Great initiative!
To link this new tool with Bonsai, I suggest the name Bonkei (Miniature landscape in a pot). I imagine a landscape of BIM models coordinated in harmony.
Going back to the old thread I really like:
**IfcOpenStudio **- Native App (Can be windows/linux/mac/tablet)
**IfcOpenShell **- Native Command Line
**Bonsai **- IfcOpenShell BlenderAddon
That way any 'addons' get their own branding name but for the 'native' pure IOS they stick with the IOS branding (No new acronyms too!) - Or IfcOpenPlatform if people don't like Studio and want variation between IOS and IOP...any most importantly the domains are available I think.
Some thoughts: if "IfcOpenShell" and therefore "IfcFoo" is tailored to a developer audience, perhaps "Bonsai" can be tailored to a end-user audience, so with that logic "Bonsai Viewer" might be a good idea.
I'm uncertain about @aothms's suggestion about the word "Desktop" because although it makes perfect sense to me, it implies an IOS Web, IOS Tablet, IOS Mobile, which might be good if we head that way. But another risk is that I feel the younger generation might not actually know what a desktop is :) A scary thought, I'm sure. Also because the hip and trendy thing spread around socials is that "BIM 2.0 is on the web, the desktop is dead".
I'm also not entirely a fan of more oriental words. It might suggest an ethnic logic where there isn't any, and I certainly have already got mispellings (Bonzai?) and misinterpretations.
The name IfcOpenStudio was proposed, which a reminder did not work due to the trademark being owned by EnergyPlus.
I also have a personal preference to avoid "BIM", "IFC", "AEC", "3D", or other acronyms, industry terms, or jargon, not only because they are a mouthful, but may become dated (BIM already is seeing its age). One thing I am considering is changing the bonsaibim.org domain name to something more neutral (getbonsai.org? bonsaiapp.org? etc etc).
I'm going to re-propose one of the earlier names: Coral. I like it because IfcOpenShell connotes sea shells (yes yes Coral is a colonial polyp organism or so Wikipedia tells me), it promotes the "Nature" theme (akin to Bonsai), and it is similar to Corral where you can keep rabbits in :) If we're going for a non-technical theme for user-facing apps, I kinda like the idea of "naturey" things.
@Moult if this will end up being the new name I might confuse it with https://www.coral.co.uk/en/poker where I was making a living 15 or so years ago lol. https://coral.org/ also taken. It's not going to be easy with the domain, unless something else is added.
After Dion flagged that OpenStudio holds a trademark, I think it’s worth stepping back and looking at the branding holistically. There’s a real risk that introducing another name without a clear strategy will fragment the ecosystem further. If the goal is to keep the new app aligned with the CLI and the Add-on, we should treat this as a family‑level branding decision rather than a one‑off rename.
**Option 1 **— Keep the IfcOpen‑ prefix, change the studio term - This preserves continuity with the existing ecosystem while avoiding the OpenStudio conflict. Examples:
– IfcOpenForge
– IfcOpenWorkbench
– IfcOpenLab
– IfcOpenBase
– IfcOpenLens
**Option 2 **— Elevate “Bonsai” as the user‑facing brand - This creates a clean separation between engine and interface and avoids forcing the IfcOpen‑ prefix onto UI tools.
– App: Bonsai / Bonsai Studio / Bonsai Workplace / Bonsai Workbench / Bonsai One / Bonsai Edge
– Add-on: Bonsai Core/Base
– Engine: IfcOpenShell (Modules IfcTester, IfcCsv etc)
**Option 3 **— Lean into the “Shell” construction metaphor - This keeps the IfcOpen identity but shifts toward construction terminology.
– IfcOpenCore (Shell and Core anyone :D)
– IfcOpenDesign / IfcOpenBuild
– IfcOpenFrame
– IfcOpenAssembly
– IfcOpenFoundary
Personally, I think the minimal‑rebrand approach is the cleanest: IfcOpenShell remains the engine and Bonsai becomes the branding for 'apps' whether addons/standalone. This keeps the ecosystem coherent, avoids trademark issues, and gives us a scalable naming pattern for future tools.
