Updated Autodesk Design Review Software and New Freewheel Service Extend Collaboration across Project Teams
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Apr 10, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Autodesk, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that Autodesk Design Review 2008, its
comprehensive review, mark-up and design collaboration software, is now
available worldwide for download free of charge.* The company also released
its free* Autodesk Freewheel on-demand Web service that enables CAD teams to
view and print designs within a Web browser, without installing any software.
For design professionals who work in the manufacturing, geospatial and AEC
industries, these solutions strengthen their ability to share and communicate
design comments from non-CAD reviewers-digitally and globally. Tight
integration of Design Review and Freewheel with AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor and
Revit software products provides an easy-to-use, seamless solution for
Autodesk customers collaborating in both 2D and 3D.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/SFF034LOGO )
"Design Review just keeps getting better. The latest software release has
already enabled us to extend efficient collaboration between our designers
using Autodesk Inventor and the shop floor," commented Patrick Chartrand, CAD
administrator at Advanced Dynamics, a Montreal-based manufacturer of
heavy-duty material handling systems. "We expect to drive even greater
reductions in production delays."
Design Review supports all-digital collaboration and communication of
design changes, as well as easy integration of feedback into Autodesk
manufacturing, AEC and geospatial applications. Users can view files, print,
measure and mark them up as part of the review process. Autodesk Design Review
2008 helps improve these process efficiencies with new features:
- 3D measuring and mark-up with persistent views and user-defined
coordinate systems
- Version comparison, allowing a reviewer to understand additions and
deletions
- Georeferenced DWF files, giving field workers quick coordinate location
details with GPS integration
- Contextual search, providing online access to ThomasNet and GlobalSpec
product catalog information directly from the design
- Batch print with HP Instant Printing capabilities, accelerating
printing productivity when sending multiple sheets or models to
connected HP Designjet printers
Freewheel addresses the need to share lightweight versions of 2D and 3D
designs with project teams, without requiring the installation of software.
Introduced on Autodesk Labs in July 2006 and following rapid success with more
than 150,000 unique visitors, the service is now available in full release.
Freewheel currently allows users to upload, view, print and share design
information from within a Web browser and across Windows, Mac, Linux and
wireless platforms. Beyond simplified sharing of designs, Freewheel enables
Web designers to integrate 2D and 3D CAD information within Web applications
and Web sites, without requiring installation of special software or plug-ins.
For manufacturers hosting online catalogs, such capabilities enrich
presentation; for users, there are fewer steps required to share CAD
information online. Freewheel uses AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML)
technology for dynamic rendering of design data and graphics information.
Autodesk's strategic alliance with Microsoft is also supporting
customers' need to share CAD designs without requiring additional software to
be installed. Users of AutoCAD 2008-based products can now download the
AutoCAD 2008 DWFx Driver from the Autodesk Web site and publish compact DWF
files (DWFx files) or they can save designs as DWFx files from Autodesk Design
Review 2008. DWFx files can be shared within Microsoft's XPS Viewer which
ships with Microsoft Vista, .NET 3.0 and Internet Explorer 7.0 (see "Autodesk
Unlocks Design Data for Windows Vista and XPS Users," November 30, 2006).
"Our customers are feeling the effects of forces at work around the world,
from the globalization of business to the demands of emerging markets-and
their need to collaborate with customers, suppliers and people outside the
development and engineering departments has never been greater," said Amar
Hanspal, senior vice president, Platform Solutions and Emerging Business,
Autodesk. "Now companies of all sizes anywhere can take advantage of Autodesk
solutions to level the obstacles to sharing and accessing design information,
and ultimately, accelerate their design processes to be more responsive to
business challenges and opportunities."
Autodesk Design Review 2008 is a free* download, available today in
English, Chinese Simplified and Traditional, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese at
http://www.autodesk.com/designreview-download. Autodesk Freewheel Web service
is also available free of charge* in English at http://freewheel.autodesk.com.
AutoCAD 2008 DWFx Driver is a utility download available at
http://www.autodesk.com/autocad in the utilities and drivers section.
DWF technology, Design Review, Freewheel and DWFx are key to Autodesk's
efforts to extend access design information beyond the primary design team.
DWF extends 2D and 3D design data to project teams, improving their project
quality, costs and timeline without compromising accuracy, security or
original intent. DWF technology built into virtually every Autodesk design
solution includes capabilities to publish and share designs, manage design
information and collaborate with non-CAD users. The platform's open and
flexible architecture allows customers to connect their design information
with their existing processes, and provides technology to hundreds of third-
party developers to build DWF-based applications.
Autodesk, Inc. is the world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, 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 http://www.autodesk.com.
*Free products and services are subject to the terms and conditions of the
accompanying end-user license agreement or terms of use.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, DWF, Freewheel, Inventor and Revit
are 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. 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.
Contact: Marie Domingo (415) 547-2487 Brandi Cook, (503) 740-3331
Email: marie.domingo@autodesk.com brandi.cook@edelman.com
http://www.autodesk.com
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
