Create the IDS and the clash tests.
Write a buildingSMART IDS specification without editing XML, and set up a clash matrix in one grid. Export Navisworks clash tests or Excel, or run the hard-clash tests on an IFC. Free, in the browser, and neither tool needs a model uploaded to start.
The information requirements are written down and the coordination scope is agreed, but neither is in a form a machine can run.
- IDS: Author visually · import from a spreadsheet · export .ids
- Clash matrix: Excel and Navisworks XML in, Excel and clash tests out
- Run: Hard-clash tests on an IFC in BIMCamel
- Upload: Not needed to start either tool
Start here — IDS Maker for IFC
Turn the information requirements into an .ids file. The IDS Maker builds specifications from facets: pick the entities, choose the property sets and properties, set the constraints and cardinality. Bulk lists can be imported from a spreadsheet template. The editor flags problems in the spec as you write it, and the output is a valid .ids file for the IFC Checker or any other IDS-capable tool.
- Entity and property names are picked from the schema, not typed
- Spreadsheet import for bulk creation
- Valid buildingSMART IDS XML out, ready for the IFC Checker
What this set does
A grid for the coordination scope
Clash Matrix lists the discipline or system groups on both axes. A tick means that pair is tested. Pairs nobody agreed to test show as empty cells, so the scope of the first clash report is visible before it runs.
Export to the tool you already use
Export the matrix as Navisworks clash tests or as an Excel workbook, or import an existing Excel file or Navisworks XML and carry on from it.
Run it on the IFC
Link the matrix to an IFC and run the hard-clash tests in BIMCamel.
Tools in this category
- IDS Maker for IFC — Create and edit buildingSMART IDS specification files.
- Clash Matrix for IFC and Navisworks — Build a clash matrix in the browser, then export Navisworks clash tests or Excel, or run the hard-clash tests on an IFC model.
- IFC Checker — Check your IFC model against a buildingSMART IDS specification and get a compliance report.
- IFC Clash Detection — Find where IFC building elements intersect or are too close to each other.
- Create and View IFC Issues — Create, edit, and assign BCF issues against an IFC model.
How it works
- Define. List the entities and properties for the IDS, or the groups for the matrix.
- Check the setup. The IDS editor reports problems in the spec as you author it. The matrix shows tested and untested pairs in one view.
- Export or run. Download the .ids or the clash tests, or run them on an IFC straight away.
When you'd use it
The EIR without an IDS
The employer's information requirements are a paragraph in the BEP. Writing them as an IDS gives the delivery team something they can test against before issuing.
The Navisworks setup
A federated model needs a clash test list, and typing it test by test in Navisworks is slow. Agree the matrix in a grid, export it, and import the tests.
The scope question
A discipline asks why a pair was never tested. The matrix shows whether the pair was ruled out or never set up.
Where it stops
- The clash matrix covers hard clashes. Clearance and duplicate tests from an imported file are kept and written back unchanged, but they are not run here.
- The exported Navisworks files have not been verified against a real Navisworks yet.
- These tools create the specification and the test setup. An IDS pass or a clean clash run means the model satisfies what was written, not that what was written was complete.
FAQ
Do I need an IFC model to create an IDS?
No. The IDS Maker works without an upload. You only need a model when you run the finished spec in the IFC Checker.
Can I create an IDS from an Excel file?
Yes. The IDS Maker can import requirements from a spreadsheet template for bulk creation, and you can then edit them visually before exporting the .ids file.
What does the clash matrix export?
Navisworks clash tests and an Excel workbook. You can also import an Excel file or Navisworks XML. The Navisworks files have not yet been checked against a real Navisworks.
Can I run the clash tests without Navisworks?
Yes. Link the matrix to an IFC model and BIMCamel runs the hard-clash tests in the browser. Clearance tests are not run.
Where do I run the IDS I created?
In the IFC Checker. Upload the model and the .ids file and every requirement is checked element by element, with the report available as BCF, HTML or XLSX.