When BIM moves between companies, “you can’t open it unless you own the same expensive software” is a problem. openBIM is the idea of sharing and connecting BIM through open, vendor-neutral standards instead of one company’s native format. It’s a framework promoted by buildingSMART, built on a family of public standards starting with IFC.
- openBIM = exchanging BIM through open standards, not tied to any one vendor's software.
- The standards behind it: IFC (model), BCF (issues), IDS (requirements), bSDD (data dictionary), plus a CDE for how you share.
- The opposite is closedBIM (locked into one company's native format). openBIM's value is avoiding lock-in, long-term access, interoperability.
- "Author in native, hand over in open" is the practical split.
openBIM vs closedBIM
Working entirely inside one company’s software and handing over its native format is closedBIM. It’s fast and feature-rich, but the recipient can’t open it without the same software (and version), and the data’s lifespan depends on that vendor. openBIM bridges those gaps with published, neutral formats.
openBIM
- Exchange via public standards (IFC and more)
- Software- and vendor-agnostic
- Secures long-term access and interoperability
- Procurement isn't tied to one product
closedBIM
- Handover in one company's native format
- Requires the same software and version
- Fast authoring, dense features
- Data lifespan depends on the vendor
The point isn’t that one side is “right.” Author in whichever native tool each firm is best at, and exchange, review and coordinate across firms in open standards — that split is the most sensible in practice.
The standards behind openBIM
openBIM isn’t a single specification; it’s a combination of standards with different jobs.
📦 IFC (model)
The neutral data model for a building's elements, geometry and properties (ISO 16739). The core of openBIM. What is IFC.
💬 BCF (issues)
Exchange "what's wrong and where" with a viewpoint — pass issues back and forth without sending the whole model. What is BCF.
✅ IDS (requirements)
State "what information is required" machine-readably and check it automatically. What is IDS.
📖 bSDD (dictionary)
The buildingSMART Data Dictionary — a shared dictionary of classifications and properties that keeps terminology consistent.
Why openBIM
🔓 No lock-in
Not tied to a single tool or vendor. Switch tools and your assets keep living.
🗄️ Long-term preservation
An open spec means the data is still readable in 10 or 20 years — crucial for operations and refurbishment.
🤝 Interoperability
Architecture, structure and MEP in different software still overlay, review and coordinate on common ground.
⚖️ Fair procurement
Requiring deliverables in an open format avoids favouring only firms that own one specific product.
Public clients increasingly require “deliver in IFC” for exactly these reasons — longevity and fairness. As covered in IFC vs RVT, if you treat native formats as the working copy and IFC as the handover format, openBIM fits your existing workflow without friction.
The openBIM workflow in practice
openBIM isn’t a special ritual — it’s shifting everyday handover and review toward open standards. A typical, tool-agnostic flow:
Receive
Each firm exports IFC; you receive it in a [viewer](/en/blog/choosing-ifc-viewer/) or CDE. Agree the shared origin and naming up front in a BEP.
Review & check
Confirm properties and requirements are met with [model checking](/en/blog/what-is-model-checking/) (automatically via IDS where possible).
Exchange issues
Pass findings back and forth as BCF — just the viewpointed issue, not the whole model.
Share & record
Manage the latest version and approval status centrally in a CDE, keeping the history.
Summary
- openBIM is sharing and connecting BIM through open standards, independent of any single vendor (a buildingSMART framework).
- The standards behind it: IFC (model), BCF (issues), IDS (requirements), bSDD (dictionary), plus a CDE for how you share.
- closedBIM isn’t the enemy — author in native, hand over in open, is the practical split.
- The value is avoiding lock-in, long-term preservation, interoperability and fair procurement — the same reasons behind public IFC mandates.
openBIM isn’t “a product,” it’s “a way of working that isn’t locked in.” Start by handing over in IFC and exchanging issues in BCF. For the wider vocabulary see the BIM & IFC glossary, and for BIM itself see what is BIM.