Embodiments relate to systems and methods for object-based modeling using modeling objects exportable to external modeling tools. A modeling client can host modeling logic and an application programming interface (API) to create, access, manipulate, and import/export modeling objects used in modeling applications, such as engineering, medical, financial, and other modeling platforms. In aspects, the source data accepted into the modeling client can be consumer or business-level applications, whose cell, database, or other data content can be extracted and encapsulated in an object-oriented format, such as extensible markup language (XML) format. The modeling client can exchange one or more resulting modeling object directly with external platforms, such as mainframe platforms, middleware databases, and others, via the application programming interface (API) on a programmatic basis. Costs and maintenance savings over mainframe-based modeling tools can thereby be achieved, while providing greater power than consumer or business-level tools.