National BIM Library - IFC property sets

From the launch of NBS National BIM Library, IFC is a file format we have taken seriously. It is core to our authoring processes and in-house tools. Through our membership of buildingSMART we support and promote it.

It could be argued that the market demand is not there yet for this information. Equally it could be argued that the main-stream authoring software tools do not allow the adequate import of IFC property sets.

But this will come in time.

Interoperability is improving each year with BIM tools. The conversation is changing from one that was sceptical around interoperability two or three years ago to one which is optimistic about interoperability.

As part of our continuous enhancement programme of work this year to National BIM Library, the latest update to our website exposes the quality and consistency of our BIM objects on their corresponding web page. Some screenshots below.

PSet_DoorCommon properties and values from an Assa Abloy Doorset 

PSet_MaterialProperties property and values from a Kingspan Insulation plasterboard object

Empty Pset_FanTypeCommon property sets from a generic fan object

...and of course the basic generic COBie property sets (for a chiller object) 

Our NBS BIM Object Standard sets the rules for the industry with respect to the geometry, information and functionality of BIM objects. Screenshots from this are below:

The free-to-download object standard

Extract from the standard with respect to the information requirements

For more information on IFC property sets, please see:

- http://www.buildingsmart-tech.org/ifc/IFC2x3/TC1/html/

For information for software developers interested in writing software using IFC data please see:

- https://xbim.codeplex.com/

Explore NBS National BIM Library at:

- http://www.nationalbimlibrary.com/