The buildingSMART IDS standard, short for Information Delivery Specification, is an open way to state exactly what information a BIM model has to contain. It lets a client, building owner or authority communicate their model content requirements to design software, and check that those requirements have been met.
Technically it sits close to the Employer Information Requirements and Project Information Requirements (EIR and PIR) defined in the ISO 19650 series. Where ISO 19650 frames how information is managed, IDS is the machine readable specification of what that information actually is.
How Archicad works with IDS files
In Archicad 28 and later, an IDS definition can be used to import the property sets (Psets) and classifications defined for different parts of a model, such as windows, walls or the project itself. It can even be used to create IFC translator pre-definitions.
In practice this means the data fields a client or authority requires can be added to an Archicad project or template on the fly. Because Archicad ships with a broad set of IFC translators optimised for different parties, building your own is quick. You can think of an IDS file as a template handed over by an owner, contractor or authority, which makes it efficient for the designer to fill in the required fields, classifications and translator settings.
How the buildingSMART standards relate to each other
buildingSMART maintains several open standards that work together. The main ones are IFC, IDS, bsDD and BCF.
- IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is the ISO 16739 data structure that defines typical building elements and their hierarchy. Up to version 4.3 it covered mainly building construction; 4.3 added alignments, bridges, viaducts, piers and other infrastructure. This is a long-term plateau, with the next step defined as an interoperable structure in IFC5.
- IDS (Information Delivery Specification) is a way of applying IFC as a content definition. It works as a shopping list or checklist for an owner or authority.
- bsDD (buildingSMART Data Dictionary) is a data dictionary service that defines data structures for a given use, for example a compatibility definition for a national body or product manufacturer. It complements the base level of IFC in a way that supports interoperability.
- BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) is a message format that links to content in the BIM model and passes between different software, a little like an Archicad Teamwork message. It can also work dynamically over a server connection. The concept of BCF was invented in Finland.
All of these gain new uses in the IFC5 era that has now begun. Information becomes more granular, held in smaller defined subsets, and several parties need to use or enrich parts of the same element at the same time. That calls for a cloud based common data environment (CDE) able to manage simultaneous, collaborative work across processes, users and project stages.
Where IDS fits today
From the point of view of design content, these standards form a connected triangle. IFC is the standard or minimum for the design, IDS carries the requirements of the other parties and bsDD holds the additions from suppliers and standards bodies.
For now most software does not yet support IDS and bsDD, so adoption is early. Both could in time be distributed as cloud based library servers that parties read from dynamically. That would be an elegant way to share model requirements, keep linked data current and filter down to only the information needed at a given moment.
How Nordic BIM Group can help
Many of the things buildingSMART defines can also be handled through interfaces between software, in a closed or partly open system. One example is the Cobuilder add-on for Archicad built by Nordic BIM Group, which brings client requirements to the Archicad user directly from a database, with functionality similar to IDS.
This direction, moving from file based exchange to direct interfaces and add-ons between parties in the cloud, is exactly the idea behind IFC5. Add-ons tend to be the most agile solution when both sides need to solve a shared problem without slow and error prone file handling.
If you need to solve a collaboration, data sharing or standardisation challenge, talk to us. Our application development team has spent years helping clients improve processes and build solutions that fit how they work.
