Is OnStation a Field-Ready 3D Model Viewer?
Across transportation, construction, and infrastructure, model viewers have become a core part of how projects are designed and delivered. Alongside this shift, 3D model viewers have emerged as a critical piece of the digital ecosystem.
But what exactly is a model viewer, and how does it relate to the field?
What is a 3D Model Viewer?
At its simplest, a 3D model viewer is software designed to display 3D models in a dynamic, navigable space. It allows users to explore, inspect, and interact with model elements without needing full design software.
In many ways, model viewers are becoming the next generation of plan sets, because they provide a clearer, more intuitive way to understand complex projects.
What a 3D Model Viewer is Not:
What’s equally important is what model viewers are not meant to be:
They are not design authoring tools
They are not editing platforms
They are not advanced scheduling systems
They are not meant to replace full construction management systems
Instead, they are meant to sit alongside these tools, making models usable to a broader range of people across a project’s lifecycle.
What Does the Transportation Industry Still Need?
While there are many model viewers available today, transportation projects introduce unique challenges that not all viewers address well. One of the biggest gaps identified in recent industry discussions, including conversations at the Transportation Research Board, is linear referencing. Linear referencing is the ability to relate 3D model information to stations along a corridor.
For highways, rail, utilities, and other linear infrastructure, this connection between models and stationing is essential for field teams, inspectors, and contractors who think in terms of alignment, mile markers, and stations. There is also a growing need for model viewers that work for multiple personas, from designers and inspectors to construction teams and owners, rather than serving only a narrow set of users.
Another challenge is that many model viewers were originally built primarily for design, not construction. They can look great in the office but often fall apart in the field, where connectivity is limited, workflows are different, and users need to move quickly.
At the same time, agencies are often locked into legacy systems and sunk costs, which makes adopting new, more field-ready tools slow and difficult, even when better options exist. In many cases, agencies start by looking at what they already own and trying to make that work, rather than defining requirements from the ground up and selecting tools to meet those needs.
This pattern has surfaced before. During the rise of “e-Construction,” many organizations evaluated existing platforms first and then determined how to adapt them, instead of starting with functional requirements and working backward. We are seeing a similar dynamic today: “We already have Bentley, ESRI, Autodesk…” and the conversation begins there, rather than with what the field needs. As a result, the industry is increasingly recognizing that what design needs from a model viewer is not always what construction needs and that tools must be truly field-tested.
They also need to be built for everyone in the field, not just superintendents or foremen. A field-ready tool should not require extensive training or deep technical expertise to use. Many 3D platforms today are powerful, but overly complex for everyday construction workflows.
Another growing concern is cost. Small businesses and subcontractors are often expected to operate in an increasingly 3D-driven environment, which can mean expensive software licenses, hardware requirements, and training investments. If the barrier to entry is too high, adoption slows and collaboration suffers.
OnStation addresses this by providing a lower-cost, accessible solution designed specifically for field usability, enabling anyone on the project to interact with 3D models and station-based information without the burden of complex software or heavy infrastructure.
Why Does Digital Location Matter?
Models alone aren’t enough. They need to be anchored to a clear, shared digital location.
We’ve also consistently heard from DOT professionals that they want access to data-rich CAD files directly in the field, especially for non-CAD users. The goal isn’t to turn inspectors, contractors, or field engineers into designers, but to give them visibility into the design information without requiring full design software.
In the field, that means:
Knowing your live station, alignment, and offset at all times
Being able to translate that instantly into LRS, mile marker, and latitude/longitude
Making that location language consistent from design → construction → maintenance
When models are tied to precise, real-time location in the field, teams can:
Review designs before work begins and catch issues early
Document field modifications digitally and route them back to design quickly
Capture accurate asset installations as they happen, rather than reconstructing them later
This is what allows model viewers to truly support digital delivery, because you can’t have it without a reliable digital location.
Where Does OnStation Fit in the 3D Model Viewer Category?
OnStation functions as a field-ready 3D model viewer built around a powerful linear reference system, enabling teams to:
View CAD plans and 3D models in the field without CAD software
Navigate projects in a way that aligns with how transportation work is actually performed (by station/offset)
Connect model information directly to real-world locations along a corridor
Capture and organize station-based data that ties back to the model
In other words, OnStation doesn’t just show the model; it makes the model usable in the field.
As model viewers evolve, a distinct subcategory is emerging: field-first model viewers: tools that don’t just display models but make them usable in real construction environments.
OnStation fits perfectly into this category. It brings together three things that are rarely found together in one product:
A capable model viewer that lets teams view data-rich CAD and 3D models in the field without CAD software.
Live digital stationing that always shows exactly where a user is on the project and instantly converts that location to LRS, mile marker, and lat/long.
A field collaboration layer where users can copy, modify, and annotate model information to track field changes, verify asset installs, document issues, and coordinate across owners, primes, CEI teams, and subcontractors.
Rather than treating models as something that only lives in the office, OnStation brings them directly into daily construction workflows where projects are actually built, inspected, and maintained.
In that sense, OnStation is not just “adjacent” to model viewers; it represents what a model viewer built specifically for linear infrastructure, and the construction phase can look like when it is truly field-tested.
The Final Consensus
As agencies continue to define functional requirements for 3D model viewers, tools that pair strong visualization with linear referencing and real-world usability are likely to shape the category, and that is exactly the space OnStation occupies.
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