The buildingsmart Glossary of Terms

Transcription

1 The buildingsmart Glossary of Terms International Alliance for Interoperability Model Support Group January 2007

2 Glossary of Terms 2 of 33 The scope of this document is to provide guidance on the meaning of terms used in association with the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) model and related activities. This document is not intended to be a general glossary of terms for Information and Communications Technology All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright holder (IAI). Copyright International Alliance of Interoperability (IAI) Document Control Project Reference MSG Glossary Document Reference The buildingsmart Glossary of Terms Version 0.5 Date 2 nd January 2007 Status DRAFT Primary Editors Jeffrey Wix, Kari Karstila IAI Committee Responsible Model Support Group Distribution MSG Version /01/ Public release of The buildingsmart Glossary of Terms.

3 Glossary of Terms 3 of 33 Introduction The purpose of this glossary is to define a list of the terms used when talking about information and communication technology in construction and facilities management. Special emphasis is on the terms related to the buildingsmart idea including those dealing with information modeling, data exchange, IFC and related activities. Many sources have been consulted in compiling this Glossary. Significant amongst these are the glossaries published by the ProIT project in Finland, the Avanti programme in the United Kingdom and the EU funded ICCI project. However, a number of other sources were used and those that are of primary interest are listed in the References section. Some of the terms in the glossary are better known by their abbreviated form (or acronym). For such terms, the Abbreviation is provided is a separate column in addition to the meaning. Terms given in the glossary may be related to other terms. This may be either because the related term adds to the definition or because there is some other linkage. Where relationships exist, these are given in the Related column.

4 Glossary of Terms 4 of 33 Glossary 4D 4D 4D = 3D + time, i.e. the linking of time aspect to the building element and space objects of the 3Dmodel. The time aspect may describe e.g. the installation date and time of building elements. Then 4Dsimulation can be used to visualize the progress of construction in time. 5D 5D 5D = 3D + time + cost i.e. the linking of both time and cost aspects to the building element and space objects of the 3D-model. The 5D aspect may be used to describe the occurrence of cost parameters at particular times during the development of a project and may be used to visualize the expenditure, income return, life cycle cost or other developing cost pattern for a project. 5D nd 4D nd AEC AEC / FM AECO Abstract Entity Type Activity An entity type that cannot be instantiated; only non-abstract subtypes of an abstract entity type may be instantiated. A piece of work to accomplish a result. Describes a generalized piece of doing that is not scheduled in time. This is distinct from a task that typically has a time context. Activity Model A model that describes an application in terms of the sequence of its activities and information flows. Actor Architecture, Engineering and Construction Architecture, Engineering and Construction / Facilities Management. Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation A person, an organization or an organizational unit (such as a department, team etc.) involved in a project during its life cycle. A phrase that may be used as an alternative to describe the building construction industry. Prevalent in US and related practice. A phrase that may be used as an alternative to describe the building construction industry and subsequent building operations. Prevalent in US and related practice. An alternative usage to AEC/FM. More recent definition. Entity type Subtype Task Project

5 Glossary of Terms 5 of 33 API Aggregate A collection of elements. In the EXPRESS language the types of aggregates are array, bag, list and set. Array Aggregation A special form of association, between a whole and its parts, in which the whole is composed of the parts. In IFC, aggregation is a subtype of composition in which the composite element may be composed of elements of different entity types. Application An information system specific to the satisfaction of a set of user requirements. Application Programming Interface An interface definition that permits invoking services from application programs without knowing details of their internal implementation. Bag List Set Unique List AIC AIM Application Interpreted Construct Application Interpreted Model Specifies the interpretation of the STEP integrated resources to satisfy requirements for a tightly defined functional area. The process, mechanism, or manner by which meaning is assigned to an abstract representation of an event, object, or concept. Within an Application Interpreted Model or AIM, the abstract representation is specified by an EXPRESS construct. Interpretation results in the creation of a new construct in an AIM that may restrict, narrow, or constrain the semantic scope of an original construct, thereby specializing it. AM Application Module Common building blocks used to create modular Application Protocols (AP) within STEP. Higherlevel modules are built up from lower-level modules. AP Application Protocol A mechanism of the STEP standard for defining well-defined subsets of the total resource classes in STEP to be used in conceptual models supporting the data transfer needs of particular application areas. ARM Application Reference Model A conceptual model in STEP that describes the information requirements and constraints of a specific application context. Architecture Description of the basic arrangement and connectivity of parts of a system. STEP EXPRESS Application Protocol STEP Conceptual Model STEP Conceptual Model STEP

