Autodesk Opens Design Software to Mac via Parallels

For Autodesk, the lines between the Mac and Windows operating systems are beginning to blur.

The maker of 2-D and 3-D design products teamed up with Parallels on Thursday to announce that Parallels Desktop is now Autodesk's preferred virtualization software for the Mac. Autodesk's favor means that its clutch of Windows products--including AutoCAD, AutoCad LT, Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk 3ds Max Design, and the Autodesk Revit offerings for building information modeling--will run on Mac OS X via Parallels Desktop.

The Parallels partnership is Autodesk's latest move to make its Windows programs accessible to the Mac platform. In July, Autodesk added support for the products listed above via Boot Camp, the built-in utility in Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6 that lets users install and run Windows on their Mac hardware. Autodesk also offers native Mac applications, including Alias, Maya, Mudbox, SketchBook Pro, and Stitcher Unlimited.