OpenBIM and IFC for Effortless AEC Collaboration
OpenBIM and buildingSMART
openBIM is a process centered on improving interoperability between software platforms. As the medium for data exchange in an openBIM process, Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) provide a neutral data exchange standard and intermediary file format to support the sharing of project data authored using different, often discipline-specific software. In this sense, IFC provides a common language for sharing project data, tied to the structuring and standards ratified by buildingSMART. The IFC data model contains both geometry and data properties for intelligent building elements, including the relationships between elements within a model. As an intermediary file format, IFC allows for the exchange and viewing of BIM, CAD, and other file formats, a way of consuming and referencing the outputs of one collaborator to inform the work of another.
Autodesk also supports a data exchange protocol for energy analysis, with sponsorship and support for the gbXML open schema
To expand interoperability between AEC design software, IFC is essential in providing industry vetted standards and methods for data sharing and exchange. Other essential ways of improving interoperability include cross-vendor data exchange agreements and partnerships. Autodesk has forged several such agreements with vendors and other ecosystem partners aimed at extending interoperability more broadly and with a common interest in customer success.