IfcOpenShell = engine
Bonsai = App (On assumption that the viewer will expand to offer more functionality - if not flip it with the addon)
Bonsai Core = Add‑on
@bsmith I think that is OK, especially if the work that @YassineO / @aothms / @sayanjdas ends up in having a web-based "Bonsai" too. This means that Bonsai could become Bonsai for Blender.
It could be https://getbonsai.org - with Bonsai for Blender, Bonsai for Web (built into the website with a big "Get Started" button), Bonsai Desktop
Or more marketable names, like Bonsai Studio (Blender), Bonsai Online (Web), Bonsai Collab (Desktop coordination tool) etc etc
The first time I came into contact with "Rabbits" again ....
(besides that the VW Golf got that name across the pond in the 70ies)
for me, Rabbit since then was always connected to BIM and IFC .....
AEC needs more Rabbits !
(besides mini scale trees)
Using a common name for implementations makes total sense:
Bonsai Blender-addon
Bonsai desktop
Bonsai web
It would also force us to think about (and better explain) how these implementations can be complementary, and if there is any overlap ( For example packages like IfcPatch, IfcClash deserve a nice gui in the Desktop app rather than being built in the blender-addon )
I'll just leave this svg diagram as a visual representation here :
“Banzai charge” is a war term, so it's inappropriate. But if you just use “Banzai,” it's still used as an expression of joy today, so there's absolutely no problem with that :)
By the way, even if the word doesn’t start with “B,” can you still change the logo?
Deleted Image.
EDIT: Yikes! I now realize that this was actually a British comedy game show from the early 2000's. I thought it was a global thing. Without that context that image might have been taken the wrong way.
I strongly support Bonsai Viewer as the name.
It keeps valuable brand continuity with Bonsai, which is already well recognised and trusted, while clearly differentiating the use case by explicitly stating that this is a viewer / coordination tool, not an authoring environment. The name is immediately understandable, honest, and easy to explain.
“Viewer” sets the right expectations, but is also flexible enough to cover advanced coordination features (clash detection, audits, 4D/5D, topology, analysis, etc.) without sounding limiting in the long term. From a user’s perspective, the mental model is instant: Bonsai = authoring, Bonsai Viewer = coordination & review.
Compared to inventing a completely new brand, Bonsai Viewer reduces confusion, avoids brand dilution, and leverages the credibility Bonsai already has within the openBIM / IfcOpenShell ecosystem. With clear website positioning and messaging, any potential ambiguity is very manageable—and likely much smaller than the cost of introducing a third, unrelated name.
Overall, it feels like one of the most balanced options in terms of clarity, maturity, scalability, and community alignment.
What we ought to do is learn from the Boatey McBoatface saga - and allow the funky and creative names to be used for smaller parts of the ecosystem.
Basically we keep a sensible name for the Ship and allow for fun names for the Submarines.
The 18th is coming up :) I've updated the tally and it seems there are lots of votes for Bonsai Viewer. No other second contender seems to be coming close.
I'll play devil's advocate and say what about more markety names rather than functional? I quite like Bonsai Cultivate, it continues to theme but also hints at the non-authoring aspect. It also gives a shorter form if required "open in cultivate". Bonsai Collab is nice too but perhaps too similar to BIM Collab (direct competitor to this)
My final vote goes to Bonsai Conduct (credit to Thomas), as it is clearly distinct from Collab, so there’s no risk of confusion/copyright. It is also a bit more open-ended than Viewer (on the assumption that the app will grow in functionality) and it reflects the process of coordinating different discipline models.
Comments
Great initiative!
To link this new tool with Bonsai, I suggest the name Bonkei (Miniature landscape in a pot). I imagine a landscape of BIM models coordinated in harmony.
My sugestions:
Going back to the old thread I really like:
**IfcOpenStudio **- Native App (Can be windows/linux/mac/tablet)
**IfcOpenShell **- Native Command Line
**Bonsai **- IfcOpenShell BlenderAddon
That way any 'addons' get their own branding name but for the 'native' pure IOS they stick with the IOS branding (No new acronyms too!) - Or IfcOpenPlatform if people don't like Studio and want variation between IOS and IOP...any most importantly the domains are available I think.
