When it comes to being an architect or designer, the act of sharing a 3D model with a client for feedback can often be inelegant. That was the experience of Qi Su, a Harvard grad who recalls the uncomfortable experience at his previous architect firm where he often had to convert 3D models into flat images that displayed multiple angles and were in a readable format for his clients...That pain point is what eventually led to Modelo, a Cambridge-based startup co-founded by Su and industrial designer Tian Deng that is launching the public beta of its browser-based 3D design collaboration tool on Tuesday.
The big idea behind its namesake tool is that because it utilizes WebGL, a Javascript API that lets you display 3D graphics in the browser without extra software, 3D models can easily be shared with anyone, making collaboration between architects, designers and their clients more seamless. What's also powering Modelo is the startup's own customized rendering engine and compression algorithm, which makes the file size of 3D models much smaller...