A defined subset of the IFC schema for one purpose, such as coordination or reference viewing, that software exports and imports so both sides agree what the file holds.
A Model View Definition (MVD) is a subset of the IFC schema chosen for one kind of exchange. IFC as a whole is very large; an MVD says which entities, properties and geometry representations a file must contain for a given purpose, so that the exporting and the importing software can be certified against the same target. When an export dialog asks for "IFC2x3 Coordination View" or "IFC4 Reference View", it is asking which MVD to follow.
Most teams meet MVDs only as an export setting. The choice matters: a Reference View export carries simple, fixed geometry suited to coordination and viewing, while a Design Transfer View aims to carry geometry that can be edited after import. Information requirements should name the IFC version and the view, so that every party exports the same way.
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