The Industry Foundation Classes

BSD intends to use application programming interfaces (APIs) to “interoperate” with CAD system projects in an interactive way, keeping the LinkMan-E interface up to date more or less in real time (see BSD SpecLink: The Next Generation article). When discussing interoperability, we must consider the Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs) that the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) is continuing to develop. These are a set of object definitions that describe the building construction environment. They can be viewed as standardized containers for construction information. These containers need a classification system to be useful in passing cost estimating and specifications data. For example, software that interprets IFCs can identify a door object, but there is no standard way to tell which door it is in terms of the RS Means door assemblies or in terms of the BSD master specifications.

And while a number of vendors have implemented the means to import and export IFCs as flat files that allow applications to “talk” in batch transactions, none of the vendors we’re familiar with have implemented application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow applications to “talk” to each other in real time using IFCs. This limits their usability when trying to actively link and maintain a specification and cost estimate in sync with the CAD model as the design, estimate, and specification continue to evolve. However, BSD applauds this international standardization effort and fully intends to utilize these standards as this type of communication becomes technologically and economically viable using mainstream programming techniques.