MVD (Model View Definition) (MVD)

A Model View Definition (MVD) is a defined subset of the IFC schema that specifies exactly which objects, properties and relationships are needed to satisfy one specific information-exchange requirement or workflow. Where IFC is the whole vocabulary, an MVD is the slice of it that a particular exchange actually uses.

It is more than a filter — it is an active interpretation of IFC. An MVD describes which objects, representations and attributes a given task and application need, and effectively defines which part of the IFC schema a program implements. It is geared to 3D geometry and property data; for 2D output (plans, annotations) traditional formats like DWG or PDF still do the job.

It is the operational half of a pair. An Information Delivery Manual (IDM) agrees what should be delivered for a given purpose; the MVD is then what software uses to automate the export, import and checking of that delivery in IFC. MVDs are a buildingSMART concept, managed and approved by buildingSMART to protect interoperability — historically as the Coordination View (IFC2x3) and the lighter Reference View (IFC4). They are now being progressively superseded by IDS for defining exchange requirements. In Italian the MVD is the Definizione della vista di un modello.