6 Glossary of Terms 6 of 33 Array A type of EXPRESS aggregate that is fixed by size and the elements of which are indexed by order. Aggregate ASCII BIM American Standard Code for Information Interchange A standard code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. As-Is Process A process as it is currently. Process Attribute In general, attributes represent the characteristics of objects. E.g. Attributes defined by a building element class may be Name, Length, Weight, Price, etc. The attribute values of a specific building element of a specific building may be Name = 'Wall-123', Length=6500.0, Weight=7300, etc. In EXPRESS, an attribute of an entity type has a name and data type, and they represent characteristics of an entity type and relationships between entity types. Attribute Value Attributes defined by an entity type get their specific values in the instances of the entity type. To-Be Process Backward Compatibility See Downward Compatibility Downward Compatibility Bag Building Information Model. A type of EXPRESS aggregate that can vary in size, the elements are not indexed by order and the elements are not required to be unique. A shared digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility founded on open standards for interoperability. A shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life-cycle from inception onward. A basic premise is collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the life cycle of a facility to insert, extract, update or modify information in the process to support and reflect the roles of that stakeholder. Boundary Representation A modeling strategy where objects are modeled using their boundary description. Bounding Box A minimum bounding volume in the form of a rectangular box such that it completely contains an object. Aggregate Building Product Model Knowledge

7 Glossary of Terms 7 of 33 BPEL BPMN BPR Building Product Model The totality of building information and digital product data, throughout the life cycle of a building. Note: Recently, also the term Building Information Model (BIM) has been used as a synonym for building product model. Business Object An identifiable business concept such as customer or order. Concept Business Process Execution Business Process Modeling Notation Business Process Reengineering) Business Rule CAD-Layer Cardinality Cartesian Coordinates An XML-based language designed to enable task-sharing for a distributed computing or grid computing environment. A notation for use in the development of business process diagrams that is readily understandable by all business users, from the business analysts that create the initial drafts of the processes, to the technical developers responsible for implementing the technology that will perform those processes, and finally, to the business people who will manage and monitor those processes. Enables XML languages designed for the execution of business processes, such as BPEL (Business Process Execution ), to be visualized with a business-oriented notation. An organizational process that helps to identify fundamental business objectives, formulate a detailed strategy to achieve those objectives, determine measures for success, redesign business processes, and implement new policies and procedures. A statement that defines or constrains some aspect of the business. A rule under which an organization operates. A policy or decision that influences the process step. A mechanism within CAD-applications for grouping data. In a CAD-model a graphical entity is assigned to a layer to which may be applied operations, like visibility, filtering etc. Definition of how many instances can participate into a relationship in both sides of it. Describes the number of participants in a reference between objects/classes in a data model. For instance the link between a father and his sons is a zero-to-many reference as one father may have 0 or more sons. The link from a son to his father is a one-to-one link as a son may have one and only one (biological) father. A planar coordinate system that enables a point in 2D space to be represented by two measurements, and a point in 3D space by three measurements, relative to some defined origin and system of orthogonal axes. Building Information Model Task Activity Business Process Execution Task Constraint Instance

8 Glossary of Terms 8 of 33 CIS/2 Certification Certification Workshop Change Log Chapter CIMSteel Integration Standards CityGML In the context of IFC, a procedure by which software that implements IFC is tested and certified for conformance with IFC specification and for capability of high quality IFC data exchange. Certification of software is done against an IFC View definition. An open workshop which is part of the IFC software certification procedures. In the workshop, the certification candidates have to demonstrate the capability of their software for high quality IFC data exchange. The certification workshop is preceded by testing of software using test cases, and with exchanges between the candidate software. In the context of IFC, documentation of the changes made to the IFC Object Model. The change log is maintained by the IAI Model Support Group. A geographical or language based organizational unit within the IAI organization. Chapters are the next organizational level below IAI International. The current IAI Chapters are: Australasia, Benelux, China, French speaking, German speaking, Iberia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Nordic, North American, Singapore and UK Chapters. The product model and electronic data exchange file format for structural steel project information intended to create a seamless and integrated flow of information among all parties of the steel supply chain involved in the construction of steel framed structures. A mapping specification between CIS/2 and IFC is defined. An information model for the representation of 3D urban objects. It defines the classes and relations for the most relevant topographic objects in cities and regional models with respect to their geometrical, topological, semantic and appearance properties. Included are generalization hierarchies between thematic classes, aggregations, relations between objects, and spatial properties. It is implemented as an application schema for the Geographic Markup (GML). View Model Support Group IAI International Mapping Specification Geographic Markup Class A Class describes the characteristics of similar objects. Entity Type Class Hierarchy The Inheritance hierarchy (Is-a relationships) between the classes. Inheritance Class Library A collection of classes, or a set of pre-built and pre-tested software components that can be used as building blocks to develop applications. Class libraries are often provided by development tool vendors and may also be purchased from third-party vendors. Classification A grouping of things according to common characteristics or some other principle. Class

