import-certification.md

IFC Import Certification – Minimal Test Set

The following list represents the publicly available minimal test set executed by buildingSMART for global software certification of IFC import functionality. These tests apply across all certified IFC versions and reflect the minimum requirements that software must meet to demonstrate conformance with openBIM standards for model interpretation and data integrity.

This set is part of buildingSMART’s commitment to open, transparent, and repeatable certification processes and is grounded in practical use cases from industry workflows.

✅ Minimum Import Test Criteria

0. Models import
   Ensure all 9 IFC models can be opened and visualised together in one viewer.

1. Software version number
   Ensure that the software version number is visible to end-users and matches that declared in certfication request.

2. General visual geometry check
   Ensure that the imported model geometry visually matches the source model.

3. Geographic positioning
   Validate that the model is correctly geolocated based on IFC positioning data.

4. Georeferencing information (CRS)
   Confirm that the projected Coordinate Reference System (CRS) is interpreted and imported accurately.

5. Spatial breakdown
   Confirm the correct hierarchy for spatial containers (for example, in the PCERT example data: Project > Site > Building > Storey).

6. Material assignment
   Ensure that materials assigned in the IFC file are correctly associated with elements upon import.

7. Colours
   Confirm that colour information (e.g., for visual representation) is imported correctly.

8. Object type, occurrence and their properties
   Check if attributes and properties are correctly displayed on the occurrence level (e.g., IfcWall), also when defined at the type level (e.g., IfcWallType). Software should group properties in property sets. Check that each object retains its original unique identifier (GUID) from the IFC source file.

9. Quantities and quantity sets
   Validate the import of IfcQuantity data (e.g., area, volume, length).

10. Classification references
    Ensure that IfcClassificationReference data is present and that URIs are correctly imported.

11. Assemblies
    Verify that assemblies (e.g., aggregated elements) are imported with correct hierarchy and metadata.

12. Groups and systems
    Validate that IfcGroup and IfcSystem relationships are preserved and correctly imported.

13. Spaces
    Ensure spatial elements like IfcSpace are imported and correctly placed in the model structure.

14. Road surface and markings (IFC 4.3 only)
    (Applicable to IFC 4.3): Verify the relationship between road surfaces and road markings is correctly imported.