Clarix3D
@samromeo Hmmmm.... Likely to get lost in the noise. Just a cursory search tells me that Clarix is an already overused name:
https://www.clariximaging.com/
https://biotissue.com/lp-clarix-for-orthopedic-surgeons/
https://www.medicinesfaq.com/brand/clarix
https://www.waves.com/plugins/clarix-lb
https://www.clarix.com/
https://clarix.app/
I made a video about this thread and endeavour:
for
Some thoughts: if "IfcOpenShell" and therefore "IfcFoo" is tailored to a developer audience, perhaps "Bonsai" can be tailored to a end-user audience, so with that logic "Bonsai Viewer" might be a good idea.
I'm uncertain about @aothms's suggestion about the word "Desktop" because although it makes perfect sense to me, it implies an IOS Web, IOS Tablet, IOS Mobile, which might be good if we head that way. But another risk is that I feel the younger generation might not actually know what a desktop is :) A scary thought, I'm sure. Also because the hip and trendy thing spread around socials is that "BIM 2.0 is on the web, the desktop is dead".
I'm also not entirely a fan of more oriental words. It might suggest an ethnic logic where there isn't any, and I certainly have already got mispellings (Bonzai?) and misinterpretations.
The name IfcOpenStudio was proposed, which a reminder did not work due to the trademark being owned by EnergyPlus.
I also have a personal preference to avoid "BIM", "IFC", "AEC", "3D", or other acronyms, industry terms, or jargon, not only because they are a mouthful, but may become dated (BIM already is seeing its age). One thing I am considering is changing the bonsaibim.org domain name to something more neutral (getbonsai.org? bonsaiapp.org? etc etc).
I'm going to re-propose one of the earlier names: Coral. I like it because IfcOpenShell connotes sea shells (yes yes Coral is a colonial polyp organism or so Wikipedia tells me), it promotes the "Nature" theme (akin to Bonsai), and it is similar to Corral where you can keep rabbits in :) If we're going for a non-technical theme for user-facing apps, I kinda like the idea of "naturey" things.
@Moult if this will end up being the new name I might confuse it with https://www.coral.co.uk/en/poker where I was making a living 15 or so years ago lol. https://coral.org/ also taken. It's not going to be easy with the domain, unless something else is added.
Otherwise I agree with the things you mention.
Coral BIM or Coral Build work.
Coral Draw... No wait that sounds familiar
After Dion flagged that OpenStudio holds a trademark, I think it’s worth stepping back and looking at the branding holistically. There’s a real risk that introducing another name without a clear strategy will fragment the ecosystem further. If the goal is to keep the new app aligned with the CLI and the Add-on, we should treat this as a family‑level branding decision rather than a one‑off rename.
**Option 1 **— Keep the IfcOpen‑ prefix, change the studio term - This preserves continuity with the existing ecosystem while avoiding the OpenStudio conflict. Examples:
– IfcOpenForge
– IfcOpenWorkbench
– IfcOpenLab
– IfcOpenBase
– IfcOpenLens
**Option 2 **— Elevate “Bonsai” as the user‑facing brand - This creates a clean separation between engine and interface and avoids forcing the IfcOpen‑ prefix onto UI tools.
– App: Bonsai / Bonsai Studio / Bonsai Workplace / Bonsai Workbench / Bonsai One / Bonsai Edge
– Add-on: Bonsai Core/Base
– Engine: IfcOpenShell (Modules IfcTester, IfcCsv etc)
**Option 3 **— Lean into the “Shell” construction metaphor - This keeps the IfcOpen identity but shifts toward construction terminology.
– IfcOpenCore (Shell and Core anyone :D)
– IfcOpenDesign / IfcOpenBuild
– IfcOpenFrame
– IfcOpenAssembly
– IfcOpenFoundary
Personally, I think the minimal‑rebrand approach is the cleanest: IfcOpenShell remains the engine and Bonsai becomes the branding for 'apps' whether addons/standalone. This keeps the ecosystem coherent, avoids trademark issues, and gives us a scalable naming pattern for future tools.
IfcOpenShell = engine
Bonsai = App (On assumption that the viewer will expand to offer more functionality - if not flip it with the addon)
Bonsai Core = Add‑on
@bsmith I think that is OK, especially if the work that @YassineO / @aothms / @sayanjdas ends up in having a web-based "Bonsai" too. This means that Bonsai could become Bonsai for Blender.
