IDS Maker — create a buildingSMART IDS specification without writing XML

Create and edit buildingSMART IDS specification files. Import from a spreadsheet template for bulk creation, or author visually without writing XML.

Author a buildingSMART IDS specification in the browser. Build it visually — pick the entities, choose the property sets and properties, set the constraints — or import from a spreadsheet for bulk creation, and download a valid .ids file. No XML by hand at any point.

IDS is the standard that turns "the model must carry the right information" from a paragraph in an employer's information requirements into something a machine can check. The obstacle has always been that authoring one means writing XML against a schema most people have never read, which is why so many projects have an information requirement and no way to test whether it was met.

When to reach for it: When you need to author or edit a buildingSMART IDS specification file without writing raw XML. Use the spreadsheet template for bulk creation — fill in an Excel/CSV file with your specifications and import them all at once. Useful for defining data delivery requirements on a project, or tweaking rules the IFC Checker has flagged.

What you get: A buildingSMART-compliant .ids XML file ready to use in the IFC Checker or any other IDS-aware tool.

Example: Define that all IfcWall must have Pset_WallCommon.FireRating set.

Facets, cardinality, and what an IDS actually says

A specification says: for elements matching THIS, require THAT. The matching side and the requirement side are both built from facets — entity, property, classification, material, attribute, part-of — and the editor exposes them as fields rather than as markup.

Cardinality is where IDS is more expressive than most people expect, and the editor makes it explicit: a requirement can be required, optional, or PROHIBITED. That last one is genuinely useful and easy to miss — "no element may carry a cost property" is a checkable requirement, not just a policy. Value constraints go beyond presence too: exact values, enumerations, patterns, and numeric ranges with inclusive or exclusive bounds.

Pick names instead of typing them

IFC entity names and standard property sets are offered as choices rather than free text, and the property list narrows to what's actually applicable to the entity you picked. That removes the single most common way an IDS fails silently: a specification targeting IfcWallStandardCase when the model exports IfcWall, or requiring a property spelled a shade differently from the standard one, matches nothing and passes perfectly. A spec that validates everything because it targets nothing is worse than no spec.

The editor also audits the document as you build it, surfacing problems by severity before you export — so structural mistakes are caught while you're still in the tool rather than after the spec has been issued to a design team.

Round-trips real IDS, and runs where you write it

Existing .ids files can be opened, edited and re-exported, so this works on specs you were given rather than only on ones you start here. Eight starter specifications ship with the tool as a base to adapt, and your own can be saved to your account and recalled on the next project.

The loop closes with the IDS Checker: validate a model against the spec you just wrote, see which specifications pass and fail, and come straight back here to adjust. Writing a requirement and testing it against a real model in the same sitting is what turns an information requirement into one people can actually meet — and if you're starting from a requirements spreadsheet rather than from scratch, import it instead of re-entering it.

How to create a buildingSMART IDS file

Click "Open Editor" to launch the IDS authoring tool
For bulk creation: click "Download Template" to get a spreadsheet, fill it in Excel or Google Sheets, then click "Import Template" to load all specifications at once
Optionally import an existing .ids file to edit
Add specifications — each one targets a set of IFC elements (applicability) and defines the properties they must have (requirements)
Use the duplicate button to copy a specification and the arrows to reorder them
Set applicability facets (e.g. IfcWall) and requirement facets (e.g. Pset_WallCommon.FireRating is set)
Click Download to save your .ids file, or Use in IFC Checker to validate a model against it immediately

Under the hood

BIMCamel parses IFC files in the browser using the open-source web-ifc engine and renders models with @thatopen/components + three.js. Heavy operations (clean / optimise / validate / convert) run on disposable server-side workers using the same web-ifc stack plus our own .NET pipeline; results stream back to your browser as soon as they're ready. Uploads sit on our servers only as long as your tier's retention window allows and are never used to train AI.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create an IDS file without writing XML?

Use this editor. Pick the entities, choose property sets and properties from lists, set the constraints, and export a valid .ids. You can also import a spreadsheet for bulk creation, or open an existing .ids to edit.

What is IDS?

Information Delivery Specification — the buildingSMART standard for stating what information a model must carry, in a form software can check. It turns an information requirement from a paragraph in a document into something testable on every revision.

Can I require that a property is absent?

Yes. IDS cardinality includes prohibited as well as required and optional, so "no element may carry a cost property" is a checkable requirement. It's easy to miss and genuinely useful for hand-off rules.

Can I edit an IDS file someone sent me?

Yes — open it here, edit it visually, and export it again. The editor reads and writes real IDS XML, so it round-trips rather than only producing new files.

How do I know my spec actually matches anything?

Entity and property names are picked from lists rather than typed, which removes the commonest silent failure — a spec targeting IfcWallStandardCase when the model exports IfcWall matches nothing and passes perfectly. The editor also audits the document as you build it. Then run it against a real model with the IDS Checker.

What's the maximum IFC file size?

Up to 25 MB as a guest, 100 MB with a free account, 500 MB on Pro, and 1 GB on Team. The caps are on upload size only — every tool itself is available on every tier.

What happens to my file after processing?

Your file is uploaded over HTTPS and processed on our servers. Guest uploads are stream-only — the working files are deleted as soon as your download finishes. Free accounts keep results for 7 days; Pro and Team keep saved models until you delete them. Files are never shared with third parties or used to train AI.

Is IDS Maker for IFC free?

Yes. IDS Maker for IFC is free to use — guests get 3 runs a day with 25 MB uploads, and a free account raises that to 10 runs a day with 100 MB uploads. No trial clock, no watermarks.