When working in BIMcollab, two powerful features often come up during model checking and coordination: IDS (Information Delivery Specification) and Smart Views. While they can appear similar at first, they serve different purposes and offer distinct advantages depending on the stage and needs of a project.
This article explores the key differences between IDS and Smart Views:
Smart Views
Smart Views are most effective when you want to visually inspect elements based on properties that already exist in the model. They allow you to isolate, color-code, and filter elements using simple rules. This makes them a great tool during coordination meetings or quality checks to quickly identify whether the model meets visual or classification-based expectations.
Key Features of Smart Views:
Rule-Based Filtering: Define conditions to display or hide elements based on properties such as type, classification, or custom attributes.
Color-Coding: Assign colors or transparency to elements to distinguish between different categories or statuses, enhancing visual clarity.
Sharing Capabilities: Create Smart Views locally or share them with team members via BIMcollab Nexus, promoting collaborative review processes.
Use Smart Views when:
You are reviewing models during coordination.
You want to highlight missing or incorrect data already present in the model.
You need quick visual feedback for presentations or walkthroughs.
Smart Views are an efficient way to explore what’s currently in the model, without setting up detailed data requirements in advance.
Information Delivery Specification (IDS)
IDS is a buildingSMART open standard, designed for setting clear information expectations at the start of a project and for verifying that these expectations are met throughout delivery. It’s not just a checking tool but it's a communication method for defining what data must be included in the models and ensuring consistency across the project team.
Unlike Smart Views, IDS doesn't rely on existing model data. It lets you define requirements for data that should be there, even if it isn’t yet. That makes it especially useful early in the project lifecycle.
Key Features of IDS:
Specification of Requirements: Define detailed information needs, including object types, properties, classifications, and acceptable values.
Standardized Format: Utilize an XML schema to ensure interoperability across different tools and platforms.
Integration with BIMcollab Tools: Create and manage IDS files in BIMcollab Nexus; validate models against these specifications using BIMcollab Zoom and View the defined IDS in BIMcollab BCF Managers.
Automated Model Checking: Use BIMcollab Zoom to automatically assess model compliance with IDS, generating issues for any discrepancies.
Use IDS when:
You are defining deliverables at the beginning of a project.
You want to ensure that modelers include specific properties or values.
You are verifying model compliance with agreed-upon requirements.
You want to track issues over time and ensure they are resolved.
You need a standardized way to communicate requirements across different tools and teams.
IDS allows teams to shift from informal expectations to structured, trackable requirements that can be verified and shared throughout the BIM workflow.
Summary
Both Smart Views and IDS are integral to a BIM workflow, each serving distinct yet complementary roles. Smart Views offer an immediate, visual method to assess and communicate model information, enhancing collaborative review sessions. In contrast, IDS provides a structured framework to define, share, and enforce information requirements, ensuring models are built to meet specific project standards from the start.