9 Glossary of Terms 9 of 33 CFD Code Checking View Compatibility Complex Instance Composition Computational Fluid Dynamics A view of the IFC Object Model that is designed to support the exchange of information to check for conformance with local building codes/regulations. In general, capability of systems' interfaces to work with each other. Note: With regard to data exchange files, there may be upward compatibility and downward compatibility. An instance that is an instantiation of a number of entity types at the same time. A complex instance collects together component instances from multiple classes into a single instance. Note: Complex instance is not the same as a composition. Note: Especially EXPRESS related concept. In general, a relationship between a composite object and its parts. In IFC, a type of composition where the composite element can be a composition of elements of varying types. The generic composition relationship in IFC is further subtyped into aggregation and nesting. Note: Some times also called whole-part relationship. The science of determining a numerical solution to the governing equations of fluid flow whilst advancing the solution through space or time to obtain a numerical description of the complete flow field of interest EXPRESS Relationship CAD Computer Aided Design A class of software application that performs a design function. Application CADD CAFM CAMM Computer Aided Design and Draughting Computer Aided Facilities Management Computer Aided Maintenance Management A computer aided design software application with additional features such as annotation etc. that enable the production of drawings as output. A class of software application that assists with the planning, execution and recording of facilities management operations. A class of software application that assists with the planning, execution and recording of engineering maintenance management operations. Subtype Application Application Application

10 Glossary of Terms 10 of 33 CASE CSG Computer Aided System Engineering Computer Interpretable Data Computer Aided System Engineering. (CASE) tools are more or less complete sets of software to aid the process of making software. They typically support the creation of graphical schemas, keep track of dictionaries (repositories) of all entity classes, their attributes and relations and at last generate code in a chosen language. Representation of data in a form that can be directly interpreted by computer applications without human intervention. Concept Human perception of objects of reality. Conceptual Model Conformance Consistency Constraint A formal definition of a bounded set of facts, concepts or instructions and relationships to meet a specified requirement. Synonym of information model In the context of standards, means that the implementation of the standard (e.g. applications data exchange interface) is done according to the definitions of the standard. A characteristic of a data set that the values that are dependent or derived from each other don t have values violating these dependency rules. In EXPRESS or data modeling, defines restrictions to the allowable value space of instances and their attribute values. A limiting value or boundary condition that may be applied to the value of a property of an object. Attribute Class Relationship Repository Schema Data Concept Information Model Relationship Data EXPRESS Data Model Constructed Data Types Constructed data types of EXPRESS are enumeration and select data types. EXPRESS Construction Type Constructive Solid Geometry Defines the decomposition structure of a building element and properties of the building element parts. Type information defines some properties of building elements that may be shared by multiple building elements. E.g. The construction type of a wall defines the material layers of its cross section. A geometric modeling methodology where an object is built using the boolean operators: union, subtraction and difference. Converter A computer application that converts data from one form to another. Application Object

11 Glossary of Terms 11 of 33 Coordination View Data Database Data Access Interface A basic view of the IFC Object Model designed to exchange primarily shape data about the building, spaces and building elements Representation of information in a formal manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by human beings or computer applications. Recorded, ordered symbols that carry information. A group of related data sets comprising data that is independent of applications, involves complex data relationships, and is protected by data security A programming interface that allows for access to data such that the using application is separated from how the data actually is stored and managed. DDL Data Definition A formal method for the definition of concepts and their data structures. Concept Shape Data Information Knowledge Relationship Application Data Exchange The exchange of data between computer applications; typically using a data exchange file. Data Sharing Data Exchange File A file of data in data exchange format that is exported by the sending application for the purpose of transferring and importing the file into the receiving application. Data Exchange Format A computer interpretable format used for storing, accessing, transferring, and archiving data. Data Data Model Data Quality An abstraction of the real world which incorporates only those properties thought to be relevant to the application at hand. The data model would normally define specific groups of entities, and their attributes and the relationships between these entities. Usually used as a synonym for the terms conceptual or information model. Note: Sometimes a distinction is made between the implementation technology independent conceptual model, and the data model which is planned for a specific implementation technology (e.g. the data structures of a database). Note: An Information model for Product data is called a Product data model. Indications of the degree to which data satisfies stated or implied needs. This may include information about lineage, completeness, currency, logical consistency and accuracy of the data Data Data Exchange Format Conceptual Model Information Model Data

