Everything you need to know about Information Delivery Specification (IDS)
IDS helps people in the built asset industry by creating a format to define and automatically check BIM requirements within a chosen tool.
What is IDS?
IDS stands for Information Delivery Specification and has been proposed by buildingSMART as a visionary approach for defining information requirements and exchanging them within BIM workflows.
Previously, BIM coordinators needed to manually create information rules within their BIM tools, which increased possible mistakes and costs.
However, an IDS file enables faster, automatic model verification. IDS files are a standardized machine-readable format for tools, such as Solibri, to automatically check and verify if a BIM model matches the requirements set from the IDS file.
IDS is currently in version 0.9.6. with version 1.0 set to be released in March 2024.
Why is IDS important?
Simply put, IDS helps people in the built asset industry by creating a format to define and automatically check BIM requirements within a chosen tool.
The advantage of IDS is that it can be used to ensure that the requested information is contained in the model. This means that the necessary information is also available for other stakeholders, and tasks such as advanced quality checks, ITOs, or classification can be carried out without missing information that would block the execution of these tasks.
With an IDS file, users have greater control over what they want or need to be checked, including but not limited to:
- Properties (quantities and attributes)
- Materials
- Classifications
- Entity types
- Object dependency
NB. IDS currently does not have the capabilities to define intrinsic details of geometry.
Benefits of using IDS
- IDS enhances the agreement and sharing of BIM requirements across various levels, from national to project-specific.
- IDS enables information requirements to be communicated digitally with stakeholders.
- Due to the format being machine readable, stakeholders do not need to interpret requirements from lists or spreadsheets but can directly import them into their BIM software.
- This standard expedites model compliance validation and boosts data trust and usage in BIM, with information requirements able to be defined, managed and distributed centrally.
Ultimately, IDS leads to time savings, fewer mistakes, and improved stakeholder communication.
Interested in implementing those benefits to your workflow?
IDS and IFC
IDS files are optimized for readability and machine interpretation. While IDS can specify any data within the built asset industry, it’s structured according to the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data standard.
Even though this specification can be used for non-IFC data, IDS naturally works in parallel with IFC.
IDS in BIM Workflows
In a BIM context, all model data must adhere to specific formats and placements. IDS emerges as a structured framework detailing the type, format, and intricacies of information exchange among parties involved in construction or infrastructure projects. This framework guides the creation, management, and sharing of information throughout the project lifecycle.
Key Components of IDS
- Data Requirements: These specifications detail the data necessary for distinct project stages or tasks. Specifications are designed to be easy for humans to understand and highly structured for computer software to check information requirements automatically and accurately.
Specifications are broken down into three separate parts: - Description: Why is a specification important to the project and instructions on how to achieve it?
- Applicability: Which type of objects does the specification apply to? E.G., walls, doors, windows (objects within IFC models)
- Requirements: The information needed for the objects specified in part 2, such as classifications or properties.
This information has been taken from GitHub.
Example Use Cases:
- Streamlining Reliability of Checks
A centralized information file provides access to a project's requirements for all stakeholders involved in the construction project. Another likely scenario is to use the IDS format to create a file for each milestone or project phase. - Shareability of up-to-date information
Using a CDE to share an IDS file will enable access to all participants. When an IDS file is updated and shared in the CDE, a stakeholder will simply have to download the latest version and upload it into their software. Instead of lengthy, manual checks, an IDS file will conduct an automated check, increasing the speed and reliability of checking. - Requirements for Building Permits
Municipalities and local governments are able to use IDS files to provide the requirements needed to attain a building permit for the construction project.
How and where are IDS files created?
IDS files could be created, for example, by the building owner, quality checker, operator of the building, or general planner aligned with the general contractor. Due to the file's nature, its creation will usually come at the beginning of the construction project. On the other hand, IDS files are a great tool for local governments and municipalities to share their requirements when building a new building.
Currently, various software tools on the market allow the creation of an Information Delivery Specification file such as BIMQ and Plannerly. With the anticipated industry adoption of the file format, there could be further authoring providers and possibilities to create files within CDEs. At this point in time, you are unable to create IDS files in Solibri, yet we are exploring this opportunity. However, you can still view and read IDS files in Solibri Office.
For a full list of IDS authoring providers, please check here.
Checking models with IDS in Solibri
To help users ensure that BIM model matches IDS requirements, Solibri introduced a new IDS Validation rule in Solibri Office that automates the verification process.
The IDS Validation rule (SOL 244) checks the BIM model against the building requirements specified in the IDS file. This will greatly speed up compliance checking and enable a more efficient workflow between project stakeholders.
Watch the video below to see how you can handle IDS files and apply the IDS rule within Solibri office:
Looking to the Future
IDS is continually being developed by buildingSMART, along with other collaborators including Solibri. This includes highly anticipated software certifications and advancements in openBIM and GIS integrations, helping to refine the standard.
Furthermore, buildingSMART “anticipates the existence of IDS libraries where examples of separate requirements are shared for everyone to use. Users can search IDS requirements and drag them into a selection basket to create their own IDS file.”
IDS will be pivotal in the industry’s future for automated compliance checking and efficient information exchange. However, we are currently in the beta version of IDS, with significant updates required for mass adoption, including ease of document creation.
Yet, for CDEs, an opportunity presents itself for aiding the creation of IDS files, as well as implementing standards.
Interested in learning more?
