New Awards Program Honors Creator of Flow Rider Wave Machine

    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
 (Nasdaq:   ADSK) today announced that WaveLoch was named Autodesk's Inventor of
 the Month for January 2006.  This new program recognizes the most innovative
 design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community of
 customers using Autodesk Inventor software, the world's best-selling 3D
 mechanical design software and best choice for AutoCAD software users.
     (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO
              http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060123/SFM058 )
     Tom Lochtefeld, chief executive officer at WaveLoch, is a designer of
 groundbreaking wave rides and attractions for athletes, water parks, amusement
 parks, resorts and cruise ships around the world.  Lochtefeld's Flow Rider,
 created using Autodesk Inventor for 3D modeling and design, and Autodesk
 Inventor Studio for visualization, combines surfing, snowboarding and
 skateboarding.  The rides feature scientifically engineered sluice gates,
 which generate a thin sheet of water over a stationary, padded wave form. The
 resulting wave-like shape enables riders to slide down, carve turns and ride
 up simulated wave surfaces.
     "Autodesk Inventor software helps us create innovative designs that reduce
 costs and installation time for our customers," said Lochtefeld. "By being
 able to view and simulate our designs in a 3D model format before a prototype
 is built, we can identify improvements in the design and challenges before
 they arise, and as a consequence influence our production costs effectively.
 Autodesk software enables us to maintain our creativity and stay within our
 customers' budgets."
     Many professional surfers, snowboarders and skateboarders use the WaveLoch
 attractions as cross-sport training facilities in San Diego, CA, and Durban,
 South Africa.  Soon, Singapore will host the Wave House, a boardsports
 lifestyle center comprising a restaurant, bar, retail store and athletic club
 with Flow Riders as the foundation of their business. Additionally, Royal
 Caribbean Cruise Line recently announced that they will introduce the first
 shipboard surf park in Spring of 2006.
     "One of the most critical parts of the design process is the collaboration
 and communication required between all of the people required to design and
 realize a concept," said Lochtefeld.  "As the prevalent tool of the industry,
 Autodesk Inventor software enables us to communicate with a diverse group of
 people during the concept and design process, including dispersed design
 engineering resources, architects and suppliers. Utilizing visualization
 capabilities in the Autodesk Inventor Studio software helps us sell our design
 concepts to our eventual customers."
     "Waveloch has used an innovative approach to solve a complex engineering
 challenge -- making a wave that's duplicative of a natural water event," said
 Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions
 Division. "We're delighted that Autodesk Inventor software is helping the
 company collaborate more effectively across all of their audiences, all over
 the world. We are pleased to award them with the Inventor of the Month
 designation."
     Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more than
 500,000 worldwide customers of Autodesk Inventor, its best-selling 3D
 mechanical design software.   Winners are chosen for engineering excellence
 and groundbreaking innovation.  For more information on the Autodesk Inventor
 of the Month program, contact us at IOM@autodesk.com.
 
     About Autodesk
     Autodesk, Inc. is 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 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.
 
     NOTE:  Autodesk, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks
 of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names,
 product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
 
     Contact:  Tim O'Keeffe, 415-318-4166
               Email:  okeeffet@fleishman.com
 
 

SOURCE  Autodesk, Inc.

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