12 Glossary of Terms 12 of 33 Data Sharing Common access to data in a database by a number of applications that create, use and update the data. Application Data Database Data Exchange Data Type The definition of the domain of values of an attribute. Attribute Database An organized and managed set of data that one or more applications can use and update. Data Datum A point that defines an origin and orientation of a coordinate system. Cartesian Coordinates Decomposition De-Facto Standard Defined Type In general, a relationship between parts of a composite object and the composite object that is the inverse to composition A method or similar which has achieved a position of being the "standard" practice, without being standardized by an official standardization body. In EXPRESS, defined type is a named type that can be by underlying data type be a simple type, other defined types or a Constructed data type. Definition A concise explanation of meaning of an item of interest. Derived Attribute An attribute the value of which can be derived from the values of other attributes of the object. The derivation rule can also be seen as a consistency rule between the attribute values. DTM Digital Terrain Model A method of transforming elevation data into a contoured surface of a three-dimensional display. DTD Document A collection of document data that is managed as a single unit. Document Data Document Type Definition. Document data gives a textual or graphical description (presentation) of the thing, such that humans can interpret information about the thing. For example, a person who understands the notations of construction drawings can interpret the design for the building. However, even if the drawing would be e.g. in digital DXF-format, a computer application could automatically interpret the meaning of the graphics (lines, circles, text,...) of the drawing. A definition of information content using the XML language. Composition EXPRESS Attribute Product Data extensible Markup

13 Glossary of Terms 13 of 33 ERP Document Based Domain Downward Compatibility e-commerce A paradigm in which information is represented using documents (presentations), text documents, schedules, drawings, etc., from the content of which the computer applications cannot interpret actual product data. Interpretation is done by humans using the documents. The body of knowledge defining the range and scope of an area of interest in terms of elements, rules and behaviors. With regard to data exchange, a type of compatibility in which the data files based on a later specification release are compatible with data files based on an earlier release. With regard to an application, an application is downward compatible is it can read, write and handle data created by an earlier release of the application. The process of conducting business (buying and selling of goods and services) on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a new term, "e-business," are often used interchangeably. e-government The process of conducting government business on the Internet. Enterprise Enterprise Resource Planning Entity type Enumeration Type One or more organizations sharing a definitive mission, goals, and objectives to offer an output such as a product or service. This includes related concepts such as extended enterprise or virtual enterprise. A large organization whose many offices, agencies, workers and partners must be able to communicate and share information effectively and efficiently. The broad set of activities supported by multi-module application software that help a manufacturer or other business manage the important parts of its business, including product planning, parts purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, and tracking orders. ERP can also include application modules for the finance and human resources aspects of a business. Typically, an ERP system uses or is integrated with a relational database system. The deployment of an ERP system can involve considerable business process analysis, employee retraining, and new work procedures. Defines the attributes and constraints for objects (i.e. the instances of the entity type) with similar characteristics. Note: Synonym for more generic term Class. In the definitions the term entity type is used in most cases. A data type that defines a list of possible named enumeration values. I.e. an attribute of an enumeration type can have a value of one of the predefined enumeration values. Model Based Rule Behavior Application Data Exchange Attribute Class Constraint Data Type

14 Glossary of Terms 14 of 33 Event The cause of a state change of an object. Object Exchange Format A structure and syntax for encoding data for the purpose of its exchange. Data Exchange Format ER Exchange Requirement The set of information that needs to be exchanged to support a particular business requirement at a particular project stage (or stages). The purpose of an exchange requirement is to describe the information that must be passed from one business process to enable another business process to happen. Information Explicit Attribute An attribute of an entity type that is not a derived or inverse attribute. Attribute EXPRESS EXPRESS Model EXPRESS-G EXPRESS-X Extension A data definition language defined by ISO EXPRESS language reference manual. EXPRESS is a formal language that can be used to define product data models. Note: IFC Object Model is defined using the EXPRESS language. An information model described using the EXPRESS language. An EXPRESS model may comprise a number of interrelated schemas. A graphical notation for the EXPRESS language. EXPRESS-G defines graphical symbols for a subset of the elements of the EXPRESS language. A mapping specification language for defining a mapping between data sets based on different EXPRESS-models. EXPRESS-X is defined by ISO within the EXPRESS language family. In the step-wise development approach of the IFC, an extension extends the IFC Object Model to cover a new domain. An extension is defined by IFC model development projects. Facility A physical structure or installation including related site works, serving one or more main purpose Feature File Based Data Exchange A region of interest on the surface of a part. Features may form a hierarchy with, on the highest level, pattern features. Pattern Features may be placed in a hierarchy of sub-patterns, but end with compound features. Compound features may also be placed in a hierarchy of sub-compound features, which end with so-called primitive features. The latter type of features cannot be decomposed further. Data exchange that happens using files between the sending application and the receiving application. Data Definition Product Data Model EXPRESS EXPRESS EXPRESS Mapping Specification Domain Model Development Project Data Exchange

