Autodesk Inventor Helping Realize Artists' Vision for Public Spaces

Autodesk Names Australia-Based Urban Art Projects as Inventor of the Month for Innovative Use of Digital Prototyping.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif - Public art and creativity are blooming thanks to the contributions of Australia-based design consultancy Urban Art Projects (UAP).

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) today named UAP Inventor of the Month for July 2009 for the firm's innovative use of Autodesk Inventor software in delivering large-scale, high-quality art and design works in a wide range of architectural and landscape projects around the globe. A sampling of its works include a police memorial in Canberra, Australia; an art landscaping project for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia; and the major entry statements for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

The Inventor of the Month program recognizes the most innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community using Autodesk Inventor software, which takes manufacturers beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. With Inventor, manufacturers can create a single digital model that gives them the ability to design, visualize and simulate products before they are built to reduce the necessity of constructing physical prototypes.

As both a design studio and a workshop, UAP takes ideas for public art from concept, through documentation, fabrication and all the way to installation on behalf of its clients. Inventor software provides a way for UAP to adhere as closely as possible to the artist's vision for the project by integrating all design data into a single digital model, increasing communication and streamlining the design process. The company worked with Autodesk Premier Solutions Provider ADA CADPartners to get the most benefit out of Inventor for its demanding projects.

"Public art installations are getting increasingly complex, and Inventor helps us push the boundaries of what's possible," said Stefan Purcell, a designer at UAP. "More than just seeing a 3D representation of the artist's vision, we can develop a complete digital prototype of the art installation, allowing us to drastically reduce the time required to take a project from start to completion, and to focus more time on the creative and artistic aspects of the project."

This newfound speed as a result of using Inventor software for Digital Prototyping has allowed UAP to take on more--and increasingly larger--projects, as evidenced by the company's growing roster of international clients.

"UAP is creating art that humanizes our public spaces--and they're doing it more effectively with Inventor," said Robert "Buzz" Kross, senior vice president, Manufacturing Industry Group at Autodesk. "This is taking the benefits of Digital Prototyping--increased speed and innovation--beyond the traditional manufacturing realm into new and innovative spaces previously unimagined."