Building Information Modeling (BIM) has long been a promising technology for the AEC industry, combining visual representation, relational data, and metadata into a single, data-rich model. The vision was clear - a living digital representation of a building that enables automation, coordination, and analysis, leading to greater efficiency and sustainability.
Yet, over the past two decades, BIM has struggled to fully realize its potential. Performance, scalability, and usability challenges, along with closed data access, have limited its impact. Instead of a truly intelligent, connected system, BIM has often been reduced to a modeling front-end for document production.
At Motif, we believe it’s time to rethink BIM from the ground up. By harnessing cloud computing, machine learning, and advanced 3D technologies, we aim to move beyond static modeling and file management. BIM should be dynamic, intelligent, and deeply collaborative, helping teams design better, coordinate seamlessly, and make data-driven decisions faster.
Developing a Building Information Modeling system is a large and complex undertaking. There are large foundational technical elements – modeling kernels, parametric solvers, data stores and graphics systems, to name a few – that must be integrated, extended and, sometimes, built from scratch. On top of that technical foundation, there are at least 5 large customer-facing capabilities that need to be developed in a modern way.
Five Core Capabilities of a Modern BIM System
- Data: A modern BIM system should be open, linked, and query-able and go a step beyond supporting IFC or neutral data standards to linking disparate sources of information. It must integrate information across various sources, understand relationships between data, and maintain a digital thread of project activity. Insights and intelligence should emerge naturally from this connected ecosystem.
- Collaboration: Great design requires seamless coordination across disciplines and companies. The next generation of BIM must balance privacy, transparency, and real-time communication, making collaboration frictionless and intuitive.
- Modeling: Modern modeling must go beyond placing parametric objects and maintaining relationships—it should be predictive, performative, and instantaneous. Modeling tools should not only anticipate design intent and automate repetitive tasks but also operate at the speed of thought, eliminating unnecessary lag and computation delays. More than just responding to user input, it should anticipate design intent, adapt dynamically, and ensure instant feedback—never making the user wait.
- Documentation: Drawings remain essential, but documentation should evolve beyond static sheets. AI-powered layouts, self-organizing views, live-linked annotations, and automated reports can eliminate redundant work and improve accuracy. Documentation should extend beyond drawings to include all critical project data—compliance reports, simulations, and analytics.
- Scripting: Traditional node-based scripting has its place, but an AI-driven, agentic system can learn, optimize, and autonomously execute tasks. Instead of manually defining every connection, it can anticipate workflows, adapt to project needs, and streamline automation. This leads to more intelligent, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Each of these pillars is essential to a modern BIM system. However, implementing them all at once introduces significant complexity not just for the software engineering team but for the customer that is adopting the solution. As the saying goes, you get the chicken by hatching the egg, not smashing it.
It is far more effective to deploy a stepwise approach to delivering the solution in a manner that is digestible and useful to the customer. We decided to start with the collaboration capability.
Why Collaboration First?
Through conversations with leading design firms, we identified a win/win, a major pain point that let us move forward with the engineering of our eventual solution with the ability to deliver value immediately to customers. That problem is fragmented design reviews.
Today, teams use a patchwork of tools to communicate a single idea:
- Whiteboarding apps like Miro or Mural help organize concepts, but lack true integration with BIM models.
- Revizto works well for 3D issue tracking but struggles with the full scope of project data (specifications, materials, finishes).
- Bluebeam excels at 2D markup but doesn't bridge the gap to broader collaboration.
This fragmentation slows decision-making, creates inefficiencies, and limits participation. By focusing on collaboration first, we solve real customer painpoints while creating a natural entry point for adoption—laying the foundation for a more powerful, integrated BIM future.
An Intelligent Workspace
Motif eliminates workflow fragmentation by unifying teams into a single digital workspace.
Here’s what makes Motif different:
- All project data in one place - Organize 3D models, 2D sheets, images, and specifications within structured boards.
- Seamless feedback & revisions – Sketch, annotate, and share comments across 3D and 2D content, with real-time tracking.
- Integrated proposals & presentations – Use frames and views to build compelling, structured presentations.
- Live data connections – No re-uploading, no manual updates—everything stays linked and synchronized.
- Open compatibility – Support for all major CAD and BIM file formats, ensuring interoperability with your existing tools.
Motif brings what should be the norm: low complexity, high capability, effortless teamwork, and open data access. We’re making sophisticated design review accessible to everyone on the project team—today.
Slope >> Intercept
We’re not claiming to have solved everything—Motif 1.0 is just the beginning.
We already know what users will ask for next:
- Expanding 3D support beyond Revit & Rhino to SketchUp, AutoCAD, and more.
- A native mobile/iPad app for flexible, on-the-go collaboration.
- Advanced visibility controls—section boxes, turn-on/off layers, and walk/fly modes.
- Expanded markup & measurement tools—linear/area measurements, more annotation objects, and issue classification.
The list goes on and on - we know there are countless features to build. We’re working furiously to address these and actively listening to users as we refine performance, scalability, and user experience.
We believe that responsiveness (slope) is more important than where we start (intercept).
Step One of Many: The Journey Begins
To repeat, our vision for BIM starts with, doesn’t end with, collaboration. We are actively building the future of data-driven modeling, automated documentation, and AI-powered insights—with simplicity and openness at the core.
And the best way for you to shape that future? Stop sitting on the sidelines and get actively involved in what BIM should be. Start by using our design review application today and giving us feedback. Trust us, this will directly influence the evolution of Motif and the future of BIM applications.
