From what the terms mean to how the work actually gets done — practical articles for anyone handling IFC and BIM on real projects.
What openBIM is and why it matters: a way of exchanging BIM using open, vendor-neutral standards rather than one company's native format. Covers the standards behind it (IFC, BCF, IDS, bSDD), openBIM vs closedBIM, the benefits, and the practical workflow.
Jul 12, 2026 Practical guideWhat a BEP (BIM Execution Plan) is and why it matters: how it responds to the client's EIR, the sections it should contain, pre- and post-appointment BEPs under ISO 19650, and a lightweight way to start on small projects.
Jul 12, 2026 FundamentalsWhat IDS (Information Delivery Specification) is: a buildingSMART standard for stating which information a BIM model must contain — machine-readably — and checking it automatically. Its structure (applicability and requirements), its relationship to Psets, classification and model checking, and how it differs from a BEP.
Jul 6, 2026 Practical guideThe basics of quantity takeoff (QTO) from BIM/IFC. How IFC carries quantities (IfcElementQuantity, base quantities), how model quantities differ from cost estimating, the net/gross and opening-deduction pitfalls, and how to check them in practice.
Jul 6, 2026 FundamentalsThe basics of IFC properties (property sets / Psets) and classification. The difference between standard and custom Psets, how classification attaches with IfcClassification, systems like Uniclass and OmniClass, and why properties get lost or messy — and how to fix it.
Jul 6, 2026 Practical guideOpen an IFC file and the building sits far from the origin, or two models refuse to line up? Usually it is the coordinate system, not corrupt data. Here is how project base point, survey point, true north and IfcMapConversion fit together — and how to diagnose and fix the drift.
Jul 6, 2026 Practical guideA received IFC won't open, shows blank, drops elements, has empty properties, or comes in 1000× too small? These common IFC exchange problems are rarely corrupt data — usually it's units, coordinates or export settings. Here is how to diagnose by symptom and fix each.
Jul 6, 2026 FundamentalsWhat LOD (Level of Development / Level of Detail) means in BIM: the difference between Detail and Development, what LOD 100–500 represent, how it maps to project phases, and the misconceptions to avoid.
Jun 28, 2026 Practical guide'I sent an IFC but the properties were gone' is a classic IFC failure — and it's usually the export settings. Version choice, properties, coordinates, classification: how to export without losing data.
Jun 28, 2026 Practical guideThere are many IFC viewers, and the wrong pick bites you on site. Here are seven practical checkpoints — IFC version support, property display, sectioning, sharing, performance — to choose well.
Jun 28, 2026 FundamentalsWhat BIM model checking (validation) is and why it matters: the limits of eyeballing a model, the kinds of rules you check against, how it differs from clash detection, and how to run it in practice.
Jun 27, 2026 FundamentalsWhat a CDE (Common Data Environment) is and why it matters: the problems it solves, the information status states, its relationship to ISO 19650, and how a small team can start.
Jun 27, 2026 FundamentalsWhat's new in IFC4.3: the extension to bridges, roads, rail and tunnels, the concept of alignment, how it differs from IFC4, and what to watch for in practice.
Jun 27, 2026 ReferenceIFC, BCF, LOD, openBIM, CDE, model checking and more — a practical glossary of the BIM terms that get thrown around on real projects, with the meanings people often leave fuzzy.
Jun 26, 2026 FundamentalsA clear guide to BIM (Building Information Modeling), framed around how it differs from 3D CAD. What it means for a model to carry information, the real benefits, common misconceptions, and where to start.
Jun 25, 2026 FundamentalsA guide to BCF (BIM Collaboration Format): why you need a way to share issues separately from the model, what a BCF topic contains, how it relates to IFC, and how it's used in practice.
Jun 24, 2026 FundamentalsWhat's the real difference between IFC and RVT (Revit's format)? The fundamental open-vs-native distinction, the strengths and limits of each, and how to avoid losing data when you exchange models.
Jun 23, 2026 Practical guideSomeone sent you an .ifc file and you can't open it? Here are your options — how to open IFC for free, view it in the browser with no install, or work offline — with the pros and caveats of each.
Jun 22, 2026 FundamentalsA plain-English guide to IFC (Industry Foundation Classes): what it is, why it exists, what it actually contains, the difference between IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4.3, and the misconceptions that trip people up.
Jun 21, 2026