Model View Definition Summary

Official buildingSMART website to publish buildingSMART International Model View Definitions

An IFC View Definition, or Model View Definition, MVD, defines a subset of the IFC schema, that is needed to satisfy one or many Exchange Requirements of the AEC industry. The method used and propagated by buildingSMART to define such Exchange Requirements is the Information Delivery Manual, IDM (also ISO/DIS 29481).

An IFC Model View Definition defines a legal subset of the IFC Schema (being complete) and provides implementation guidance (or implementation agreements) for all IFC concepts (classes, attributes, relationships, property sets, quantity definitions, etc.) used within this subset. It thereby represents the software requirement specification for the implementation of an IFC interface to satisfy the exchange requirements.

Whereas the general exchange requirement is independent of a particular IFC release, the realization (or binding) within the model view definition is specific to an IFC release.

Model View Definitions are either defined within buildingSMART International, or by other organizations and interest group. MVD's defined externally are not considered as buildingSMART MVD's until they are submitted to buildingSMART International, reviewed by the buildingSMART teams and finally accepted. This program to harvest externally developed MVD specifications is currently defined by buildingSMART and will be released soon.

Model View Definitions developed within buildingSMART International

The following View Definitions are currently developed and are available as official buildingSMART Model View Definition:

• the IFC2x3 Coordination View Version 2.0 (in development)
  (currently in process of finalization and providing the basis for IFC2x3 Coordination View Certifications from 2010 onwards)
  
• the IFC2x3 Coordination View (released)
  (Version 1.0 finalized in 2007 that had been the basis of IFC2x3 Coordination View Certifications until 2009)
  

• the IFC2x3 Basic FM HandOver view (in development)
  (Version 1.1 developed within the buildingSMART aquarium project "FM Handover View"
  

Model View Definitions developed outside of buildingSMART International

Several other Model View Definitions are currently under development by organizations or development teams outside of buildingSMART International:

• see http://www.blis-project.org/IAI-MVD/ for a complete list of model view definitions currently defined by several organizations outside of buildingSMART International. Those MVD's are not registered as official view definitions by buildingSMART International. They may be submitted to and accepted by buildingSMART International to become official buildingSMART International MVD's at a later point. Once accepted, those MVD's will be published here.

MVD development resources

Tools are available to MVD developers at http://www.blis-project.org/IAI-MVD/. It offers among other tools a database of concepts defined in previous MVD projects that could be reused by new MVD developments. This website is used by official bSI MVD development teams as well as others.