Vectorworks, Inc. Partners with Modelo for AEC Presentation and Collaboration Plugin

Global design and BIM software developer, Vectorworks, Inc., has this week announced a new partnership with Modelo, a new web-based, real-time, 3D model communication tool in the AEC industry.

Modelo and Vectorworks

Modelo is touted as the fastest, real-time 3D model communication platform in the industry, with clients such as Rafael Vinoly Architects, KieranTimberlake and the Carnegie Mellon University, to name a few. What Modelo allows architects to do is upload their 3D design or BIM models to their online, fully web-based platform for collaboration. Now users of Vectorworks’ software can utilize a new plugin to push up their 3D BIM models directly into the browser-based 3D presentation and collaboration tool.

Once files are uploaded to the plug-in, professionals can present and share their 3D files with clients, colleagues and consultants. Viewers can leave feedback and markups, without needing to install Vectorworks software, which are then archived for future reference. The academic community can also take advantage of the free version or trial to achieve the same collaborative and communicative opportunities.

01 – Modelo and Vectorworks get together. Companies partner on plugin for BIM platform so users can push Vectorworks BIM models to web-based collaboration platform.

“In today’s highly competitive market, the ability to quickly and effectively communicate about a design in 3D with clients and collaborators is of the upmost importance,” said Jeremy Powell, product marketing director at Vectorworks. “Our partnership with Modelo puts powerful, web-based collaboration tools in the hands of designers and architects so they can easily transfer designs right out of Vectorworks software into Modelo for intuitive design review, no matter their location.”

Model Features Enumerated

• Visualize 3D models directly through a standards-based web browser
• Share specific, presentation-ready views directly with clients
• Create comments on 3D models for internal team feedback
• Jump into Virtual Reality (VR) with mobile devices and Google Cardboard
• Switch to presentation mode for clean, curated tours of user designs
• Cut real-time sections and measure in 3D space
• Access models via mobile and tablet optimized browser interfaces
• Control user permissions across projects

Depending upon a firm’s size, Modelo delivers three tiers of accounts including Free, Studio and Enterprise. Plus, free licenses are available for the academic community. Email sales@modelo.io or visit http://www.modelo.io/pricing.html for details.

“It’s fitting that we wanted to work closely with the Vectorworks team because of our aligned philosophies with developing tools to support the design process,” said Qi Su, president and co-founder of Modelo. “From the beginning, our mission at Modelo has been to bring efficiency to the collaboration, presentation and project management functions of creative design teams, and we look forward to continuing our mission and helping Vectorworks creatives to do just that.”

To learn more about Modelo or to create an account, visit http://www.modelo.io. To explore other companies, developers and products Vectorworks software collaborates with, visit the Vectorworks Partner Community page.

Architosh Analysis

Modelo is a rather new entrant in the crowded online collaboration market in AEC. Like similar offerings, Modelo does a file compression job so that naturally-heavy BIM models are reduced down into lighter (MB wise) versions for 3D navigation and interactive collaboration.

At the moment, Modelo advertises that it works with Rhino, Revit and SketchUp, along with Obj, STL and ZIP for when users upload textures files. Now with this announcement, Vectorworks files have been added to the model compatibility list.

One of the things that Modelo does is store the uploaded original geometry model files and you can always download those files again. It also has the ability to store non-3D assets used in AEC workflows, such as shop drawings (often in PDF format), PDF documents (for specs and other things) and other types of files, including images.

Modelo has a robust array of feedback types, including markup, sketches, snapshots and 3D comments. Model’s low pricing entry points may be particularly attractive to smaller AEC companies, like architects, interior designers and design-build professionals. But this looks like a robust online platform that can also scale and should be just as useful to larger enterprise AEC companies. While the company is touting some big name architecture star firms, it will be interesting to see how this company eventually competes with other larger rivals like Trimble’s Connect platform. Being agile and having robust support for more file types (adding Vectorworks starts that process) is a way Modelo can out-do the bigger players who may not support their key rivals native file formats.