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Since 1992, Autodesk has provided software donations to FIRST Robotics Competition teams. In the 2007 FRC season, Autodesk began to offer the teams the software via electronic downloads to help provide the software earlier in the season to get the most out of pre-season planning. This year, Autodesk is donating Autodesk Inventor Professional 2009, Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 and Autodesk Combustion 2008  to teams. Each team can download up to 10 single seats of Autodesk Inventor Professional,  5 single seats of Autodesk 3ds Max and 5 single seats of Autodesk Combustion.

Why use the Autodesk software? Using Autodesk Inventor can help you test and build different robot designs in the software itself, all early in the process. That way you’ll get the right robot design, without having to build and re-build physical robots. While Autodesk 3ds Max doesn’t help with the robotics competition, it’s a fun way to build your skills in animation.  And we have added Autodesk Combustion to help with the finishing aspects of your animation.  Challenge your animation skills by entering the Autodesk Design Competition which will open in January 2009.  Look for details on the FIRSTbase site.

How to download the software:

1. An email invitation was sent to the “main contact” that was listed in the FIRST TIMS database for this season.
2. The “main contact” will be required to register or re-register their team on the Autodesk FIRSTbase site.
3. Once the “main contact” has registered the team, he/she can invite team members to join the team on the Autodesk FIRSTbase site.
4. If the team was registered on the FIRSTbase site this past season, the main contact will still need to re-activate the team and invite team members to join or re-join.  This process will re-form the current team.  New members can be invited and members that are no longer with the team will be purged.
5. Once the team members have joined, the “main contact” will need to designate which team members are allowed to download the software for the team. Remember each team can have up to 10 downloads of Autodesk Inventor Professional  and 5 downloads of Autodesk 3ds Max 9/Autodesk Combustion.  If you have been assigned Autodesk 3ds Max, you will automatically be assigned Autodesk Combustion.
6. Assigned team members can then download the Autodesk software.
   

Things for you to know:

• You will need to activate your software with your unique serial number with Autodesk after you download the software. If you do not activate your software, it will time-out after 30 days. Once you activate the software, you will have a 365 day license on the software.  Activation is part of the installation process.  If you are having any problem with the activation, you may call the Autodesk Business Center at  1-800-551-1490.  This phone number is not for questions on the FIRSTbase site or technical support on the product.  It is strictly for help with licensing your software.  Your serial number is located under the "My Software" section of the FIRSTbase site once you are logged in.
• The software license is for a single-seat or single-user. It cannot be set up on a network.
• This software donation is only available for FRC teams this season.
• The granted software is intended for support of FRC team efforts only and is not licensed for education use in classrooms or labs. If the Autodesk software is used in a manner in which it was not intended, the user’s license may be de-activated and further actions may be taken.
• The software will be available on the Autodesk FIRSTbase site for the 2009 FRC season until approximately September 2009. 
• Once your team has used up the allocations of the software downloads, no further licenses can be issued and we cannot transfer the licenses, so please manage your use wisely. Your “main contact” can change the assigned team members as long as the software has not been downloaded and all of the allocations have not been used.
• Serial license numbers do vary by country. You will be issued a serial number based on the country you have designated in your profile during the registration process.
• Before you download the software, check the file sizes and your system and bandwidth limitations.
• Download time may vary from 1-3 hours.  It is highly recommended that you use the Download Tool to assist in the download of these large files.
• You will be able to view which team members have been assigned by the “main contact” to download the software on your team.
• You will be able to view which team members have downloaded the software on your team.