IFC Viewer & data exporter

We value your feedback and would love to hear about your experiences with IFC Viewer. Sharing your insights through a user interview or a case study helps us enhance our services. If you're interested in contributing, please contact us at [e-mail].

About the IFC Viewer

One Click LCA users can now take advantage of the built-in IFC file viewer and data importer, allowing you to preview 3D models and import their quantities to One Click LCA. This connection enables users to perform carbon and life-cycle assessments, as well as generate Environmental Product Declarations, using data available within the IFC format file. 

The IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file format is an open, neutral format used to represent building and construction data digitally. Most BIM (Building Information Modeling) software tools export their models in the IFC format, allowing for easy data exchange and collaboration across different platforms.

How do you access the IFC Viewer?

Make sure you have the things listed below before starting:

• One Click LCA account and license with Designer, Expert features or higher

Key functionalities of the IFC Viewer

• Import IFC files directly into One Click LCA without any additional software or steps.
• View your imported file as a 3D model within the IFC Viewer feature.
• Interact with the 3D model using zoom, rotation, and highlighting features to explore elements and their respective quantities.
• Filter and review the model’s content, selecting the relevant data for import into One Click LCA.
• Extract the Bill of Materials from your model and bring it directly into One Click LCA.

Major highlights of the IFC Viewer functionality

Security and privacy:

• The IFC file is processed entirely in your browser and is never stored or shared by One Click LCA.

File handling and processing:

• Currently, the maximum file size is 1000 MB. Files larger than 300 MB may encounter performance issues.
• The feature supports reading and viewing only one IFC file at a time.

Data handling:

• The "Material" in the data table takes data from IfcMaterial. If unavailable, IfcObjectType is used, followed by IfcName and IfcType. This column can be then directly used in the import process by One Click LCA to match automatically appropriate environmental profiles to each material. In the newer import interface, users can switch the column that is used for that purpose to any imported column. 
• The material quantities displayed in the data table are based on the IfcQuantities property and are also calculated using the geometry engine. Available units can be volume, area and number of pieces. Typically minor discrepancies up to 1% can occur when comparing these quantities with other IFC readers or the original software.

Saving and data retention:

• Currently the 3D model and any viewing customization settings cannot be saved. Visualization and related settings are lost when the user closes the browser.

Project compatibility:

• The feature is available for Building, Infrastructure, and Product projects; Import setup is a bit better optimized for Building projects at the moment, so that the material data are imported to the correct building part section in building LCA tools without a need for further actions (managed through the "One Click LCA Class" column), but the import works also for Product and Infrastructure tools.

How to use the IFC Viewer?

Step-by-step guidance:

1. Start a new project or open an existing one. See our guidance on how you can create a project here - Creating A Project

2. Open your One Click LCA project and select the "View and import IFC" feature from input data dropdown.

3. Drag and drop, or select the IFC file you want to upload.

4. Click "Next" to begin reading the IFC file.

5. Once the model is read and rendered in the browser, navigate through the Model Preview & Data Filtering page. Here you can:

Interact with the 3D model:

• View the 3D model with basic interactions like zoom, rotate, and pan.
• Select an element in the 3D model to view its details in the data table.
• Enable/disable visibility of the IfcType categories.

View & filter the data through the data table.

• The table can be triggered for visibility by using a toggle button called "Show data table". It includes filtering, sorting, and content customization features.
• Select the IFC types and/or the individual objects/materials to import to One Click LCA. The number of selected objects/materials for import is displayed above the table.
• The data table content includes:
  • IfcType column. Data is grouped by IfcType, and the groups can be expanded to view individual materials / objects.
  • One Click LCA Class Column. This column is preassigned based on the IfcType.
  • IfcName column. 
  • Material column. Material for datapoints is taken from IfcMaterial. If unavailable, IfcObjectType is used, followed by IfcName and IfcType.
  • Quantity column. Quantities of materials are based on IfcQuantities property and also are calculated via the geometry engine.
  • Unit column. For example, m³, m², or unit (number of pieces).
  • Thickness column. Thickness might not be available for all materials
  • Additionally, you can add columns ID and IfcType by selecting them from the column management menu (3-dot button; see image further below).

Additional actions:

• Click "Import" to import selected data.
• Click "Previous" to go back to previous page and select other IFC file.
• Click "Read more" to access the IFC Viewer customer success help centre article.
• Hide/Show the side panel: The side panel indicates your current step and provides an option to return to your project.

6. Once your selection is ready, click "Import" to send the data to the One Click LCA import process.

7. From this step, follow the standard procedure for data import.

FAQ

Q: What happens with the IFC file I am sharing with IFC Viewer? Is my data secure?

A: The uploaded IFC file is never stored or shared by One Click LCA and is only processed within your browser. Imported data by the user can include exclusively Bill of Materials data. Additionally, at One Click LCA, we are dedicated to your data security. One Click LCA is certified with ISO 27001, the world’s most demanding cybersecurity standard, SOC 2 and is also certified for Cyber Essentials Plus, required for many UK government contracts. 

Q: Does the IFC Viewer support multiple IFC files?

A: At the moment the feature supports only one IFC file at a time. 

Q: Can I add more IFC properties to the exported data

A: This version of IFC view supports only limited number of IFC properties shown in the data table. This includes IfcType, IfcName, IfcMaterial, IfcQuantities, Id.

Q: How can I provide more feedback?

A: Share your feedback with [e-mail] or add your comments in this Community Post. Our experts would also look forward to jumping on a call with you for a more extended discussion.

Q: My IFC model wasn't read at all?

A:This issue is most commonly caused by browser memory limitations. Since IFC file reading is processed entirely within your browser, the application may encounter memory constraints, especially if other heavy tasks or processes are running simultaneously in the browser.

Here are some steps to troubleshoot:

• Close other tabs and processes. Ensure there are no other resource-intensive tasks or tabs open in your browser while attempting to load the IFC model.
• Restart your browser can free up memory and improve performance.
• Try a different browser. Some browsers handle memory differently, so switching to another browser might help.

We’re actively working on improving IFC reading performance in future updates. If the issue persists, please share detailed feedback with us, as it could be related to other factors we need to investigate further.