How to Validate Your IFC Model Against a buildingSMART IDS Specification
Check whether your model meets project requirements automatically using IDS (Information Delivery Specification).
Many projects now require BIM models to meet specific data standards. Instead of manually checking hundreds of rules, you can use an IDS file to validate your model automatically.
What is IDS?
IDS (Information Delivery Specification) is a buildingSMART standard that defines what data a model should contain. For example: "All walls must have a FireRating property" or "Every door must have a valid width value." The rules are written in a machine-readable file that tools like BIMCamel can check automatically.
How to validate
- Upload your IFC file.
- Open the Validate Model tool.
- Upload or select an IDS specification file.
- Click Run. BIMCamel checks every rule in the specification against every relevant element in your model.
Reading the report
The results show which rules passed and which failed, with details about which elements have issues. You can use this report to fix problems before submission.
Preparing your model for validation
- Run Repair GUIDs first to make sure every element has a unique identifier. Duplicate GUIDs can cause validation errors.
- Run a Model Health Check to catch structural issues that might interfere with validation.
IDS validation saves hours of manual checking and gives you confidence that your model meets project requirements before you submit it.