15 Glossary of Terms 15 of 33 Formal Described in an unambiguous, systematic way. Format A structure and syntax in which data is encoded. Data Full Model Exchange A form of data exchange where the whole product model is exported into an exchange file. Note: See also Partial model exchange. Data Exchange Function In general, the behavior of a thing. Method FP Functional Part A unit of information within an exchange requirement that may be fully described and modeled in its own right. GML Generalization Geographic Markup Global Rule In information modeling, creation of a more generic class that captures the common characteristics of the more specific classes. Creation of a supertype for a number of entity types (subtypes) such that the supertype captures the common attributes and constraints of the subtypes, which then do not need to be defined individually in the subtypes because they are inherited from the supertype. XML-based language for describing and encoding geospatial information. An application of XML, a specification developed by members of the Open GIS Consortium. An EXPRESS constraint defined outside of entity types, and which may define constraints applicable to a number of entity types and their instances. GUID Globally Unique Identifier A pseudo-random number used in software and database applications. While each generated GUID is not guaranteed to be unique, the total number of unique keys (2128 or ) is so large that the probability of the same number being generated twice is very small. Hierarchy The term GUID usually references Microsoft's implementation of the Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) standard, however, many other software developments and standards including IFC use the term GUID. A ranking or ordering of abstractions. The two most common hierarchies in a complex system include its class structure (the "kind of" hierarchy) and its object structure (the "part of" hierarchy), hierarchies may also be found in the module and process architectures of a complex system. Hierarchy is one of the fundamental elements of the object model. Supertype extensible Markup Constraint Entity Type Instance

16 Glossary of Terms 16 of 33 ICT IDEF0 IDEF1X Human Interpretable IAI International Information and Communication Technology ICAM Definition 0 ICAM Definition 1X Identifier Data representation without well defined semantics (meaning, interpretation rules) and therefore not computer interpretable. Example: interpretation of traditional or computer generated documents e.g. drawings are based on human intuition and experience. A legal entity registered as a company limited by guarantee (i.e. not profit distributing) within the United Kingdom and owned by the various IAI Chapters and that acts as the focus for matters of ownership, copyright and intellectual property rights in respect of materials produced by or assigned to an IAI entity for global distribution. A modeling method for process (or function) modeling in which the processes are describes as hierarchical subprocesses which are composed of activities (or functions) and material and information flows between the activities. These can be inputs or outputs for the activities. The activities may also have control and mechanism, e.g. an actor or tool, that performs the activity. Data modeling method that has a close relationship to the relational model of relational databases. An attribute with a unique value. An unambiguous reference to a resource within a given context. Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string or number conforming to a formal identification system. Formal identification systems include but are not limited to the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) (including the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)), the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Identity The nature of an object that distinguishes it from all other objects. IFC Exchange Format IFC Object Model IFC Platform An exchange format for IFC product data. There are two alternative exchange formats for IFC product data, the one is based on ISO the standard (so-called IFC Part-21 format), and the other on XML (ifcxml). A conceptual model for AEC/FM interoperability. The IFC Object Model is primarily represented by the IFC EXPRESS schema from which and ifcxml schema representation is also defined. The central subset of IFC Object Model that is frozen for a number of years, and on the top of which new extensions will be defined. Activity Actor Process Attribute extensible Markup ISO format EXPRESS extensible Markup

17 Glossary of Terms 17 of 33 ISG IFC IDM IFC Specification IFC Toolkit IFC-Model Note: See IFC Object Model. IfcXML Implementation Implementers Support Group Industry Foundation Classes. Information Information Delivery Manual Information Flow The whole of IFC Release documentation that includes IFC Object Model in EXPRESS/EXPRESS-G, the semantic definitions and explanations, and IFC Property Set definitions. A software library or component that provides software developers for the functionality of reading and writing IFC product models together with a data access interface for accessing the IFC product data. IFC Toolkits are used in implementing IFC interfaces or pre- and post-processors for applications. Definition of IFC Object Model using XML schema language. IfcXML enables exchange of IFC product data in XML format. ifcxml data specification defines (using XML schema language) the same data content as the IFC EXPRESS schema, only the specification language is different. ifcxml specification enables exchange of IFC product data in XML format. In the IFC context, an IFC implementation means application s capability to create and use, and import and export IFC Project data. A group within IAI that provides a forum for co-operation and support in implementing IFCs. An international specification for product data exchange and sharing for AEC/FM. IFC enables interoperability between the computer applications for AEC/FM. A subset of IFC is approved as ISO/PAS Data that has been interpreted, translated, or transformed to reveal the underlying meaning. Note: See also data, knowledge In process modeling, exchange of information between activities such that output information from one activity acts as an input information form another activity. EXPRESS EXPRESS-G Property Set Semantics Application Data Access Interface EXPRESS extensible Markup Application Interoperability ISO/PAS Data Knowledge Activity Process

