Two model objects can share a readable name while remaining different objects. Conversely, a name can change without necessarily describing a new physical item. If the film explains how project information is connected to a selected object, separate the unique reference from the label the audience reads.
buildingSMART's IFC identity documentation distinguishes a globally unique identifier from optional name and description fields. This is a useful conceptual example, not a guarantee that the client's exports preserve every identifier across every workflow.
Give the audience a readable handle
A public film rarely needs to display a full technical identifier for several seconds. Use an approved short label to help viewers follow the selected item, while retaining the underlying reference in the production record where needed.
Make clear that the short label is a presentation aid. If it resembles an actual asset tag or model code, the client should confirm its relationship to the source. An invented label can otherwise be mistaken for a project naming convention.
A simple paired graphic can show “display name” and “object reference” without turning the sequence into a database tutorial. Keep the focus on why the distinction helps the audience understand the case study.
Avoid matching by appearance alone
Repeated doors, fittings or other components may look identical. If a result, document or issue is attached to one occurrence, the editor needs the correct object connection rather than the nearest attractive view.
Ask the client to supply a locator image and the relevant reference together. This gives the production team a practical way to maintain identity after screen captures and exports are separated from the original software session.
Do not claim that an identifier proves installation, provenance or current condition. It identifies a record within the stated system; the relationship to a real asset requires the client's evidence.
A hypothetical information handover story
Suppose a supplier's film follows one modelled unit into a handover record. Several objects have the same readable name, and the first edit attaches the record to the wrong occurrence because the shape looks identical.
The buyer resolves the mapping through the supplied object reference and updates the locator shot. The public film can remain simple while the evidence connection becomes precise. This example is hypothetical and does not imply a particular software service from Live Images.
At approval, ask the reviewer to trace the highlighted record back to the selected occurrence. Then ask a general viewer whether the name describes a category or an individual item. Those answers reveal different identity problems.
The deliverable should preserve the distinction between a convenient label and a technical reference. It need not expose long identifiers publicly or promise flawless identity persistence across systems to explain the client's approved information story.
Discuss the film
Contact Live Images to discuss whether this approach suits your brief and what production scope would be appropriate.
Prepared with AI assistance for Live Images. Planning guidance is general; suitability and production scope must be agreed for your project.