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A Learning Path Through OpenBIM.

Eleven modules, BIM fundamentals through digital twins — building toward IFC, IDS, ISO 19650, and the automation that ties them together.

1.1 What BIM actually is (and common misconceptions)
1.2 The problem BIM solves in construction
1.3 BIM dimensions explained practically (3D–7D)
1.4 Who does what — roles in a BIM project
1.5 Common BIM uses (clash detection, takeoff, scheduling, FM handover)
2.1 Open BIM vs proprietary BIM — the vendor lock-in problem
2.2 Who is buildingSMART and why they matter
2.3 The open standards family (IFC, BCF, IDS, MVD — naming/purpose only)
2.4 What an OpenBIM workflow looks like end-to-end
3.1 What an IFC file actually is
3.2 IFC2x3 vs IFC4 vs IFC4.3 — practical differences
3.3 Opening your first IFC file (viewer walkthrough)
3.4 STEP physical file structure at a glance
3.5 Reading an IFC file as plain text — the "aha" lesson
4.1 Entities — IfcWall, IfcSlab, IfcDoor, etc.
4.2 Spatial structure hierarchy (Project → Site → Building → Storey → Space)
4.3 Relationships (IfcRelAggregates, IfcRelContainedInSpatialStructure)
4.4 Property Sets — standard vs custom
4.5 Base Quantities — and why they're so often wrong
4.6 Types vs Occurrences (IfcWallType vs IfcWall)
4.7 Geometry representation — conceptual only
5.1 Why schema versions matter practically
5.2 EXPRESS schema language — reading, not writing
5.3 Where official schema docs live and how to use them
5.4 Model View Definitions (MVDs) — what they constrain
6.1 Why models fail — real-world causes
6.2 Levels of validation — syntax, schema, business rules
6.3 buildingSMART's IFC Validation Service — how to use it
6.4 Exporter behavior across major tools — comparative, evidence-based
7.1 The problem IDS solves — connecting requirements to verification
7.2 IDS structure — facets (entity, attribute, property, classification, material)
7.3 Writing your first IDS file, step by step
7.4 IDS vs traditional EIR/spec documents
7.5 Validating an IFC file against an IDS — full walkthrough
8.1 What ISO 19650 actually governs
8.2 The Common Data Environment concept
8.3 Naming conventions as data integrity, not bureaucracy
8.4 Where EIR/OIR connect back to IDS
9.1 Environment setup
9.2 Reading an IFC file programmatically — first script
9.3 Extracting properties and quantities with code
9.4 Common pitfalls (units, None values, missing psets)
9.5 From script to reusable tool — a taste of what StructBOQ automates
10.1 Batch processing multiple IFC files
10.2 Building a basic automated QA pipeline
10.3 Where automation fits inside a BIM Execution Plan
10.4 CI/CD-style checking as a repeatable pipeline step
11.1 From static BIM to Digital Twin — what changes
11.2 IFC and real-time/sensor data — current state, limitations
11.3 Interoperability challenges nobody talks about
11.4 Where open standards are heading