18 Glossary of Terms 18 of 33 IFD IGES IAI ICIS Information Framework for Dictionaries Information Management Information Model Inheritance Inheritance Hierarchy Initial Graphics Exchange Specification Instance An international development of an object library for the AEC/FM industry that is compatible with IFC and can be used to get more detailed information in and out of your construction design. An alternative identity for the conceptual model within ISO Part 3 Integrating information standards, processes, systems, and technology to enable the exchange of information among providers and users in order to support the management objectives of an organization. Formal definition of information, which defines the elements of information and their relationships. A formal model of a bounded set of facts, concepts or instructions to meet a specified requirement. Synonym for conceptual model A specialization / generalization relationship between entity types, the supertype and subtype(s), by which the subtype inherits all the attributes and constraints from the supertype. Additionally subtype may have more specific attributes and constraints. The (hierarchical) relationship structure between entity types formed through their inheritance relationships (Is-a). Note: Synonym for the term Class hierarchy. A neutral file format for the exchange of geometry data between CAD systems. The first versions of IGES were standardized as ANSI Y14.26M in A unique instantiation of an entity type. I.e. creation of a unique instance of an entity type such that the attributes of and constraints on the instance are defined by the entity type, and each instance has its own identity and values for their attributes. Conceptual Model ISO Part 3 Concept Conceptual Model Relationship Entity Type Subtype Supertype Constraint Inheritance Class Hierarchy Computer Aided Design Attribute Constraint Entity Type Identity Instantiation Creation of instances of an entity type. Entity Type International Alliance for Interoperability International Construction Information Society An open consortium to develop, promote and for implementation support of IFC. An association of organizations that provides national master specification systems and/or cost information systems for the construction industry. Industry Foundation Classes

19 Glossary of Terms 19 of 33 IC International Council The highest decision making body within the IAI. Each IAI Chapter has representatives in IC. International Alliance for Interoperability ISO ITM International Organization for Standardization International Technical Management Interoperability Inverse Relationship ISO Standard A network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries. ISO is a non-governmental organization: its members are not delegations of national governments. Many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. Other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. Therefore, ISO is able to act as a bridging organization in which a consensus can be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society, such as the needs of stakeholder groups like consumers and users. Whatever the country, whatever the language, the short form of the organization's name is always ISO The technical decision making and coordination body within the IAI. Each IAI Chapter has representatives in ITM. In general, the ability of systems to work together. Ability of computer applications to exchange, share and utilize digital product / project data within e.g. AEC/FM projects and over the life cycle of buildings and building information. A definition of a relationship in an inverse direction. The inverse relationship defines a name and cardinality for a relationship in the inverse direction. ISO Product data representation and exchange standard. An international standard that has defined the basis for product data technologies, and product data exchange standards for a number of industry sectors. International Alliance for Interoperability Application Product Data Relationship International Organization for Standardization ISO Formal specification of the EXPRESS data definition language International Organization for Standardization ISO Format A data exchange format defined by ISO for the exchange of data encoded according to the EXPRESS data definition standard. Also termed Part 21 format. EXPRESS International Organization for Standardization Data Exchange Format

20 Glossary of Terms 20 of 33 ISO ISO ISO TC59/SC13 ISO TC184/SC4 A standard that defines a Framework for classification of information. ISO :2001 is defined by Working Group 2 of ISO TC59/SC13 A standard that specifies a language-independent information model which can be used for the development of dictionaries used to store or provide information about construction works. It enables classification systems, information models, object models and process models to be referenced from within a common framework. ISO :2007 is defined by Working Group 3 of ISO TC59/SC13 The ISO Technical Committee/Sub-Committee concerned with the Organization of information about construction works The ISO Technical Committee/Sub-Committee concerned with Industrial Data. An international standardization subcommittee that works on a family of standards for representation and exchange of industrial data. Among other things ISO standard is developed within this subcommittee. International Organization for Standardization Classification International Organization for Standardization Information Framework for Dictionaries International Organization for Standardization International Organization for Standardization Note: IFC uses base technologies (e.g. EXPRESS and ISO format) from the ISO standards developed by ISO TC184/SC4 and adapt concepts from a number of standards particularly within the generic resources set (ISO x series). ISO/PAS A subset of IFC 2x specification that has an ISO Publicly Accessible Standard status. International Organization for Standardization STEP Industry Foundation Classes IRD Issues and Resolutions Database A database of IFC Object Model issues resulting from reviews and IAI Model Support Group resolutions against the issues. Model Support Group Key Attribute One attribute or several attributes which provide a unique identification of an entity in a relational database. Identifier

