📋 Information Delivery Specification (IDS)


IDS is a standard for defining BIM information requirements in a way easy to present in both machine and human-readable form. With IDS you can specify what data must be included in the BIM model and validate if it is actually delivered. IDS implements the Level of Information Needs that can be used in your documentation (OIR, PIR, AIR, EIR, BEP, TIDP, MIDP, MPDT etc.). Finally, it is the solution for predictable and reliable data exchange workflows.

📋 contractual agreements + 🧮 validation mechanism = 💎 quality assurance

Read more about IDS at technical.buildingSMART.org and technical github page.



🌍 IDS online

To create your own IDS or look at examples simply navigate to Create IDS tab of that website.
There you can define your specifications with applicability filters and requirements that your BIM model must fulfill.



👩‍💻 IDS.py (part of IfcOpenShell)

IDS.py is an open-source implementation of the IDS concept inside the IfcOpenShell toolkit.

Access the code at github/IfcOpenShell and have a look at the documentation and samples to help you start.
If you have some questions or comments join the disscussion at OSArch thread.
The project has been developed during the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2021.



🧮 Validation workflow

Workflow.jpg

👓 What user see



All elements of entity IfcWall
and of material Concrete
should have
a property Strength class
in propertyset Structural of value C30/37.

What computer see 🔎

<ids ...> <specification name="First IDS" necessity="required"> <applicability> <entity> <name ...>IfcWall</name> </entity> </applicability> <requirements> <property ...> <propertyset ...>Test_PropertySet</propertyset> <name ...>Test_Parameter</name> <value ...>Test_Value</value> </property> </requirements> </specification> </ids>



IDS 🆚 IDM

IDM is a methodology standard for processes and information flows in a building lifecycle. It is defined in the ISO 29481-1:2010 “Building information modelling - Information delivery manual - Part 1: Methodology and format” standard developed by buildingSMART.
IDS in contrast is a standard for defining data exchange requirements, so what information and in what form is required of IFC elements. It does not define data flows in the project.
IDS can be used as a solution for defining information requirements in IDM approach.

IDS 🆚 mvdXML

mvdXML is a format for encoding MVDs - Model View Definitions and its sub schemas. It is mainly designed to support software vendors in limiting the scope of IFC specification using defined MVDs and to achieve software certification. mvdXML is sometimes used for the same purpose as IDS but since it is not designed for it is quite difficult to create and understand. mvdXML is also schema dependent, while IDS allows for more flexibility.