How to use this free IFC Viewer to view BIM files
What is IFC?
The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format is pivotal in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry due to its role in promoting interoperability and collaboration among various stakeholders. As an open standard, IFC facilitates the seamless exchange of information across different BIM (Building Information Modeling) software platforms, enabling project owners, architects, engineers, and contractors to work together efficiently.
A Fast, Free, and Simple IFC viewer for all
An IFC viewer is an excellent tool for sharing files among project owners, consultants, and subcontractors. IFC files are crucial because trade contractors often use specialized BIM software for various tasks. A federated IFC model integrates different models into a single environment, facilitating BIM workflows such as clash detection, 4D scheduling, quantity takeoffs, and more. We have introduced this cloud-based IFC viewer to provide users worldwide with a fast, free, and simple solution for accessing and viewing their files.
(Bonus!) Model Validation for IFC-SG Parameters
Singaporean users of the Bimeco viewer will be pleased to know that the solution natively supports IFC-SG validation checks. This ensures that the IFC model includes all the necessary parameters specified by various government regulatory agencies before submission on the regulatory platform for building works, Corenet X.
Step 1: Loading the IFC File
The IFC viewer supports all versions of IFC including IFC4. Users can upload multiple IFC files to the viewer.
Step 2: Interacting with the 3D Model
This allows users to hide / unhide multiple models from view, which is excellent for model federation purposes or when conducting ICE sessions.
The properties panel contains a dropdown list for you to check any properties related to the IFC file.
Step 3: (Optional) Running the IFC-SG Validator
Step 4: Understanding IFC Validation results
The IFC Validator produces a report in a table format to make it easy for users to run through all flagged issues in the model. The issues indicate that there were certain parameters that were expected to be found in the BIM model but were not found.
To ensure that your integrated BIM submission on CorenetX does not fail, work with your BIM team to ensure that the embedded parameters can be found in your model.
To make it simpler for users to be identify the location of the problematic object, the validation report is directly linked to the IFC model. The highlighted entry in the table is associated to the highlight element (in red) in the model.
We'd Love Your Feedback
Have any suggestions on how we can improve this IFC viewer, or looking to use this in your next project? Feel free to join our community.