21 Glossary of Terms 21 of 33 Knowledge Knowledge Management Lifecycle Information from multiple domains that has been synthesized, into meaning or understanding that was not previously known. Promoting, coordinating, and facilitating knowledge synthesis, preservation, processes, production and exchange in order to support the strategic goals of the organization. All of the different phases an object goes through from the first stages in the programming of a building to the demolition. Data Information List A type of EXPRESS aggregate that can vary in size and in which the elements are indexed by order. Aggregate Long Form Mapping In EXPRESS modeling, a form of a single schema which is a result from resolving the interfaces of multiple modular interrelated schemas. The process of converting a data set from one form (source) to another form (target). Both source and target may be defined by different schemas. Schema Schema Mapping Processor Synonym for term Converter. Converter Mapping Specification Description of the mapping between the source form and the target form. Mapping Meta Model Model that describes other models. Model Metadata Method Methodology A study of scientific methods. Middleware Information about data, including the format of the data element, which application system owns it, where it is located, how it should be used. Metadata is the global information about what data exists across the enterprise and the standards that apply to that data. Message from another object triggers execution of a method by the receiving object in an objectoriented system. Software and application program interfaces that serve as intermediaries among application programs and services, Middleware insulates programmers from the complexities of the communication architecture, such as network protocols. Data Object Oriented Application Model An abstraction and representation of the relevant characteristics of the target system for a purpose. System

22 Glossary of Terms 22 of 33 Model Development Project Model Server Model-Based A project within IAI the purpose of which is to capture information requirements and results into an extension model to extend IFC into a new domain. A computer application that provides a shared model repository, model management functionality and a data access interface to product/project models for multiple, concurrent client applications over the net. An approach, e.g. for AEC/FM computer applications, where the target system (e.g. building) is represented by a model which then is used as a basis for analysis, creation of presentations, reports, and exchange of data. MSG Modeling Support Group A group, within IAI, of technical experts that are responsible for the IFC Object Model and Specification integration, development and maintenance. Industry Foundation Classes International Alliance for Interoperability Application Data Access Interface Repository Document Based Industry Foundation Classes International Alliance for Interoperability Multiple Inheritance A form of inheritance where an entity type (class) inherits from more than one direct supertypes. Inheritance nd n-dimensional A term used to describe an arbitrary number of dimensions of model visualization beyond the 5 dimensions represented by space, time and cost. Nesting Neutral Form In IFC, a type of composition where the composite element is a composition of elements of the same type. A form of data that is independent of individual computer applications. Typically, neutral forms are defined by standards or other open specifications. Supertype 4D 5D Composition Data Open Standard

23 Glossary of Terms 23 of 33 OMG Object Object Management Group A collection of data that is handled in applications as a single unit. In object or product modeling things are modeled as objects, that have attributes (or properties) and relationships to other objects. E.g. the building elements of a building may be modeled as objects that have properties and relationships to other building elements. Note: Sometimes generally speaking the term object may mean either a class or an instance of a class. If it is necessary to explicitly make the distinction between the two, the latter terms should be used. A consortium originally aimed at setting standards for distributed object-oriented systems, and now focused on modeling (programs, systems and business processes) and model-based standards. Responsible for the Unified Modeling (UML) OO Object Oriented A modeling / programming paradigm in which things are modeled / implemented as objects, their relationships (and messaging between the objects). OGC Occurrence Object Ontology Open Geospatial Consortium Open Standard A unique occurrence of an object that shares the common characteristics of a type object with other similar occurrence objects, but all the occurrence objects have their own existence and possible other characteristics, such as location. See also Type object for comparison. Enable communication between computer systems. The key ingredients of an ontology are a vocabulary of basic terms and a precise specification of what those terms mean. A non-profit, international, voluntary consensus standards organization that is leading the development of standards for geospatial and location based services. The GML standard is particularly important in this regard. OGC and IAI have a liaison agreement A standard that is: created in an open, international, participatory industry process freely distributed and openly accessible technology neutral: i.e. its use must not be predicated on any proprietary technology or style of interface. Attribute Class Data Entity Type Property Relationship Object Oriented Unified Modeling Paradigm Type object Geographic Markup Open Standard

