buildingSMART Data Dictionary

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Current bSDD

The buildingSMART Data Dictionary (bSDD) is an online service with objects/classifications and their attributes and translations. The internal structure is inspired by the ISO 12006-3 ontology for the building and construction industry.  It is used to identify objects in the built environment and their specific properties regardless of natural language. The bSDD is open and international, allowing architects, engineers, consultants, owners and operators on one side and product manufacturers and suppliers on the other from all around the world to share and exchange semantic information. The bSDD helps reduce costs and improves quality, streamlining exchange between different users and applications through comprehensive modelling of objects and validation of data.

Go to the bSDD

Next Generation bSDD

The bSDD is already up and running and is operational. In the future, new use-cases will arise bSDD is preparing for those. The 'Next Generation bSDD'  will have attributed to properties to allow the use of Product Data Templates. New opportunities like publishing the data as Linked Data Ontologies and using bSDD content in machine readable Information Delivery Specification contracts will also improve the applicability of the bSDD service. This means the 'next generation bSDD' will have some changes on the technical side, next to improvements on the usability and accessibility.
The next generation bSDD action plan is part of the buildingSMART Technical Roadmap.

Technical Roadmap page
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Are you an end-user?

 

The main entry to bSDD is the Application Programming Interface(API). You need to register to access the bSDD data. If you want to access the bSDD, ask your software vendor to activate their bSDD plugin or functionality.  If you have questions about using the bSDD, contact the buildingSMART Data Dictionary Support Team.

Are you a content creator?

Whether you want to publish Exchange Information Requirements, your classification system or Product Data Templates, bSDD lets you connect to the world in a unique way.

buildingSMART International certifies agents that will ensure your content gets properly added to the dictionary.  buildingSMART Agents are neutral persons that know how to help establish your content in proper relation to IFC and other bSDD data.  Some countries also have established CEN442 compliant national domains, where you might be interested in contributing as experts.  There are also several commercial agents certified by buildingSMART International competent in modelling your content properly, and ensure compliance with bSDD quality requirements.  To better understand how the process works, contact the bSDD Product Manager.

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Are you a software developer?

 

buildingSMART International can help you explore use cases, understand the API and resources, support development and testing, and how to publish, obtain certification and support end users.  For more information, contact the bSDD Product Manager.