Blender now supports IFC export

This forum section is only for IFC-related issues
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Moult
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Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Moult »

I thought others here may be interested in Blender and its IFC capabilities. Blender has been able to import IFC files for some time now, but I've built in support to export IFC files now. Most of the features and thinking is similar to FreeCAD, in that geometry is completely freeform.

It's completely free software, of course, and part of the IfcOpenShell packages.

You can read more here:

https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/pres ... -tool/1791

and here:

https://github.com/IfcOpenShell/IfcOpen ... nderexport

Some happy snaps:
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The feature list has been copied below:
  • IFC4 is a first-class citizen. IFC4 has been an ISO standard since 2013, with the latest published in 2018. It contains many more features than IFC2X3, published back in 2005.
  • Use open-source Blender 2.8 to do digital modeling! Used by NASA, Hollywood, and Ubisoft, Blender allows real-time modeling in rendered view, animations, file linking, proxy objects, Blender Cloud collaboration, lighting analysis, CFD, energy modeling, and a huge ecosystem of add-ons with a thriving community. No licensing, and with a strong Python API to integrate into your custom workflow.
  • Create complex spatial structures with multiple sites, buildings, facilities, bridges, and building parts. Sites can be broken down into sub-sites and multiple buildings per site. You can categorise different floors to different buildings.
  • Classify any geometry as any IFC type. Just because it is a wall doesn't mean you should be limited to modeling it in a certain way. Easily change from one type to another, switch relationships and aggregations, reuse or even remove geometry altogether, without damaging your geometry or breaking your BIM model.
  • Use collections to create element compositions and decompositions with full control over the classifications of their parts. Most BIM programs don't give this flexibility. Create collection instances to efficiently duplicate composite objects.
  • Allow BIM objects to instance a shared geometric representations. This allows you to place the same shape in multiple objects without drastically increasing your filesize.
  • Provide a custom value to any simple IFC attribute of an IFC product.
  • Create product types that regular IFC products can inherit attributes from.
  • Define your own property sets with control over exactly how the data in the property sets are stored using property set template definitions which you can download or create yourself. Property sets can apply to both types and objects, and object property sets can selectively override type property sets.
  • Applies array modifiers to create instances.
  • Basic quantity take-off support for costing.
  • Settings to toggle export of quantities or geometric representations. Exporting IFC data without geometric representations is much faster and a fraction of the filesize.
  • Maintain GlobalId between exports, so that you can manipulate the IFC reliably in other software while making changes.
  • Not all objects need full solid geometry. Create representations as 2D or 3D curves / wireframes for rapid and lightweight BIM development.
  • Create map conversions and coordinate reference system definitions to link BIM to GIS.
  • Export basic materials with surface and diffuse colours for representation. You can also link materials to an externally defined file, such as a .blend Cycles material, V-Ray material, or even Radiance material for lighting simulation.
  • Switch between different types of metric units when modeling.
  • Model multiple representations for different purposes for a single BIM object or type, such as footprints, axis, reference, or clearance geometry. You can export just the type of representation required for your usecase, or export multiple for the user to choose from.
  • Record qualitative objectives such as design intentions, health and safety strategies, or code compliance, performance solutions, and more, in the BIM model and directly associate them to objects or types.
  • Classify objects and types to different classification systems such as Uniclass, Omniclass, or your custom system.
  • Associate external document files such as plans, brochures, specifications, warranties, or anything to objects and types.
I also blog about 3D rendering, architecture, software and other on thinkMoult.com. RSS / Atom feed available for your convenience.
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bitacovir
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by bitacovir »

Wow! Very Impressive!

Great work. When will this be ready for testing? I understand this feature will be part of the ifcOpenshell add-on?
This opens unlimited possibilities for a more professional and continuous workflow between FreeCAD and Blender.
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Moult
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Moult »

bitacovir wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 11:50 am Great work. When will this be ready for testing? I understand this feature will be part of the ifcOpenshell add-on?
I've just packaged it, let's go and test! Check out the package and install instructions here:

https://github.com/IfcOpenShell/IfcOpen ... nderexport

I also created a quick "Hello world" example video, check it out :)

https://peertube.social/videos/watch/30 ... 02cc5a75da

Sorry for the lack of documentation, as it is under heavy development. Please do try it out and let me know what you think! :)
I also blog about 3D rendering, architecture, software and other on thinkMoult.com. RSS / Atom feed available for your convenience.
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bernd
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by bernd »

Just to get it the right way. All this is part of upstream 0.6 ifcopenstell?
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Moult
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Moult »

bernd wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 1:11 pm Just to get it the right way. All this is part of upstream 0.6 ifcopenstell?
Yes, it is developed as part of the v0.6.0 branch of IfcOpenShell.
I also blog about 3D rendering, architecture, software and other on thinkMoult.com. RSS / Atom feed available for your convenience.
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Kunda1
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Kunda1 »

Dat UI..! :ugeek:
Awesome step forward for IFC/BIM. Great job moult
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paullee
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by paullee »

Thanks for the video !
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Moult
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Moult »

There is now an online utility to help with IFC class categorisations - I hope you find it useful:

https://blenderbim.org/search.html

Relevant BS forum thread:

https://forums.buildingsmart.org/t/new- ... -tool/1877
I also blog about 3D rendering, architecture, software and other on thinkMoult.com. RSS / Atom feed available for your convenience.
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Moult
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by Moult »

More new features!
ce820c3ee22adcffae59b40f98ff23379f7e3547.png
ce820c3ee22adcffae59b40f98ff23379f7e3547.png (14.22 KiB) Viewed 12253 times
You can use it with the Archipack plugin too!
2019-10-13-123820_1103x340_scrot.png
2019-10-13-123820_1103x340_scrot.png (370.45 KiB) Viewed 12253 times
  • Create material layer sets, for objects which have materials in predefined layers with thicknesses.
  • Create material constituent sets, for objects which are made up of arbitrarily mixed ingredients.
  • Specify nested and hosted element relationships.
  • Specify predefined door attributes as defined in the IFC4 specification.
  • Specify predefined window attributes as defined in the IFC4 specification.
  • Specify surface styles either defined as part of a material or assigned directly to an object's representation.
  • Colour coding by IFC class to visually spot mistakes
Some more experimental features:
  • Cut sections for documentation with OpenCascade
  • Export gbXML files that are linked to your IFC file to do energy analysis
  • QA module to generate Gherkin unit tests to validate your BIM models
  • HTML formatter to generate reports from QA results
  • COBie spreadsheet extraction to import into CAFM systems
Also updated site:

https://blenderbim.org/

... with new article discussing global IDs and their importance: https://blenderbim.org/ifcglobalid.html

When compared to Revit, BlenderBIM now supports more BIM features! https://blenderbim.org/blenderbim-vs-revit.html
I also blog about 3D rendering, architecture, software and other on thinkMoult.com. RSS / Atom feed available for your convenience.
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yorik
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Re: Blender now supports IFC export

Post by yorik »

Awesome job @Moult!
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