IFC 1.5.1 Add-On Available for ArchiCAD

Functionality of IFC 1.5.1

The first commercial release of the IFC protocol, version 1.5.1 focuses on the "carcass" of a building, with accurate description of the geometry and other related attributes of a facility.

As such the 1.5.1 version of the protocol allows architects, structural engineers, HVAC engineers, cost estimators, developers, facility managers, to share the key description of the whole facility.

The following entities are supported: Beam, Building, Building Storey, Column, Door, Floor, Opening Element, Project, Proxy, Roof Slab, Site, Space, Space Boundary, Wall, Window. This entity set is comprehensive enough to underpin a wide range of data sharing needs, based on the carcass of a building.

Certification of ArchiCAD IFC 1.5.1 Add-On

ArchiCAD was certified by the IAI on May 31, 2000, to be compliant with the IFC 1.5.1 standards. The testing process confirmed that files generated in ArchiCAD could be understood by the other applications, and vice versa, and that the same objects were generated. The applications also had to meet other requirements of the IFC model, which includes constraints on the values of the building component attributes (e.g., wall thickness must be greater than zero).

Latest release of IFC 1.5.1

Since the initial release in May 2000 several new features have been added:

• Selective filtering of ArchiCAD elements for export
• Optional BREPs export of ArchiCAD elements door, window and object.
• Optional export of extended properties
• Optional reloading of an original IFC file (allows a user to update modified entities in an existing file)