Autodesk 2012 Annual Report Download - page 75

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Purpose-built for BIM, the Autodesk Revit products collect information about a building project and allow this
information to be coordinated across all other representations of the project, so that every drawing sheet, 2D and 3D view and
schedule is based on internally consistent and complete information from the same underlying building database. The Autodesk
Revit products, including AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite, AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite and AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite,
provide an intuitive sophisticated model-based design and documentation system for architects; mechanical, electrical and
plumbing (MEP) engineers; structural engineers; design-build teams; and other design and building industry professionals.
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AutoCAD Civil 3D products provide a surveying, design, analysis, and documentation solution for civil engineering,
including land development, transportation, and environmental projects. Using a model-centric approach that automatically
updates documentation as design changes are made, AutoCAD Civil 3D products enable civil engineers, designers, drafters, and
surveyors to significantly boost productivity and deliver higher-quality designs and construction documentation faster. With
AutoCAD Civil 3D products, the entire project team works from the same consistent, up-to-date model so they stay coordinated
throughout all project phases.
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Designed for architects and built on the AutoCAD platform, AutoCAD Architecture software includes powerful
Architecture industry-specific tools to gain efficiency and improve coordination.
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AutoCAD Map 3D software provides direct access to data needed for infrastructure planning, design and management
activities. AutoCAD Map 3D software helps professionals working on transportation, land development, water, and power
projects to more easily create, manage and analyze design geographic information system (“GIS”) and asset data.
Our MFG segment provides manufacturers in automotive and transportation, industrial machinery, consumer products
and building products with comprehensive digital prototyping solutions that bring together design data from all phases of the
product development process to develop a single digital model created in Autodesk Inventor software. Our solutions for digital
prototyping are scalable, attainable, cost-effective and allow for real-world simulation, enabling a broad group of manufacturers
to realize benefits with minimal disruption to existing workflows. MFG’s principal product offerings included the following
during fiscal 2012:
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Autodesk Inventor allows manufacturers to go beyond 3D design to digital prototyping by giving engineers a
comprehensive and flexible set of tools for 3D mechanical design, simulation, analysis, tooling, visualization and
documentation. With Autodesk Inventor, engineers can integrate AutoCAD drawings and model-based design data into a single
digital model, creating a virtual representation of a final product that enables them to validate the form, fit, and function of the
product before it is ever built. Digital prototyping with Autodesk Inventor enables manufacturers to design, visualize, and
simulate products digitally, helping them to build better products, reduce development costs, and get to market faster.
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AutoCAD Mechanical software is purpose-built to accelerate the mechanical design process. AutoCAD Mechanical
software offers users significant productivity gains and helps save hours of design time by including all the functionality of
AutoCAD software, plus comprehensive libraries of standards-based parts and tools for automating common design tasks.
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The Autodesk Moldflow family of injection molding simulation software provides tools that help manufacturers optimize
the design of plastic parts and injection molds, and study the injection molding process.
Our M&E segment is comprised of two product groups: Animation and Creative Finishing. Animation products are sold
as software only and provide tools for digital sculpting, modeling, animation, effects, rendering, and compositing for design
visualization, visual effects and games production. Creative Finishing products are primarily sold as turnkey solutions for
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editing, finishing and visual effects design, and color grading. Principal product offerings in our M&E segment’s Animation and
Creative Finishing product groups included the following during fiscal 2012:
Animation
• Autodesk 3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max software provides 3D modeling, animation and rendering solutions that enable game developers,
design visualization professionals and visual effects artists to digitally create realistic images, animations and complex scenes
and to digitally communicate abstract or complex mechanical, architectural, engineering and construction concepts.
• Autodesk Maya
Autodesk Maya software provides 3D modeling, animation, effects, rendering and compositing solutions that enable film
and video artists, game developers and design visualization professionals to digitally create engaging, lifelike images, realistic
animations and simulations, and extraordinary visual effects.
Creative Finishing
• Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Smoke, Autodesk Lustre and Autodesk Flare
Autodesk Flame software is an interactive real-time design, finishing, grading and visual effects solution for supervised
post-production. Autodesk Smoke software is a non-linear and non-compressed online editing, effects and finishing software
application and is used in commercials, music videos, corporate video, film as well as broadcast design projects. Autodesk
Lustre software is a high-performance color grading solution used by artists for creative look development and final color and
lighting effects for both film and television. Autodesk Flare software is a software solution that offers the compositing
capabilities of Flame contributing to faster project completion.
Design and Creation Suites
In addition to the principal product segment offerings above, we also offer design and creation suites that combine
multiple products across segments. Our new design and creation suites were introduced during the second quarter of fiscal
2012 and provide comprehensive workflows for specific needs in building design, product design, entertainment creation and
more. These compatible sets of tools offer interoperability and capabilities that leverage the familiarity of our leading design
and visualization solutions, in a single economical and convenient package. Our new design and creation suites include the
following product classes: Autodesk Design Suites, Building Design Suites, Entertainment Creation Suites, Factory Design
Suites, Infrastructure Design Suites, Plant Design Suites and Product Design Suites.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION
The technology industry is characterized by rapid technological change in computer hardware, operating systems and
software. In addition, our customers’ requirements and preferences rapidly evolve, as do their expectations of the performance
of our software. To keep pace with these changes, we maintain a vigorous program of new product development to address
demands in the marketplace for our products. We dedicate considerable technical and financial resources to research and
development to further enhance our existing products and to create new products and technologies. Research and development
expenditures were $566.5 million or 26% of fiscal 2012 net revenue, $496.2 million or 25% of fiscal 2011 net revenue and
$457.5 million or 27% of fiscal 2010 net revenue. Our software is primarily developed internally; however, we also use
independent firms and contractors to perform some of our product development activities. Additionally, we acquire products or
technology developed by others by purchasing or licensing products and technology from third parties. We continually review
these investments in an effort to ensure that we are generating sufficient revenue or gaining a competitive advantage to justify
their costs.
The majority of our research and product development is performed in the United States, China, Singapore and Canada.
However, we employ experienced software developers in many of our other locations. Translation and localization of our
products are performed in a number of local markets, principally Singapore and Switzerland. We generally localize and
translate our products into German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean and simplified and traditional Chinese.
We plan to continue to manage significant product development operations internationally over the next several years. We
believe that our ability to conduct research and development at various locations throughout the world allows us to optimize
product development, lower costs, and integrate local market knowledge into our development activities. We continually assess
the significant costs and challenges, including intellectual property protection, against the benefits of our international
development activities.
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2012 Annual Report