Summary

Current IFC Development Roadmap

Current IFC Release

Feb 2006 : The current IFC Release is IFC2x3, the 3rd Edition of the IFC2x platform. It is now the common implementation platform for all implementors achieving IFC interoperability. The first view definition, the IFC2x3 extended coordination view has been defined and provides the basis for IFC2x3 coordination view certifications.

Jun 2007 : the Modeling Support Group of IAI is publishing the IFC2x3 TC1 release, the first technical corrigendum of the 3rd edition of the IFC2x platform. A technical corrigendum aims at improving the documentation of the IFC specification and allows for corrections of the procedural part of the IFC model (functions, constraint rules), it will not change however the structure of the exchange files, neither the IFC STEP physical file forma, nor the ifcXML document format. IFC exchange files written according to IFC2x3 and IFC2x3 TC1 are up- and downward compatible.

Future IFC Releases

expected Autumn 2007 : A technology preview with the working title IFC2x3G is scheduled to reflect the outcomes of two major intermediate IFC extensions projects, (1) the IFC to GIS extension project aiming at enabling the IFC schema to handle geo-referencing of all building structures and elements, and to support the bi-directional exchange between building models and GIS based situation plans, and (2) the IFD, International Framework for Dictionaries, project aiming at tagging all IFC attributes and properties against a unique definition within an international dictionary of construction terms. The technology preview would support the test and early adoption of these new concepts.

expected in Spring 2009 : A new IFC2x extension release with the working title IFC2010 is schedules to to include the results from ongoing end-user driven IFC extension development projects. It will include (1) extensions in the building service and electrical design domain, (2) general improvements of the definition of building structures and elements, (3) first schema extensions for expanding into the civil engineering sector.