Specification tools

The Model Support Group of buildingSMART uses dedicated tools and industry tools to develop the IFC specification and to define Model View Definitions (including the IFC EXPRESS and ifcXML schema, the documentation, the property set content, etc).

Quick links for developers:

ifcDoc specification tool

The ifcDoc tool is an specification development and documentation tool that runs on the Windows platform. It is uused to develop and document the IFC releases from IFC4 onwards, and it also allows other developers to define Model View Definitions as a legal subset of IFC.

ifcDoc Tool Summary

Purpose The purpose of this site is to introduce the new tools and methods developed by buildingSMART International to improve the consistent and computer-interpretable definition of Model View Definitions (MVD) as true subsets of the IFC Specification with enhanced definition of concepts.

The IfcDoc software can be downloaded here; it is based on the mvdXML specification. The tool and methodology can be applied to all IFC releases, we currently provide the baseline for IFC2x3 and for IFC4.

Support buildingSMART provides support for early adapters in form of a dedicated email list and by periodic teleconferences.

In order to join, you need to subscribe to the email list by by going to http://lists.buildingsmart.org/listinfo/mvd. Once subscribed you also receive the invitation for the teleconferences.

Software The IFC documentation generator is the software tool used to generate the IFC documentation (from IFC4 onwards) and to develop MVD's and is available here:

ifcDoc Application Download Page

Baseline Definitions & Samples The development of MVD's using the ifcDoc application start with importing a baseline file. The baseline file contains the full computer interpretable IFC schema specification (including all documentation) and a pre-selected set of reusable MVD concept definitions.

Baseline definitions and the repository of samples are available here:

baseline files for ifcDoc Download Page Documentation and Help An ifcDoc user guide is available and additional help pages are currently under development. The provide a step by step approach to developing and publishing Model View Definitions using the new mvdXML/ifcDoc framework. They are available here:

documentation and help pages

ifcDoc Baselines

Publication of baseline documents to be loaded into ifcDoc The starting point of a Model View Definition is the underlying IFC schema specification and a set of reusable MVD concept templates and concept use definitions. The ifcDoc file format allows to capture all of the IFC schema definitions (the IFC schema as such, the property set definitions and the quantity set definitions). In addition it can include already MVD content (reusable concept templates, MVD specific concept use definitions, and MVD definitions with Exchange Requirements incorporated).

Currently available baseline .ifcdoc files include:

IFC2x3 Baseline (without any MVD content) IFC2x3 Baseline (with MVD definitions of Coordination View Version 2.0) IFC4 Addendum 1 Baseline (with MVD definitions of Reference View and Design Transfer View)

Guidance This baseline file also includes re-usable concept templates for mvdXML, such as for defining property sets, composition rules, materials, ports, and other concepts. Once the schema has been loaded, use the Insert menu to create a new Model View, which may contain multiple Exchange Definitions. Concept Templates may also be created, each of which may contain sub-templates. To mark an entity within scope of a model view, select the entity within the tree, choose Insert Concept Root, and select the Model View.

To add a concept to an entity, select the Concept Root just created, choose Insert Concept Leaf, and select the Concept Template. To customize the concept, select the Concept Leaf and choose Edit Properties. From here, you may define configurations of the concept and indicate import/export requirements for each Exchange Definition.

ifcDoc Download Page

The latest version of the ifcDoc software can be downloaded here:

ifcDoc Application (most recent)