IFC Checker

Which IFC and IDS versions are read?

IFC Checker reads IFC files in the STEP format in the schemas IFC2X3, IFC4 and IFC4X3 (IFC 4.3), and IDS files in version 1.0. An IFC file in another format, or an IDS of another version, is not added, and the notice says why.

The IFC schemas

The schema is the one the file's header names.

  • IFC2X3, Technical Corrigendum 1 (2007).
  • IFC4, Addendum 2, Technical Corrigendum 1 (2017).
  • IFC4X3, read as IFC4X3_ADD2, which is IFC 4.3.2.0 (2024).

The documentation of each is linked in What is IFC?. A file whose header names a release IFC Checker holds no tables for, for example an early release candidate of IFC 4.3, is checked against the nearest schema it has, and the Model health report says so. A header that names no schema, or one with a space written in its name, is reported by Model health.

The file format

IFC Checker reads IFC in the STEP format, the .ifc file that authoring tools export. It does not read IFC-ZIP archives (unzip one and add the .ifc file inside), ifcXML or other formats: export those models from the authoring tool as IFC in the STEP format.

IDS

IFC Checker reads and writes IDS 1.0. An IDS file of another version, or one written by the old IFC Checker editor, is not added, and the notice says why. An IDS names the IFC versions it applies to, from the same three: IFC2X3, IFC4 and IFC4X3_ADD2. For IFC2X3, the IDS standard maps the newer class names to the older ones, and IFC Checker follows that mapping.

What the engine is

The checks are done by IFC Lite, an open source engine. It gives the specified result on all 334 of buildingSMART's IDS test cases (What is IDS?).

Try it in IFC Checker

  1. Add a model on Check. Its row shows the IFC schema its header names, for example IFC2X3 or IFC4.
  2. After the check, open the Model health tab of Extended data: it checks the file against the schema its header names (what it checks).