IFC files

IFC files

The JetStream IFC Reader reads in stand-alone .ifc files.

Supported Entities

  • Faceted BReps.

  • Extruded area solids.

  • Geometric sets.

  • Face-based and surface-based models.

  • Simple, trimmed, and composite curves.

  • Simple surfaces.

  • Simple parametric, arbitrary and derived profiles.

  • Boolean clipping results and element-level voiding and projection CSG operations.

  • Basic styled and mapped items.

  • Property sets, including simple and complex properties.

Unsupported Entities

  • Voided BReps.

  • Bounded half-space solids.

  • Complex parametric profiles.

  • BSpline curves.

  • Curve styles.

  • Swept surfaces.

  • Textures and complex lighting.

  • Loading of server-based IFC models.

IFC File Reader Options

    Setting the IFC file reader options

  1. Go to Tools, Global Options, IFC

    The IFC dialog is displayed

  2. Enter the Faceting Factor (the value must be greater than 0). The higher the value, the more JetStream will facet rounded entities and therefore the smoother they will appear. See for more information.

  3. Enter the Max Facet Deviation . This will facet entities to within the specified tolerance. See for more information.

  4. Check the Show Spatial Hierarchy check box to have the Selection Tree window show the IFC model representation as a tree structure rather than a simple list of elements.

  5. Check the Convert Bounding Boxes check box to bring through and visualise bounding boxes.

  6. Check the Convert Spaces check box to bring through and visualise spaces.

  7. Check the Use Property-Based Colours check box to convert and use property-based colours. If it is found that an ifc file is predominantly black when loaded, uncheck this box to revert back to using ifc-standard colours.

  8. IFC elements can have multiple visual representations; bounding boxes (simplest), lines, styled lines, polygons, and styled polygons (most complex). Loading and showing all of these representations can lead to cluttered visuals and memory overheads. To manage this, Representation Detail can be set to Highest Only to only load and show the most complex level of detail available whilst ignoring simpler ones, Show Highest to load all representations, but only show the highest level of detail available, or Show All which shows everything available.

  9. Click OK to set these options or Cancel to exit the dialog without setting them.