Bimeco’s Roadmap for OpenBIM Software

BIM coordination is still too fragmented. OpenBIM (i.e. IFC) may be the open standard for interoperability, but working with it remains painful — especially for contractors and consultants who aren't tech-savvy or well-staffed. At Bimeco, we’re building a tool that will fundamentally change the industry's approach to digital design.

At Bimeco, we are working towards making OpenBIM more usable, more accessible, and far more integrated with the realities of project delivery in Singapore and beyond.

Why Cloud-Based IFC?

There are multiple challenges when it comes to wider adoption of digital tools in the built environment sector. Many of these are structural:

The ecosystem is highly fragmented, with different software vendors implementing their own flavors of digital delivery. Open standards like IFC and BCF exist, but support across platforms remains inconsistent. On top of that, there’s a lack of trust between ecosystem players — especially when it comes to IP ownership — and significant upfront investments in software licensing and customization.

And even when digital tools are adopted, compliance with local standards remains an obstacle. In Singapore, different agencies (like BCA, URA, SCDF, and LTA) have differing expectations on the data embedded in BIM models. This forces consultants and QPs to spend countless hours managing, validating, and revalidating information before they can submit anything.

A cloud-native approach helps address many of these pain points. It simplifies access, promotes data transparency, and provides a modern foundation for software to evolve faster. It also allows us to embed DevOps into our product development — meaning rapid iterations based on real-world user feedback. Our IFC+SG Validator, for example, has already gone through seven cycles of updates to improve speed, UI, and compliance accuracy.

What We're Building

Here’s how our roadmap for cloud-based IFC tooling is shaping up:

✅ IFC+SG Validator (Released)

Our IFC+SG Validator helps consultants catch submission errors early by validating IFC models against the parameters expected by Singapore’s regulatory agencies. It runs entirely in the browser, requires no installation, and is already in use across real project teams.

🛠️ Web-Based Viewer + Issue Tracker (Coming Soon)

We’re piloting a cloud viewer powered by OpenBIM that allows users to open models instantly in the browser and flag coordination issues. You can comment, tag users, and assign action items — perfect for ICE sessions or distributed coordination teams. No need for Navisworks licenses or heavy installs. Our support for BCF will allow highlighted issues to any BIM software that supports the BCF standard.

🔄 IFC Diff and Deviation Reporting (Planned)

One of the biggest pain points is version control. We're building a tool to automatically compare two IFC models and detect changes — whether they’re in geometry or properties. We're also working on deviation reports that compare point cloud scans to BIM models, helping verify construction progress or catch defects early.

🧩 An OpenBIM API (Planned)

To support automation and integration, we’re also building a comprehensive IFC API suite. These APIs will allow users to transform data by restructuring IFC property sets or extracting trade-specific views; analyze data by performing quantity takeoffs, geometry checks, or completeness audits; and validate design rules against project-specific or regulatory constraints. All of this is built around the IFC schema as the common language, enabling smarter, scalable workflows that plug directly into design and compliance processes.

📤 CORENETX Integration (Planned)

We aim to integrate directly with platforms like CORENET X. Models will be automatically validated and packaged for submission, along with BEP-ready reports — streamlining digital compliance for Singapore projects.

OpenBIM for Everyone

All of our tools are built around the IFC format — not just as a file standard, but as a shared language for APIs. This enables a future where apps can talk to each other, where coordination tools, viewers, and validators all understand the same model — because they speak the same language.

As more users adopt the platform, we expect the sheer volume of transactions against our APIs to lead to collective improvements: better performance, smarter suggestions, and more intuitive workflows. IFC is the glue, and we're designing the platform around it from day one.

🇸🇬 A Singapore-First, Contractor-Centric Approach

Web visualisation tools, OpenBIM, and BCF aren’t new technologies — they’ve been around for decades. But adoption across the AEC sector has been painfully slow due to entrenched interests and lack of open innovation.

Bimeco’s approach is different. We are building a cloud-native IFC platform from the ground up, with local contractors, regulatory standards, and Singaporean workflows in mind. Our objective is to create extremely low-cost, intuitive tools that anyone can use to share, check, and maintain ownership of their data.

This isn’t just about technology — it’s about shifting control back to the people who build and maintain our infrastructure. We want to make BIM workflows more human, more collaborative, and more usable — without the vendor lock-in or compliance headaches that dominate the current landscape.

Join the Journey

We’re rolling out features progressively based on real-world usage and feedback. If you’re a contractor, QP, or agency interested in smarter, cloud-first BIM workflows — we’d love to hear from you.

We’re especially open to pilot users and collaborators who want to help shape the next generation of OpenBIM tooling in Singapore.

The future of BIM isn’t locked into heavy desktops or proprietary silos. It’s open, browser-based, and built around the shared language of IFC. That’s what we’re building at Bimeco — and we’re just getting started.