It could be https://getbonsai.org - with Bonsai for Blender, Bonsai for Web (built into the website with a big "Get Started" button), Bonsai Desktop
Or more marketable names, like Bonsai Studio (Blender), Bonsai Online (Web), Bonsai Collab (Desktop coordination tool) etc etc
Bonsai Collab is very distinct from the Blender add-on.
Rabbit Hole (?)
The first time I came into contact with "Rabbits" again ....
(besides that the VW Golf got that name across the pond in the 70ies)
for me, Rabbit since then was always connected to BIM and IFC .....
AEC needs more Rabbits !
(besides mini scale trees)
In my country rabbits are an invasive species introduced by colonisers, pets or pest.
I really like the idea of consistency and being able to understand things from the name -
IfcOpenShell brand --> Everything low-level: Python packages, core library, APIs, CLI tools.
Bonsai brand → Everything user-facing: Blender add-on, desktop app, web-app ( full implementations) .
Using a common name for implementations makes total sense:
Bonsai Blender-addon
Bonsai desktop
Bonsai web
It would also force us to think about (and better explain) how these implementations can be complementary, and if there is any overlap ( For example packages like IfcPatch, IfcClash deserve a nice gui in the Desktop app rather than being built in the blender-addon )
I'll just leave this svg diagram as a visual representation here :
What a cute rabbit !
Also seen here
My only issue with Bonsai is the fact that the confusion between our tool and the tree will NEVER go away...
Bonsai Viewer
because people know Bonsai and thus I do not need to explain a lot. I could just say it is the viewer of bonsai projekt.
JM2C
Banzai (or Bansai)
@Samppa FYI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banzai_charge "honorable suicide" ... sooooo maybe not?
“Banzai charge” is a war term, so it's inappropriate. But if you just use “Banzai,” it's still used as an expression of joy today, so there's absolutely no problem with that :)
By the way, even if the word doesn’t start with “B,” can you still change the logo?
Deleted Image.
EDIT: Yikes! I now realize that this was actually a British comedy game show from the early 2000's. I thought it was a global thing. Without that context that image might have been taken the wrong way.
I strongly support Bonsai Viewer as the name.
It keeps valuable brand continuity with Bonsai, which is already well recognised and trusted, while clearly differentiating the use case by explicitly stating that this is a viewer / coordination tool, not an authoring environment. The name is immediately understandable, honest, and easy to explain.
“Viewer” sets the right expectations, but is also flexible enough to cover advanced coordination features (clash detection, audits, 4D/5D, topology, analysis, etc.) without sounding limiting in the long term. From a user’s perspective, the mental model is instant: Bonsai = authoring, Bonsai Viewer = coordination & review.
Compared to inventing a completely new brand, Bonsai Viewer reduces confusion, avoids brand dilution, and leverages the credibility Bonsai already has within the openBIM / IfcOpenShell ecosystem. With clear website positioning and messaging, any potential ambiguity is very manageable—and likely much smaller than the cost of introducing a third, unrelated name.
Overall, it feels like one of the most balanced options in terms of clarity, maturity, scalability, and community alignment.
What we ought to do is learn from the Boatey McBoatface saga - and allow the funky and creative names to be used for smaller parts of the ecosystem.
Basically we keep a sensible name for the Ship and allow for fun names for the Submarines.
Lots of great ideas here. What about ** Bonsai Cultivate**?
BonsaiViewer
The 18th is coming up :) I've updated the tally and it seems there are lots of votes for Bonsai Viewer. No other second contender seems to be coming close.
I'll play devil's advocate and say what about more markety names rather than functional? I quite like Bonsai Cultivate, it continues to theme but also hints at the non-authoring aspect. It also gives a shorter form if required "open in cultivate". Bonsai Collab is nice too but perhaps too similar to BIM Collab (direct competitor to this)
BonsaiViewer is good enough, shortened to BVu or BView, it's got my vote
My final vote goes to Bonsai Conduct (credit to Thomas), as it is clearly distinct from Collab, so there’s no risk of confusion/copyright. It is also a bit more open-ended than Viewer (on the assumption that the app will grow in functionality) and it reflects the process of coordinating different discipline models.
Bonsai Companion
Bonsai Buddy
Bonsai Garden