IFC Import using Project Base Point not Revit Origin.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

I've recently been involved in some tests linking IFC files created in Archicad into a Revit project.  There is a major issue with this as the linked IFC file is located using Revit's internal origin and not the project base point.

Revit has been specifically set up to work using the survey point and project base point and for successful collaboration it needs to be able to link IFC files in the correct geographical location.  Currently the test model I'm linking is so far from the origin the geometry is completely corrupt and unusable.

Cheers

K.

[fabiosato]

Hello Keith,

The workaround I found is to open the IFC file and convert it to RVT file, this way you can get the coordinates, then you can link it origin to origin to get the coordinates, then remove it an link the IFC.

[mark.silcock]

Agree with @fabiosato I dont know what Autodesk suggests linking in the IFC directly, it won't display properly and as you have found out you have no control over the coordinates. Open the IFC save as a RVT file then link that in, the shared coordinates will now be available.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

Sorry, I'm not seeing that that makes any difference.  The model still sits miles from the Revit origin and as such the geometry is still completely corrupted.

As IFC is a key format for information transfer between teams I'd say it was pretty critical that Autodesk improve the options when it comes to linking in IFC files - this particular issue should be pretty simple to deal with.

[brian.renehan]

I would elaborate on the above request. As a user on exporting/importing an IFC model, we should be full control over the IFC's absolute coordiantes and the IFCSite Local Placement (IfcLocalPlacement).

On Export, the user should be able to choose the Survey Point, Project Base Point or Internal Origin as the IFC Absolute origin, and specify which one of these origins is the IfcLocalPlacement relitave local coordiantes.

Likewise, on importing/linking an IFC file, Users need to have the choose as to which coordinate Import setting they are using. Import options should include by: Survey Point, Project Basepoint, Internal Origin, by User Coordiantes, and as to whether the IFC Absulute Coordiantes or IFC Site Local Placement for MVD Coordination V2.0 is used.

Thanks and kind regards

Brian Renehan

[samuelsanf]

Revit have to let the user import IFC and Advance Steel *.SMLX / *.SDNF (with the Add-in) in Survey Point Reference or Shared Coordinates.

When loading IFC or Advance Steel models into Revit, it get placed on Project Base Point. This behavior ins't desired ir you have real world coordinates in the models your are importing.

[Meelis123]

It's ironic that Revit itself can export to IFC whatever coordinates you like but cannot properly "read" the IFC while importing it. It completely ignores the ifcSite coordinates - something that it is able to export just fine - and imports it with IFC local coordinates instead. And where - at the Revit invisible Internal Origin - a point that only experienced Revit users know and understand.

So, to sum it up and make it clear,

While linking IFC file we want to be able to choose between these options:

1. IFC local coordinates to Internal Origin
2. IFC local coordinates to Project Base Point
3. IFC local coordinates to Survey Point
4. IFC ifcSite coordinates to Internal Origin
5. IFC ifcSite coordinates to Project Base Point
6. IFC ifcSite coordinates to Survey Point
7. Center to Center could become handy too

[Magnus.B]

@Meelis123 Sums i up perfectly. IFC import must be improved with at leas some degree of  coordinate control. 

[YSchindel]

There is a very similar issue with importing CSV data for toposurface creation.

IFC and CSV imports need to be fixed!

See this post for CSV import issue:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-architecture-forum/toposurface-csv-import-to-shared-coordinates...

[matt.barnett72U83]

I would also like to see the ability to scale ifc on insert too.

[Keith_Wilkinson]

Oh no, scaling sounds like a terrible idea... if you start allowing people to scale things all manner of issues will arise that we don't need to contend with now.

Specifying units however *might* be beneficial but I'm not sure...

[szilagyi.balazs]

It would be beneficial, if we could select coordinate system from IFC in case of Open or Link. 

[koert.vynckier]

Thumbs up for @Meelis123 !

[szetkova]

Dear Autodesk, already  three years is this issue critically visible and still no improvement or at least an answer about the issue from your side. As previously summed up linking an IFC file in Revit is very important and cant  be achieved without miussing options.  Is there eny developement hapening? Did you notice this issue? 

Thank you for you reply. Berst regards, 

[Hamter]

Autodesk: I really hope U are looking into this. It could save alot of people alot of time. 

Today I had to do this time-consuming workaround  in my BIM project when I got a an ifc from a college. 

1 - open ifc in autocad

2 - explode and convert railroad tracks (beams) to 3dsolids.

3 - copy paste content to my base-map autocad file. (which is already linked and moved correctly in revit, with even more time consuming research and fiddling involving Civil 3d and shared reference point add ins in both programs. )

4 - Save relevant content to a new dwg file.

5 - link cad file into revit. Finally I can get back to my true job. 

To place an ifc file correctly into revit should be as easy as:

1- link ifc - tick boxes - to/from world-, shared-, local- origin point, and "keep true ifc rotation" or whatever option we need to get this right).  

[nwbos]

We need Civil3D Ifc export in revit with real world coordinates.

Is there eny developement hapening, on importing/linking a IfC file on survey point? 

[noahQEYCP]

Dear Autodesk,

already using Revit 2022.1 and still no improvement or at least an answer about the issue from your side. As previously summed up linking an IFC file in Revit is very important and cant  be achieved without missing options.  Is there eny developement hapening? Did you notice this issue? 

I can not understand how did Autodesk get there certificate from Building smart with out the ability to import the IFC with the right geometry if the geometry  is located more than 33km.
I think it should be a certification critereia .

Thank you for you reply. Best regards, 

[nwbos]

@noahQEYCP workarround for this is to import ifc in empty revit project. Next you link the revit project to your project.

[ola_t]

@nwbos , we also try to have as routine to always import the ifc into an empty Revit project. Then we can link it in as a Revit file and choose to import for example Project-Base-Point to Project-Base-Point. But that does not help when the IFC file is exported so that Revit starts modelling the building at the distance from the reference point in the real world it is set to. If the building is located in for example Scandinavia, this could mean it models the IFC from the correct distance from the Equator and Middle Meridian. Which is more than 6000 km:s away from Revits Internal Origin. Quite far outside Revits 20 mile limit in other words, which means that file cannot be used in Revit. We have also understood that this is due to that Revit ignores the parameter IFCSITE in the ifc file. These parameters can be observed when opening the ifc in a text editor. But we haven’t been able to conclude what parameter makes Revit model the ifc at the distance from the local point versus the far off “real World” point. Since the first value in for example IFCCARTESIANPOINT in both cases can be a very far away coordinate.

In any case we also think that it must be possible to choose which reference point the ifc file should be imported from. I would also like to get feedback from Autodesk on this issue. Since this creates coordination problems on a regular basis for us and our customers.

[RECArchi]

Please make IFC to be linked ideally at shared coordinates, or by default at Base Point, but NEVER at Internal Origin.

Internal Origin has no purpose at all - neither in Revit modelling nor coordination.

Thank you in advance.

[angelpiquin]

Maybe let the user choose if they want the IFC linked to the Project Base Point or to the Origin, like with Revit links.

Please make that adjustment in the next update.