Level of detail
Also: Level of model detail (historical)
Quick definition: How much graphical or geometric detail a model element shows. As a project-wide numbered scale it has largely been replaced by level of development and level of information need.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
Level of detail is about how something looks in the model — a simple box versus a fully modelled light fitting with every curve. More detail does not mean more reliable information.
Technical explanation
Early software and industry practice used numbered "level of detail" scales to indicate model maturity. Because graphical detail and reliability are different things, North American practice moved to Level of development, and ISO 19650 practice moved to Level of information need, in which "detail" survives as one characteristic of geometric information rather than as a project-wide scale. In UK practice under PAS 1192, "level of model detail" (also abbreviated LOD) formed part of "level of definition" together with level of information (LOI).
Practical example
A light fitting modelled with full manufacturer geometry has a high level of detail, but if the fixture type has not been selected, its information is still at an early level of development.
Why it matters
Requesting "high detail" without saying why tends to increase model size and cost without improving decisions.
Common confusion
Avoid using "LOD" without saying which meaning is intended; in contracts, define it explicitly.
Standards and references
- BIM Harmonisation Guidelines for Works Departments — Appendix I: ISO 19650 Terminologies (v2). Development Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR.Historical record
Supports: Level of model definition / level of detail (LOD) / level of information (LOI) replaced by level of information need - ISO 7817-1:2024 — Building information modelling — Level of information need — Part 1: Concepts and principles. ISO, 2024.Original VDC Stack.io wording, based on the standard
Supports: Detail treated as a characteristic within level of information need · Status: Published June 2024. Adopted in Europe as EN ISO 7817-1:2024.
VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). Level of detail. In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/level-of-detail/