Unity ups AEC game via VIMtrek partnership

by CARA ELLIS | Sep 21, 2015

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Determined to extend its reach even deeper into the design and construction industry, San Francisco-based video game giant Unity Technologies is partnering with AEC specialist VIMtrek Group, Norcross GA, in an exclusive distribution alliance. VIMtrek announced Sept. 17 that it is now the official distributor of Unity's products for the AEC and building product manufacturing (BPM) industries. By taking the lead for those markets, the deal allows Unity to focus internally more on its traditional game market.

“VIMtrek has been using the Unity engine at the core of its VR platform for years and they really understand the benefits, so they were a natural choice for us," explained Jeff Hemenway, Unity's VP Americas. "VIMtrek has a wide-reaching network of customers in the space already, as well as a deep understanding of (AEC) needs. They will create extensions built on top of Unity, like the CAD importer, which will enable AEC customers to speed up the creation of interactive, intelligent, and immersive experiences.”

Added VIMtrek CEO Arol Wolford, "We have been virtual partners for the last four years, and it’s a natural progression to take on the role to sell and support Unity alongside our own portfolio... The AEC Industry has embraced VR in a big way and the power of Unity brings construction, urban development and building products alive like never before."

natural, virtual partners

Unity Technologies is the creator of Unity, "a flexible and high-performance, end-to-end development platform used to create rich interactive 3D and 2D experiences", according to the company website. Unity also offers solutions and services for creating games, boosting productivity, and connecting with audiences via a variety of gaming platforms. All told, it serves over a million monthly active developers all over the world, including large publishers, indie studios, students, and hobbyists.

Focused on the built environment, VIMtrek takes Autodesk Revit files --the most widely-used BIM software for architects, structural engineers, MEP engineers, and contractors-- and turns them into 3D, interactive, virtual environments. This allows stakeholders on a construction project to share designs, collaborate and implement changes before they are implemented in the field, the company says.

Looking ahead, the Unity-VIMtrek deal covers the US, Canada, UK, Hungary, Russia and Asia Pacific, where VIMtrek already has a foothold. In those markets, it will develop and enhance key Unity modules and pluggable interfaces for the AEC industry such as CAD Importer, Configurator and GIS. VIMtrek said in a statement that it will also continue to use the Unity platform to build out its own management and visualization services, and will become the first line of support for Unity Core AEC customers.

For more, contact VIMtrek EVP Nicholas Jeffery at nicholas.jeffery@vimtrek.com. To see Unity's own statement, including pricing information, click here.

Rob McManamy contributed to this story.