Model View Definitions describe specific filter presets for exporting IFC data sets. Essentially, the goal is to transfer subsets of a digital building model into an IFC file (rather than exporting all objects and information). This can be particularly advantageous in interdisciplinary collaboration: For example, if an architectural model is to be handed over to structural engineering, it makes sense to export only the load-bearing elements.
The term is somewhat misleading because MVDs do not filter solely on geometry—they also determine which object properties (i.e., alphanumeric information) are included in an IFC data set.