IFC File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .ifc
Format Type 3D model file format
Standard ISO 16739-1:2020
Developed By BuildingSMART
MIME Type application/ifc
Main Usage Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Text Format ASCII
Binary Format IFC-SPF
Interoperability High with BIM software
Data Types Supported Geometry, Spatial structure, Material and property information
Compression Not inherently supported
Versioning IFC2x, IFC4, IFC4x
Encoding STEP Physical File (SPF)
Schema Definition Express schema language
Open Format Yes
Integration With GIS, structural, MEP, and facility management software
Advantages Standardization, interoperability, and open use
Limitations Complexity, requires specialized software for creation/viewing
XML Format IFCXML
Use Cases Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO)