IFC Interoperability

ENJOFRABIMGIS2025010BIMGISATC — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:42:20 GMT

I am importing IFC files into ArcGIS but the elements are coming out in a single block as a set and not independently, which does not allow me to see the properties assigned to each element. Is there a way to import the file in IFC format where each element is independent? I have already tried using explode and it separates them into faces but not into solids as in its native format.

Re: IFC Interoperability

LizAbbey — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:02:45 GMT

It sounds like you are viewing the Exterior Shell layer that is built in ArcGIS Pro temporarily when you bring the entire IFC file in. There are no attributes and the whole model is selected like a mutipart feature. Does your data look like this in the contents pane?

If so, turn ExteriorShell off and turn on the other layers one by one until your data appear back on screen. To find out which dataset your model is inside of, click on a feature on the map and check the popup's BaseCategory and Discipline.

The discipline is the "feature dataset" inside the IFC and the BaseCategory is the feature layer equivalent of a geodatabase.

My data are always in the GenericModel layer inside of the Architectural discipline, when adding data from catalog, I go straight to this dataset of the IFC and only add that layer from the Architectural group rather than the entire IFC file:

Your data might be stored across several subgroups, but in any case, turning off ExteriorShell and turning on all other layers should sort you out.

topic Re: IFC Interoperability in ArcGIS Pro Questions

IFC Interoperability

Re: IFC Interoperability