Global CAD/BIM design software developer Nemetschek Vectorworks Inc., a part of The Nemetschek Group in Germany, and BIMobject AB announced today that they signed a cooperation agreement. The two companies will support each other's BIM technology in order to better accommodate the needs of the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industry.

“We joined forces with BIMobject to deliver a streamlined way for Vectorworks designers to access up-to-date, manufacturer-approved BIM content,” said Robert Anderson, vice president of integrated practice at Nemetschek Vectorworks. “Our partnership supports our desire to provide increased access to building material and product specifications that live in a building information model—valuable data that decision-makers involved with the design, construction and maintenance of a building need to be successful.”

As part of the agreement, BIMobject will host Vectorworks native file formats in its cloud-based web portal on BIMobject.com. In addition, BIMobject and Nemetschek Vectorworks will collaboratively assist manufacturers with developing BIM objects for Vectorworks software users worldwide. A BIM object is a detailed piece of information that defines a product’s geometry and represents its physical characteristics.

More than half a million users around the world are using Vectorworks software, and this user community will be significant contributors to the BIMobject Cloud platform. BIMobject and Nemetschek Vectorworks will together build up an initial set of manufacturers objects, including preexisting BIMobject content. All of these BIM objects will also be available and distributed by Nemetschek Vectorworks through a multivendor private cloud, offered with the support of BIMobject Cloud solutions.

There are also future plans for developing tighter integration and enhanced collaboration between Vectorworks software and BIMobject’s cloud platform.  

“This partnership is meaningful as we've seen a huge demand from Vectorworks users over the last year for content from our BIMobject Cloud portfolio,” said Stefan Larsson, CEO and founder of BIMobject AB. “For our building product manufacturers, this completes our offering across BIM platforms and delivers a significant user base dedicated to the Vectorworks platform that will benefit in additional business and customer satisfaction. Now, we'll do our best together to get the solutions done as quickly as possible to meet user demand.”