openBIM®
Explore the benefits of openBIM and find out how to contribute to standards and services that give you control of your data and help you define your digital destiny.
What is openBIM®?
openBIM enables seamless data sharing and collaboration across platforms and stakeholders, while empowering you to maintain full flexibility in defining your own workflows.
openBIM comprises the following standards and services
Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) - a set of standardized, digital descriptions of the built asset industry.
Information Delivery Specification (IDS)
Standard for defining and checking information requirements in a computer interpretable form to ensure data quality.
BIM Collaboration Format (BCF)
Standard communication protocol for efficient issue management and coordination on BIM projects.
buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD)
Service for publishing and accessing terms and definitions that describe the built environment to increase data consistency.
Validation Service
Free, online platform for validating IFC files, developed by buildingSMART – with the help of software vendors and bSI projects.
The openCDE Initiative
Portfolio of API standards that includes Foundation API, BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) API, Documents API, and Dictionary API.
Use Case Management Service (UCM)
Enables the capture, specification and exchange of best practices and makes them accessible to the entire built asset industry.
Why openBIM®?
As a user, you should be free to choose your own path. Follow your own digital destiny and use openBIM to improve the way you work in an open and neutral way.
Open
Open standards facilitate industry interoperability
Reliable
Data exchanges depend on reliable, independent quality benchmarks
Flexible
Choose the right technology for you, creating more value to all stakeholders
The openBIM Awards Program
The openBIM Awards Program is a great way for the industry to understand best practices and their use of open standards. Projects showcase how openBIM was applied to real projects, research, and professional applications of standards and services. These include IFC, bSDD, IDS, openCDE, IFC Validation Service, and more.
Watch a series of videos from the openBIM Awards Program 2024. These project finalists demonstrated the best examples of openBIM in the industry and demonstrated how open standards can add real value to projects and assets.
Publications
A variety of important publications are available that support openBIM worldwide; here are just a few.
Clarifying the “openBIM Workflow”: A Practical Breakdown
The "openBIM workflow" is not a single, universal process but rather a flexible approach to Building Information Modeling using open standards.
Electrifying openBIM
See how the Electrical Domain are developing openBIM strategies by applying best practice and knowledge for the industry.
Global openBIM Mandates 2024
Find out from around the world about openBIM mandates at a policy level delivering real improvements to the built environment.Explore buildingSMART Standards and Services
