IFC Conversion icon

IFC Conversion

Convert IFC files to different formats using IfcConvert. Full documentation at <a href="https://docs.ifcopenshell.org/ifcconvert/usage.html" target="_blank">IfcOpenShell</a>.

Convert IFC

AI-generated

Overview

This node converts IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) files to various other formats using the IfcConvert tool from IfcOpenShell. It is useful for transforming building and construction data stored in IFC files into different formats for visualization, analysis, or further processing. For example, converting an IFC file to a 3D model format like glTF or a 2D SVG drawing for architectural review.

Use Case Examples

  1. Convert an IFC file to a glTF 3D model with default settings.
  2. Convert an IFC file to an SVG 2D drawing with custom scaling and section references.
  3. Use filtering options to include only specific elements like walls and beams in the conversion.

Properties

Name Meaning
Input Filename Name or ID Select the input IFC file from available files or specify an ID using an expression.
Output Filename The name of the output file key where the converted file will be saved.
Command Line Options Various command line options to control verbosity, caching, logging, and progress output during conversion.
Geometry Options - General Options related to geometry kernel, threading, and model centering.
Geometry Options - Filtering Filters to include or exclude specific elements or attributes in the conversion.
Geometry Options - Materials & Rendering Options for material files, exterior processing, and surface colors.
Geometry Options - Representation Types Options to include plan (2D) or model (3D) representations and dimensionality.
Geometry Options - Mesher Settings Settings for mesh generation including linear and angular deflection and shell reorientation.
Geometry Options - Units & Precision Options for length and angle units, precision, and unit conversion.
Geometry Options - Layer Processing Options for prioritizing layerset and enabling slicing by material layers.
Geometry Options - Boolean Operations Options to control boolean result processing, opening subtractions, merging operands, 2D boolean attempts, and debug mode.
Geometry Options - Wire & Edge Processing Options for wire intersection checks, tolerance, and edge arrows.
Geometry Options - Vertex & Shape Processing Options to weld vertices and unify shapes.
Geometry Options - Coordinate Systems Options for coordinate system usage, local placements, model offset, and rotation.
Geometry Options - Context & Output Options for context IDs and iterator output mode.
Geometry Options - Normals & UVs Options to disable normals computation and generate UVs for textures.
Geometry Options - Validation & Hierarchy Options to validate geometry and assign element hierarchy.
Geometry Options - Spaces & Bounding Boxes Options for space transparency and keeping bounding boxes.
Geometry Options - CGAL Specific Option for number of circle segments in CGAL kernel.
Geometry Options - Function Curves Options for function step type and parameter for evaluating curves.
Geometry Options - Performance Options to disable parallel mapping and sew shells.
Geometry Options - Triangulation Option for type of planar facet to emit.
Serialization Options - SVG Specific Options specific to SVG output such as bounds, scale, centering, sections, elevations, storey heights, and rendering preferences.
Serialization Options - Naming Conventions Options for naming elements using names, GUIDs, step IDs, or types.
Serialization Options - Coordinate System & Format Options for coordinate system orientation and Earth-Centered Earth-Fixed coordinates.
Serialization Options - Precision Precision for floating-point values in output.
Serialization Options - RDF/WKT Options for base URI and use of geometrical sections in RDF serializations.
Wait for Completion Whether to wait for the conversion job to complete before continuing.
Polling Interval (Seconds) How often to check the job status when waiting for completion.
Timeout (Seconds) Maximum time to wait for job completion in seconds.

Output

JSON

  • job_id - Identifier of the conversion job.
  • status - Status of the conversion job.
  • output_filename - Filename of the converted output file.
  • log - Log output from the conversion process.

Dependencies

  • IfcPipeline API with API key credential

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues include invalid input filenames or IDs, which result in errors indicating the file was not found.
  • Timeout errors may occur if the conversion takes longer than the specified timeout; increasing the timeout or disabling waitForCompletion can help.
  • Incorrect command line options or geometry settings may cause conversion failures; verify options against IfcConvert documentation.
  • Errors related to API authentication indicate missing or invalid API credentials; ensure the correct API key is configured.

Links

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