Understanding IDS 1.0 as final Standard: Purpose and Function

On June 4 2024, in London, buildingSMART International announced that version 1.0 of the Information Delivery Specification (IDS) has achieved the status of a definitive standard. This milestone represents an important step in defining and implementing openBIM workflows, addressing the growing need for more precise and reliable data exchanges.

However, creating and modifying an IDS file, as well as validating an IFC model according to this standard, is not easy. Therefore, we recommend using an IDS BIM, the tool that allows you to manage information exchange flows quickly and error-free, simplifying and optimizing the process.

But what exactly is an IDS? What is it for and how is it created? Here are the details on the bSI standard necessary to verify that a BIM project meets the requirements set by the client.

What is the IDS Information Delivery Specification standard?

The Information Delivery Specification (IDS) is the standard for defining informational requirements in an understandable way for humans and interpretable by computers, which allows specifying the data that must be included in a BIM dataset and subsequently verifying its delivery.

Approved as a definitive standard by buildingSMART International, IDS has been conceived as a free, lightweight, and standardized approach to delivery specifications and subsequent verification, as envisaged by ISO 19650.

Traditionally, informational requirements are shared in formats that are not interpretable by computers, such as spreadsheets or PDFs, making it difficult to access relevant data for a specific situation or task.

The IDS standard, on the other hand, allows for optimal management of information exchange in BIM projects.

It is a fundamental component in buildingSMART’s strategic and technical roadmaps: it helps all industry stakeholders to clearly specify informational needs without ambiguity, enabling the automation of verification procedures.

The standard was developed with the contribution of over 200 individuals from 34 different countries, involving all types of stakeholders, including major clients, modelers, coordinators, software providers, other standardization bodies, and governments. The availability of over a dozen stable implementations demonstrates the validity of the standard at the time of its publication.

This initiative is an example of how openBIM standards should be developed to ensure reliability for end users.

What is IDS?

IDS (Information Delivery Specification) is a document that defines the Information Requirements (Exchange Requirement) established by the client, in an information exchange based on the use of BIM models.

This document establishes how the objects of a BIM model, classifications, properties, and even values and units of measure must be delivered and exchanged. The main feature of the IDS document is to be written in a way that is interpretable by a computer.

LOD, LOIN and IDS

What is an IDS for?

Information Delivery Specification (IDS) can be very useful for correctly defining the levels of information need (LOIN) in the Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) and in the BIM Execution Plan (BEP).

The new buildingSMART IDS standard, therefore, addresses one of the most important aspects for the correct setup of a BIM project: the need, for clients, to have models in line with the objectives for which they are requested.

The characteristics of the information that must be exchanged and provided during the life cycle of building assets are regulated within UNI EN 17412-1, which provides guidelines for specifying information needs.

The standard is applicable to the entire life cycle of any built asset:

• strategic planning;
• initial design;
• engineering;
• development;
• documentation and construction;
• daily operation;
• maintenance;
• refurbishment;
• restoration;
• end of life.

The IDS is designed to meet the need to define and optimize the management of dynamic and complex information needs as described.

For further information, also read:

• What information can be optimally managed with the IDS standard;
• The difference between the IDS standard and IFC or MVD.

IDS as a solution for achieving predictable and certain data exchanges

The specifications of an IDS document can result from a combination of concepts found within:

• IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) standard: a data model that aims to describe data in the building and construction industry. It is a neutral and open file format not controlled by a single supplier or group of suppliers;
• classifications and additional properties derived from national contracts or specific to a company.

The IDS is the standard to use to define your Level of Information Needs (LOIN) and allows for optimizing the validation of IFC models by the client, the modeler, and BIM-based software that implements it. In fact, by reasoning on the same data structure, software solutions have the ability to perform automatic analyses.

The IDS can be seen as the central element of a contract to obtain information correctly.

The current openBIM workflow for managing Exchange Requirements without using IDS

The current workflow involves the following steps:

• the client creates their Exchange Requirements, returning a document attached to the Employer’s Information Requirements as output;
• the document is used as a guide by the supply group;
• the modeler must translate the concepts entered into the software solution used;
• the created model is transmitted to the client who validates its content against the required Exchange Requirements.

Such a fragmented workflow increases the chances of errors and misunderstandings and produces results that are not always certain and perfect, with significant efforts and time losses.

The benefits of applying technological solutions based on the IDS standard

Adopting the IDS standard allows for having services and software solutions specifically aimed at managing the creation, enhancement, and validation of the expected information specifications within the Employer’s Information Requirements and BEP.

openBIM workflow with IFC and IDS

All stakeholders involved in the process have the opportunity to operate quickly and reliably, working on a standardized and well-described data structure.

The client:

• generates their own information specifications in a way that is understandable by operators and software solutions;
• enhances their Exchange Requirements with all the information useful for facilitating the understanding of their request;
• will deliver an output already related to the IFC model.

The modeler:

• automatically creates the information structure deriving it from the job specifications, already correctly related to the IFC model;
• is guided in data input and avoids making formatting or relationship errors.

The validator:

• has immediate feedback on the quality of the deliverables subject to delivery thanks to the possibility of automatic comparison between the Requirements requested in the assigned IDS and those received in the delivery IDS.

The entire supply chain will be able to relate to a single standardizable model and focus on the project content without having to worry about understanding, format, and quality of the expected deliverables.

How to create a document in IDS format

The IDS file is the document that contains all the project requirements established by the client and challenges you to automatically verify that the 3D model meets these requirements.

To create or modify an IDS file, you need to use an IDS editor.

Follow the video that shows you all the steps to obtain a document in IDS format according to the bSI indications in online mode.