Nemetschek Presents First Universal Tool for IFC

Munich, May 9, 2007 � Nemetschek today presents its new software for viewing IFC-based (Industry Foundation Classes) building models. Nemetschek IFC Viewer enables project members to check and coordinate planning data in a simple manner. The advantage for users is that no special software is required as the visualization tool runs as a standalone solution. Nemetschek IFC Viewer is available for free download on the Internet.

�The market launch of IFC Viewer underpins our strategy of driving forward IFC as a powerful future format for the exchange of component-oriented data�, says Michael Westfahl, member of the managing board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Nemetschek. �We are thus pioneers not only in the implementation of the open data standard, but also in the development of tools for practical everyday use�, explains Westfahl. The IFC format is designed to facilitate communication between the three core products Allplan, ArchiCAD and VectorWorks. It complements Nemetschek�s strategy of establishing an additional independent data exchange format in the building industry beside PDF.

Open data exchange between planners and building clients

Nemetschek IFC Viewer was developed jointly with the Karlsruhe Research Center�s Institute for Applied Computer Science (IAI), which plays a leading role in IFC certification. In addition to displaying 2D floor plans and 3D model data, the visualization tool provides an insight into the alphanumeric properties of components and clearly reveals the topological structure of a building. With additional walk-through capabilities and a movie sequence generator, this tool is the first universal viewer for IFC files.

In addition to offering pure visualization capabilities, users can also utilize this tool to perform analyses and generate structured schedules of doors, windows and rooms. Furthermore, building models can be exported from IFC Viewer to GoogleEarth and thus transferred to a real environment.

With Nemetschek IFC Viewer, simple building coordination processes that include all the members in a project are well within reach. Architects, for example, can send a modeled object to their building clients as an IFC file. The client opens the file in IFC Viewer and obtains access to all the building information without having to deal with complex specialized software or vendor-specific formats. Users can thus communicate more efficiently and more easily with all the members of a team.

The viewer is available on the Internet at www.nemetschek.com/ifc

About Nemetschek

The Nemetschek Group is a leading international IT company in the AEC sector (Architecture, Engineering, Construction). The software company develops integrated solutions for the complete life cycle of buildings and real estate � from building design and construction through to facility management. The company�s products are currently used by more than 270,000 companies in 142 countries and in 16 languages to optimize the complete building creation and management process in terms of quality, cost and time. Nemetschek was founded in 1963 by Prof. Nemetschek and has more than 1,000 employees worldwide (2007). In fiscal 2006 the group achieved sales of 107.5 million euros. 

www.nemetschek.com

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