Autodesk Building Systems Alliance Partners

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb. 1, 2005-Responding to industry demand, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced two new members of the Autodesk� Building Systems alliance program: EastCoast CAD/CAM and Wendes Systems, Inc. The companies are integrating their software with Autodesk Building Systems and join Autodesk and existing alliance members Trane, GeoPraxis and Elite Software in bringing greater efficiency to building systems design. The integration of software from EastCoast CAD/CAM and Wendes Systems Inc. with Autodesk's industry-leading building systems application will further enhance seamless data transfer upstream and downstream of the design process. Together, the members of the Autodesk Building Systems alliance program are making it easier to create, manage and share information maintained in object-based building systems design, so that engineers, architects, estimators, and fabricators collaborate efficiently and effectively - saving time and significantly reducing costs for all participants in the building process.

"Wendes Systems, Inc. and EastCoast CAD/CAM are expanding opportunities for our building industry customers to take advantage of the data-rich environment provided by Autodesk Building Systems, and transform tasks such as fabrication and estimating," said Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president, Autodesk Building Solutions Division. "By more tightly integrating architecture and building systems design, and adding the functionality of energy, heating and cooling load and sizing analyses, cost estimation, and fabrication, our alliance partners are playing a critical role in helping our users improve their productivity, accuracy, and coordination."

Alliance Partners Enable Cost Estimates, Fabrication, and Analysis

Existing Autodesk Building Systems alliance partners Trane, GeoPraxis, and Elite Software have taken the lead in optimizing the workflow process by using engineering data created with Autodesk Building Systems software in their engineering analysis applications.

• Trane provides engineers access to Autodesk Building Systems models from the company's analysis and design applications, TRACE� 700, to quickly calculate heating and cooling loads, as well as use VariTrane� Duct Designer to size duct systems using equal friction or static regain methods.
• By integrating GeoPraxis� Green Building Studio (GBS) with Autodesk Building Systems, GeoPraxis gives architects and engineers the ability to quickly analyze energy requirements to gain information on annual energy consumption and costs, building heating and cooling loads, spaces, and systems.
• Elite Software, a leader in design software for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection, has integrated it's HVAC duct sizing and fire protection analysis solutions with Autodesk Building Systems. Users can use Elite's Ductsize program to quickly size duct systems using equal friction or static regain methods, and its FIRE program for the hydraulic calculations required by NFPA 13.

The addition of EastCoast CAD/CAM and Wendes Systems, Inc to the Autodesk Building Systems Alliance Program adds the functionality of downstream data extraction and repurposing to Autodesk Building Systems. EastCoast CAD/CAM and Wendes Systems, Inc. will integrate their applications with Autodesk Building Systems to significantly improve fabrication and estimating activities, respectively. Their workflow improvement technology allows HVAC engineers to provide clients with more design options in less time, driving down the costs of building design while speeding time to project completion.

Autodesk Building Systems

Autodesk� Building Systems was specifically created for mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) and fire protection engineers, and is the only fully integrated MEP application that unifies building engineering design, documentation and analysis. It improves productivity through design visualization, provides onscreen feedback for interference detection, enables automated coordination of building systems and construction documents, and increases productivity and accuracy of data transfer by extending engineering design data through automated scheduling and links to analysis tools. This allows design professionals to resolve potential conflicts in the design process, rather than on-site, to minimize costly rework and waste.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With six million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media, 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 by becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency, and maximizing profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk and Autodesk Building Systems are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.