ABERDEEN, UK, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and engineering, and media and entertainment markets, today announced the availability of AutoCAD Plant 3D 2010, a new software product that brings the proven benefits of model-based design to mainstream plant design projects. Purpose-built for the design, modeling, and documentation of process plants, AutoCAD Plant 3D makes modern 3D design more affordable and accessible to project teams of all sizes. Today's announcement was made at the SPE Offshore Europe Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition 2009.

Built on the familiar AutoCAD platform, AutoCAD Plant 3D allows project teams to increase productivity, and improve accuracy and coordination of shared information. The vast majority of plant design and engineering projects support the operation, maintenance and expansion of existing facilities. These projects are typically executed by small teams facing tight time and budget constraints. AutoCAD Plant 3D is tailor-made to increase the productivity of these teams by reducing setup time, facilitating straightforward information sharing, and minimizing the impact of changing project information.

"The value of 3D modeling is proven in the process plant industry, but existing design solutions are complex and expensive, serving primarily the largest projects," said Mark Strassman, vice president, AEC Plant Solutions Group at Autodesk, Inc. "The most common plant design and engineering projects today are retrofits, upgrades, and expansions that run on tight budgets and fixed shutdown windows. The teams that execute these projects simply can't afford to waste time and overhead with complicated solutions. Since AutoCAD Plant 3D leverages the familiarity of AutoCAD and the popularity of the .dwg file format, project teams can get up and running quickly, more easily share design information and finish projects faster - with potentially significant savings in time and cost."

About AutoCAD Plant 3D 2010

Built on the familiar AutoCAD platform, AutoCAD Plant 3D features specification-driven design and standard parts catalogs to help streamline the placement of piping, equipment, and support structures. Also included in the product is integrated AutoCAD P&ID functionality and quick generation of isometric and orthographic drawings. The new product joins AutoCAD, AutoCAD P&ID, and Autodesk Navisworks software products in a line-up of Autodesk products built specifically for the plant design and engineering industry. For more information, please visit www.autodesk.com/autocadplant3d

New Plant Community on AutoCAD Exchange

Autodesk also announced the launch of a new community for plant designers and engineers on AutoCAD Exchange. On AutoCAD Exchange Plant, users can network, learn from experts, enhance professional skills, engage in discussions, and provide feedback to Autodesk product teams. Visitors can create profiles to personalize their experience and share their tips, projects, and experiences with other global plant design and engineering professionals. For more information, please visit www.autodesk.com/plantexchange.

Customer References

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, the global water and wastewater treatment experts headquartered in Singapore, is using AutoCAD Plant 3D Beta 3 on a bid for a water treatment plant project. According to Veolia CAD Manager Alan Chew, "Our team of CAD and piping engineers is very interested in using a 3D plant design product that is compatible with the other Autodesk products we use. I'm already impressed with AutoCAD Plant 3D's ease of use; I downloaded the software and started designing the project the very next day."

"We use 2D and 3D software to design machined equipment and related buildings," said Mark McLeod, CAD Manager at EnergySolutions, a provider of integrated services and solutions for the nuclear energy industry. "Currently, we are blind to obvious clashes, have duplicate tag numbers, and cannot see our piping designs in 3D model review. As we evaluate AutoCAD Plant 3D, we expect to benefit from correct tagging, 3D model reviews, clash detection, connection to P&ID work, orthographics, and isometrics. Being able to pass useful data to structural engineering and fabricators will also add a lot of value."

Pricing and Availability

Product availability for AutoCAD Plant 3D software varies by country. For more information or to download a 30 day free trial of AutoCAD Plant 3D, please visit http://www.autodesk.com/autocadplant3d

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and engineering, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Navisworks are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

(C) 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Contact:        Brett Smith, Autodesk, (415) 547-2405
    Email:          brett.smith@autodesk.com

    Contact:        Carey Godbee, B3 Communications, (760) 758-4406
    Email:          cgodbee@b3communications.com

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SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.

Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/