24 Glossary of Terms 24 of 33 Open System Optional Attribute Paradigm A pattern or model. A system with standardized interfaces between its components, and the internal structure of the components are independent of other components. A system that interoperates through open interfaces, protocols etc. developed and maintained in an inclusive, open consensus process. Open systems promote application portability, scalability, interoperability, diversity, manageability, extensibility, compatibility with legacy components, and user portability. In EXPRESS, an attribute the value of which may be missing. Note: If the attribute is not optional the value has to be always provided. Parameter A variable used for controlling the value of a mathematical function. Parser Partial Model Exchange Post-Processor Pre-Processor A tool used to interpret a text according to a specific language that is described by a set of syntactic rules. The parser finds the language elements in the text and signals any syntactic error. Parsers are usually part of interpreters and compilers. Exchange or export / import of a product model which is only a subset of the total model. Partial model exchange brings about a set of issues, like change and version management, and referencing objects that are not part of the exchange, to be addressed as comparison to full model exchange. A software module that make a conversion from a neutral form to the software's internal representation form. Note: Here, pre/post processing is defined from the viewpoint of the data exchange file. A software module that make a conversion from the software's internal representation form to an external form, which may be defined by an data exchange standard. Note: Here, pre/post processing is defined from the viewpoint of the data exchange file. Presentation Defines how the characteristics of an object are presented on a computer screen or in documents. Object Process A system of activities, the material and information flows between the activities, activity resources, and process control to produce a result. Interoperability System Attribute Rule Full Model Exchange Product Model Application Data Exchange File Application Data Exchange File Activity Process Breakdown The decomposition of the process into subprocesses and activities. Activity Process

25 Glossary of Terms 25 of 33 Process Chart-Method A process modeling method in which a process is described as activities and material and information flows between the activities. Characteristic for the method is that each participating actor has its own "swim lane" for its activities. Process Model A model that represents the relevant characteristics of a process for a defined purpose. Model Product Data Product Data Definition Product Data Model Product Data Technology A representation of information about a product in a formal manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by human beings or by computer applications. Computer interpretable data about product and related things. For example, information about a building and the construction project stored into an exchange file in IFC format. A formal definition of product data. Product data model is an example of product data definition. An information model for product data. A formal specification of product data. For example, IFC Object model is a product data model defined for AEC/FM product data. A set of IT methods, models, standards, toolkits and applications that to support the Information processes throughout the life cycle of a product. Activity Process Information Flow Process Information Product Data Information Model Application IFC Toolkit Lifecycle Product information Facts, concepts or instructions about a product. Concept Product Library / Part Library A digital library of product information that computer applications can utilize in product modeling. For example, furniture manufacturer's product information library for furniture, that the designers can access via Internet, and use the product information as part of the building model created using a CADapplication. Product Information

26 Glossary of Terms 26 of 33 PSDML Product Model Product Modeling An instantiation of a product data model. A product model of a specific building represents product data about the building in a form that is defined by a product data model. For example, model of a building stored into an exchange file in IFC format. An art and science that deals with modeling and representation and exchange of products and product information in computer interpretable form. Product Structure Describes the decomposition of a product from its components. Project A unique set of work, with limited duration, which has a goal and resources to aim for the goal. Project Data Computer interpretable data about construction projects and the resulting products, the buildings. Data Instantiation Project Database A database for project specific data. Database Property Property Set Property Set Definition Markup In general, properties represent qualities and characteristics of something. In IFC, properties are a generic mechanism and data-driven way of representing characteristics of objects. i.e. the properties have a name, a value, and may be related to objects. Within IFC, a grouping of properties that belong together based on some principle, like viewpoint or lifecycle stage. An XML based encoding for presentation of IFC property sets. Protocol The agreed-on rules that computers rely on to talk among themselves. Rule Quantity Data Reference Model Referential Integrity Data that describes quantities like pieces, areas or volumes and is derived typically from the shape data of individual objects. Quantity data is often summarized per construction type. E.g. The area and volume of a wall derived from its basic dimensions, or the total area of walls of same construction type. A model that is sufficiently generic and has enough degrees of freedom so that it applies to various, more specific purposes. A condition of a database according to which in references all the referred objects also exists. This means that there are no conflicts (e.g. missing records) in the reference structure of database content. Product Data Model Product Information Property Lifecycle extensible Markup Database