Quick answer
Open the free MicroPlugins IFC viewer in a modern browser and drop your .ifc file onto the page. The open-source web-ifc engine reads IFC2x3 and IFC4 models inside your browser, so there is nothing to install and the file never leaves your device. You can orbit, hide elements, cut sections and measure without Revit.
What is an IFC file?
IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is the open standard for exchanging building information models, or BIM. It is maintained by buildingSMART International and published as ISO 16739. Sharing models in IFC, rather than in one vendor’s format, is what the industry calls openBIM.
An IFC file holds more than shapes. Each wall, slab, door and duct is a typed element that can carry its storey, material and property sets. That is why architects, engineers and contractors swap IFC files even when they all use different software.
| IFC at a glance | |
|---|---|
| File extension | .ifc (a text file in the ISO 10303-21 format that STEP also uses) |
| Standard | ISO 16739, maintained by buildingSMART International |
| Common versions | IFC2x3 and IFC4, with IFC4.3 adding roads, rail and bridges |
| Stores | Element geometry, element types, spatial structure (site, building, storeys), materials, property sets |
| Exported by | Revit, Archicad, Tekla Structures, Vectorworks, Allplan and most other BIM tools |
How to view an IFC file in your browser
- Open the IFC viewer Go to the MicroPlugins IFC viewer. There is nothing to install, no account and no Revit licence needed.
- Drop in your file Drag your .ifc file onto the page, or click Open IFC (BIM) File and pick it. If the model came in a ZIP, you can drop the ZIP straight in.
- Give the BIM engine a moment the first time Your first IFC file loads the web-ifc engine into your browser. The model is then read in a background worker, so the page stays responsive while a large building loads.
- Walk around the building Drag to rotate, right-drag to pan and scroll to zoom. On a phone or tablet, drag with one finger to rotate and pinch to zoom.
Your model is read by your own browser. It is not uploaded to MicroPlugins or anyone else, so you can review a client project without sending the file to a third party.
The viewer uses web-ifc, an open-source IFC engine compiled to WebAssembly. It understands the IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4.3 schemas. IFC2x3 and IFC4 are what most authoring tools export today.
What you can see in the IFC viewer
The viewer is built for looking at the model, not for auditing its data. Here is exactly what it shows.
What it shows
- Every element’s geometry. Walls, slabs, openings, furniture and services appear as they were modelled.
- The colours in the file. Each element keeps the colour set in the file, and transparent elements such as glazing stay see-through.
- Each element as its own object. Elements are listed in the scene hierarchy by their IFC entity number, the #id in the file. Click an element to select it, or hide elements to look inside.
- Model statistics. In Advanced mode, the Model panel shows the triangle count, the number of meshes and the size of the bounding box.
What it does not show
The viewer reads the geometry and colours, but not the BIM data around them. You will not see the storey tree, element types such as IfcWall, element names, or property sets and quantities.
Need to check property sets, storeys or classifications? Use a dedicated desktop IFC viewer or your BIM authoring tool for that part of the review.
How to cut sections and measure a building
Switch the viewer from Lite to Advanced in the top bar. That adds the inspection tools.
- Cut a section. Turn on the section plane, choose the X, Y or Z axis and drag the cut position. A horizontal cut gives a plan-like view into a floor. A vertical cut gives a section through the building. Flip Cut shows the other side.
- Measure. Click two points to get the distance between them, with the X, Y and Z components listed separately.
- Hide what is in the way. Hide the roof or a slab in the scene hierarchy to see the floor below.
- Change the look. Turn on edge lines, switch the lighting or recolour elements to make a review clearer, then save a PNG screenshot.
How to convert IFC to GLB for the web
An IFC file is heavy for a website, and most web 3D viewers cannot read it. GLB is the web’s standard 3D format: one compact file that almost every web viewer, online store and 3D app opens.
The IFC to GLB converter keeps the geometry and colours, with each element as a separate mesh. The GLB is a visual model: the BIM data the viewer does not read is not in it either. Keep the IFC file as your source.
For a website, shrink the GLB further with the 3D Compressor. Our guides on reducing 3D file size and embedding a 3D model on your website cover the next steps.
Convert an IFC model to GLB
In your browser, in batch, with nothing uploaded.
Tips for large IFC models
- Use a computer for big buildings. The whole model is held in your device’s memory. A desktop browser with plenty of RAM handles large files best, so close other heavy tabs first.
- Open one discipline at a time. Projects are often split into architectural, structural and MEP files. Open the one you need rather than a merged model.
- Expect the first file to take longest. It loads the IFC engine. Your browser keeps a copy, so later files start faster.
- Repeated elements are cheap. A door or window placed hundreds of times shares one copy of its geometry in memory.
- Site coordinates are handled. Models placed far from the origin, as georeferenced projects often are, are moved to the centre so they display cleanly.
- Share a lighter copy. Convert to GLB and compress it when someone only needs to look at the model.
Other ways to open IFC files
| Option | Cost | Install | File uploaded | Shows property sets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MicroPlugins IFC viewer | Free | None | No | No | Quick, private visual reviews |
| Free desktop IFC viewers | Free | Desktop app | No | Yes | Checking BIM data offline |
| BIM authoring tools (Revit, Archicad) | Paid licence | Desktop app | No | Yes | Editing the model |
| Upload-based online BIM viewers | Often free | None | Yes | Varies | Only when the model is not sensitive |
Frequently asked questions
Can I open an IFC file without Revit?
Yes. IFC is an open standard, so you do not need the program that created it. The MicroPlugins IFC viewer opens .ifc files free in your browser, and free desktop IFC viewers open them offline.
Which IFC versions does the viewer support?
The viewer uses the web-ifc engine, which reads the IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4.3 schemas. It opens .ifc files, the standard text form of IFC. It does not open the ifcXML variant.
Can I see storeys and property sets?
Not at the moment. The viewer shows each element’s geometry and colour, and lists elements by their IFC entity number. To inspect storeys, element types or property sets, use a desktop IFC viewer or your BIM software.
Is it safe to open confidential building models online?
It depends on the tool. Upload-based viewers copy your file to their servers. MicroPlugins reads the model inside your browser, so the building never leaves your device.
Can I convert IFC to GLB, OBJ or STL?
Yes. The 3D Converter turns IFC models into GLB, glTF, OBJ, STL, PLY or USDZ. The output keeps the geometry, and colours where the format supports them. The BIM data is not carried over.
Does the IFC viewer work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It works in current mobile browsers. Small and medium models open comfortably on a phone. Large multi-storey buildings need a lot of memory and are easier to handle on a computer.
Which other BIM formats can I open?
The viewer also opens dotbim (.bim) files, as well as CAD formats such as STEP and IGES. See the 3D file formats guide for the full list.
Keep reading
Open your IFC model now
Free, in your browser, with no Revit licence. Your building model stays on your device.