About Us

MSG Overview

MSG stands for Model Support Group, i.e. the dedicated group inside IAI International that is responsible for the development of the IFC and related specifications. The IFC Industry Foundation Classes are the main technical deliverable of the IAI in order to fulfill its goal to promote open and interoperable IT tools to support the process change within the construction and facility management industries.

• “buildingSMART is integrated project working and value-based life cycle management using Building Information Modelling and IFCs”. Definition by IAI from 02-Nov-06

Related model definitions, such as the Information Delivery Manual, IDM, the International Framework for Dictionaries, IFD, and the Model View Definitions, MVD are also supported by MSG in collaboration with other teams. In particular the correspondance between these definitions and the underlying IFC standard is overlooked by MSG.

MSG history

The MSG had been created by the IAI in 1999, between 1996 and 1999 its predecessor, STF specification task force, had been responsible for IFC development. Since 1999 the MSG developed the new IFC2x Platform, and several IFC releases based on this platform concept, including IFC2x2 and the current IFC2x3.

MSG work tasks

• Plan for a next IFC model specification platform, initiate the requirement study for a next platform, compile a list of strategic goals and implications
• Consolidation and final integration of new model specification requirements put forward by IFC extension projects
• Continuous work to maintain the IFC model specification, improve its documentation, its property set content
• Maintain an issue resolution database, comment on incoming issues and resolve them at the next appropriate IFC model specification release
• Work on the necessary accompanying documents, implementation guides, model guides, tutorials, reader guide, and others.
• Support the work of the ISG Implementation Support Group and help with the publishing of implementer agreements
• Work with other IAI groups and support the IFD, IDM and MVD activities, look after its impact to the IFC model specification integrity
• Work with other external standardization groups to harmonize IFC definitions with other ISO standard deliverables
• General MSG coordination activities, including regular meetings and webconferences