Process-based definition of model content

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data model provides a comprehensive, vendor-neutral standard for the description of digital building models. However, the IFC only concerns the data structure. To be truly useful in the context of planning processes, additional specifications are necessary that determine who provides which information when and to whom. To support this, the buildingSMART organization introduced the Information Delivery Manual (IDM) standard. This standard makes it possible to organize data exchange processes in a graphical notation, and to subsequently derive exchange requirements (ER) for data exchanges occurring in this process. The technical implementation of these exchange requirements takes the form of a Model View Definitions (MVD) that accurately specify which entities, attributes and properties may or should be used in a particular exchange. This chapter provides a detailed introduction to the IDM mechanisms. The chapter concludes with an introduction to the concepts of levels of development (LOD).