1. A computer usable memory storing an application programming interface (API) thereon for use with a software application for developing a three-dimensional (3D) model that is stored as model data and includes a plurality of components, each component having one or more elements, wherein the API includes a set of instructions that, when executed on a processor of a first computing device, cause the processor to: receive an indication that a selected one of the plurality of components has been modified by the software application in accordance with a set of one or more modification commands received from a user interface of the first computing device; generate component data including a linear listing of the one or more elements of the selected component such that the set of one or more modification commands applied to the selected component is specified relative to the one or more elements included in the selected component; and cause an update indication to be transmitted to a collaboration server via a communication network to synchronize the selected component between the first computing device and a second computing device, wherein the collaboration server is communicatively coupled to the first computing device and the second computing device, and wherein the update indication includes: the component data, and a component identifier that uniquely identifies the selected component.