learning, particularly with students," added Kara Kerker, think3's vice president of marketing. "Because of their energy, enthusiasm and openness to new ideas, students often play a critical role as early adopters of hot new technology from companies like ours. I've been impressed with the level of skill exhibited here this week and look forward to awarding think3's software to the winning students and their schools tomorrow. I have no doubt that the students here will help drive the 3-D revolution think3 is creating in mechanical design."

Intergalactic World of Intrigue and Mystery Makes 3-D Design Pop!

"The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy" 3-D video game from think3 transports the player into an intergalactic world where the evil "Dr. Monkey Wrench" has hijacked the "Copernicus" space station. The player becomes a "secret agent" dispatched to deep space to rescue the hijacked space station. To survive, he must design everything he needs for the job to "foil" his enemies. Along the way, there are space walks, plenty of bad guys and booby traps. If a design is flawed, the player is temporarily disabled.

In the course of playing the game, designers learn and use 3-D skills by actually using think3's 3-D design software, thinkdesign. Throughout the game, they can easily view a series of instructions explaining how to execute the appropriate design moves, or walk through a help list of directives on the right side of the screen. In non-gaming mode, users have the option to take a more traditional path to learning, which still makes 3-D learning simpler and more engaging than ever before.

Future plans for "The Monkey Wrench Conspiracy" include a follow-on version with additional levels of complexity, new 3-D tasks and translation into multiple languages for broader usage worldwide. About think3's thinkstart Education Program For more information regarding think3's new thinkstart education program, please contact Kara Kerker, or send an email to [e-mail].

AboutSkillsUSA-VICA

SkillsUSA-VICA is a national organization serving over 240,000 high school and college students and professional members who participate in training programs in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations. SkillsUSA-VICA has the active support of over 1,000 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions at the national level. Student membership in SkillsUSA-VICA offers leadership, citizenship and character development programs and activities to complement skill training. Its programs help students prepare to go to work. Formerly known as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, SkillsUSA-VICA emphasizes respect for the dignity of work, high standards in trade ethics, workmanship, scholarship and safety. It promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and encourages the development of patriotism through democratic practices in local chapters.

About think3

think3 is a privately held upstart company that produces software for designing common, everyday physical objects, ranging from home appliances, children's safety products and engine parts to boutique home accessories and custom cars, to name a few.

Under the direction of chairman and CEO, Joe Costello, think3 is taking a markedly different consumer-oriented approach to capturing the imaginations of 2-D designers. It's launched a new brand of software -- thinkdesign that delivers 3-D power at a 2-D price, taking full advantage of today's high-performance, low-cost PC workstations. It's making it fun and entertaining for designers to learn 3-D skills with an innovative approach to education and training -- game-based learning. And, it's leveraging the power of the Internet in all aspects of its business, ranging from customer care, VAR partner programs and e-commerce to sponsorship of http://www.3zone.com, a portal for mechanical designers.

With think3, customers get the power of high-end 3-D mechanical design software packages from Dassault Systems (NASDAQ:DASTY), Parametric Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:PMTC), Structural Dynamics Research Corp. (NASDAQ:SDRC) and Unigraphics (NASDAQ:UGS) at a fraction of the price - and at an even lower cost than traditional low-end 2-D packages such as AutoCAD from Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK).

think3 is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with engineering centered in Bologna, Italy. think3 products are sold through a growing worldwide network of distributors and VARs. Among the company's top customers are Alessi, Buell Motorcycles (a division of Harley-Davidson), Candy/Hoover, Dinan, Mercedes and Peugeot Citroen Automobile (PSA). For more information about think3, visit the company's Web site at http://www.think3.com.

think3, thinkreal, thinkdesign, thinkfast, thinkshape, and 3zone are trademarks of think3. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.