IDS, the Information Delivery Specification, is buildingSMART's standard for writing information requirements that people and software can both read. In this article and video we write requirements in Plannerly with the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD), export them as an IDS file and check a model against it in Solibri, with the webinar slides free to download.
As BIM adoption grows, so does the need for good quality control and information management. One of the hardest parts is making sure a project's information requirements are clearly defined and easily read by humans and machines alike.
To solve this, buildingSMART created the Information Delivery Specification (IDS): a standard way to write specifications in a machine-readable format, now an official buildingSMART standard (IDS 1.0).
IDS lets project teams define and exchange information requirements in a structured way, keeping them consistent and clear for the whole project lifecycle. With IDS, teams stop relying on error-prone spreadsheets and share a common language that every stakeholder understands, human or machine.
In this article + video, we show how IDS simplifies BIM checking, creating and checking an IDS with Plannerly and Solibri. New to IDS? The complete guide to IDS covers the standard in depth, and the IDS XML how-to shows the export step by step.
Video demo: the IDS workflow with Plannerly and Solibri
Introduction to Information Delivery Specifications (IDS)
IDS is short for Information Delivery Specification, a framework developed by buildingSMART so project specifications can be communicated and read without misunderstanding.
IDS lets project teams define the information required for different phases and use cases of a project, so the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
IDS works hand in hand with the buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD), which provides standard definitions of classifications and properties. An IDS can point to those definitions by their bSDD address, so everyone - people and software - means the same thing by a term like "FireRating".
The IDS process starts with the project stakeholders agreeing the information requirements and use cases: what information the BIM models must include, and who is responsible for it. Once that's agreed, the requirements are turned into machine-readable IDS files that modelling and checking software can use.
Simplifying the Creation and Checking of IDS
Plannerly and Solibri are two tools that simplify creating and checking an IDS.
Plannerly is a cloud-based platform where project teams write the requirements together. You set out the project scope, including milestones, the elements required and the classifications that apply.
In Plannerly, teams select dictionaries from the bSDD and define the information requirements for each element and property. Plannerly suggests options from the chosen dictionaries, so the specifications stay consistent with industry standards. The free lessons Connecting to bSDD from buildingSMART and Importing example information requirements from the library show how.
Once the requirements are written, Plannerly exports them as a machine-readable IDS file. The file is then loaded into Solibri, which checks the BIM model against the specifications and lists every issue or deviation that needs fixing.
Solibri compares the properties, elements and classifications in the model with the requirements in the IDS, highlights the differences and gives the detail of each issue found, so teams can fix non-compliance quickly.
The same requirements can also check the delivered model inside Plannerly: the Verify module checks that each property exists, that its value meets the requirement and that it sits in the right property set. Start with the free lesson Model checking intro.
Benefits of IDS and Automated Checking
Using IDS with automated checking tools like Plannerly and Solibri gives project teams five things:
- Standardisation: one standard way to define and exchange information requirements, consistent across projects and easy for every stakeholder to read.
- Efficiency: less time and effort spent defining and checking requirements, because the checking is automated.
- Better collaboration: designers, contractors and owners work from one common language.
- Fewer errors: less reliance on spreadsheets and manual checks, and so less room for human error.
- Better quality control: non-compliance is found and fixed in time, which prevents costly rework during construction.
Enhancing Efficiency with IDS
IDS gives the construction industry a standard way to define and exchange information requirements, so the right information is delivered at the right time. Tools like Plannerly and Solibri add the automation: requirements written once, checked every time, with fewer errors and better models.
As BIM grows, standardisation and automation stop being optional. Put IDS and automated checking at the centre of your process, and every project delivers models that meet the specified requirements. For the whole route, see model checking with IDS.
Download Webinar Slides
The slides from the webinar are free to download: Learn about the Information Delivery Specification (IDS) for BIM checking with Plannerly and Solibri (opens in a new tab) - Download (opens in a new tab) (PDF).
Want to see automated checking taken further, with dashboards and COBie handover? Download the BIM Summer Camp Week 5 slides on automated model checking (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
Other interesting reads on IDS: how to implement IDS from buildingSMART, Plannerly's buildingSMART IDS export announcement and using bSDD and Plannerly to create an IDS. You'll find more on the Plannerly BIM blog and from five BIM bloggers I follow. Ready to try it? Join Plannerly free.
