Problem
Architecture, Engineering and Construction teams have been tethered to outdated desktop CAD tools, proprietary formats, and sluggish expensive SaaS solutions with dated file management and minimal support for cross-functional, cross-format workflows.
Solution
Bldrs Share provides high-performance browser-based CAD visualization with no SaaS upload, real-time collaboration and versioning via GitHub with visual issue tracking, permalinks of pixel-perfect views, and workflow automation. Across design and engineering disciplines, Share unlocks a new level of capability in CAD model collaboration. Share and Conway Engine are designed to bring complex CAD models to life (supporting IFC/STEP, GLTF, STL, OBJ and more) with the highest quality and best-in-class performance.
Why Open Source?
Our mission is to bring the best of IT to AEC, the heart of which is the open ecosystem that has propelled IT in its amazing growth and development these past decades. The AEC industry has only begun to embrace this approach, so it's a critical time to set the stage for this advancement. We have decades of experience in open-source and open-standards projects and are thrilled to join the emerging AEC open-source community.
Technology
Share is a web application in React and Three.js/WebGL, client-side file handling using Origin Private File System (OPFS), no data upload to a SaaS backend, with support for all major browsers on desktop and mobile Android and iOS. Optional sign-in to our GitHub integration enables git-based model versioning, visual issue tracking and large file sharing.
Our Conway CAD engine is built to support the full suite of open standards within the IFC and STEP families:
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Full IFC 2x3 & 4 coverage: Bindings for 900+ entities across 7,000+ pages of IFC specification, with loose and strict parsing validation.
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Engineering-grade code: Includes 500k lines of code in JS, TS and C++, with an auto-generated type-safe schema-compliant framework.
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Exhaustive Testing: hundreds of unit tests and a large suite of proprietary industrial models for our automated regression and performance testing frameworks.
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Fast near-exact CSG: Our cutting-edge implementation of Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) partly based on “Exact predicates, exact constructions and combinatorics for mesh CSG” Lévy et al. 2024, with robust handling of real-world model data and tailored for the web environment.
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Seamless NURBS and Advanced BREP: Conway ensures smooth handling of Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) and Advanced Boundary Representation (BREP), with adaptive tesselation preserving accuracy and quality across complex geometries to streamline workflows for intricate designs.
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Advanced Model Introspection: Type-safe access and powerful querying including geometric relations.
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Enhanced Memory Handling: Enables smooth, lag-free interaction with large, highly detailed 3D models across devices, even with complex assets or high-poly designs.
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Web Geom: A common core of geometry libraries bundled as a unified WebAssembly (WASM) library, including Earcut, Manifold, csgjs-cpp, fast_float, GLM, and tinynurbs for robust, high-speed processing.
License
- Bldrs Share: AGPL
- Conway Engine: AGPL
- Conway Geom: Apache, BSD, BSL, ISC, MIT, MPL, 🐰
Operating Model
Inspired by the Java Community Process (JCP), our governance model will emphasize open, structured participation. This process allows regular contributors to propose new features and platform changes on a consistent schedule and in a transparent, public setting.
How do you maintain and update your solution?
We invite developers, engineers, and open-source enthusiasts to join us in making Bldrs a powerful, user-driven platform. Here’s how you can participate:
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Review Our Guidelines: Check out our GitHub repository for contribution guidelines and our roadmap for future features.
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Propose New Features: Submit proposals for new features and platform changes through our scheduled public review sessions.
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Collaborate and Discuss: Engage in ongoing discussions with other contributors to refine and improve the Web Geom and its capabilities.
How do you earn money?
Bldrs offers:
- A free and open-source version of our core stand-alone product
- A professional version that includes integration with web-services for collaboration
- An enterprise version that includes extended services for collaboration in large teams
- Dual-licensing of core technology for strategic partnerships
About the Team
Bldrs is a team of builders based in the USA, Australia and Switzerland with a centurty of combined experience in CAD, IT and Construction.
Build Every Thing Together!