Bonsai IFC collaboration tests - some issues

edited September 2025 in General

I created an IFC 4.0 test file by adding some Blender BIM Tool's Objects. Then I imported that IFC in Bricscad, Vectorworks and opened it in ODA's OpenIFCViewer.

Bricscad :

  • I miss the Voids for Doors or Windows in Walls ?

Vectorworks :

  • Looks complete
  • (but does some strange Geometry imports with Boolean "Solid Subtractions" and such ?)

OpenIFCViewer :

  • Roof is missing ?
  • Stair is missing ?
  • Doors only appear in their 2D representation ?
  • Openings are correct

So who or which App is doing wrong ?

Comments

  • BIM-Vision: no errors, everything in place

  • edited September 2025


    BIMCollabZoom seams to do a good job as well ...

    zoomer
  • I wondered a bit about OpenIFCViewer for the first time missing something.
    Usually it was so robust that it showed everything like in CAD, even for my worst IFC Exports that had lots of issues or were even completely refused by other Apps.

    Bricscad initially also missed the Stair"Flight", so I played with the Stair in Bonsai and did some changes or switching to Stair and back to StairFlight and such. Now the Stair comes into Bricscad !?

    Would it be possible, that there are some things not 100% perfect in Bonsai's IFC already in saving geometry and or IFC tagging ?

    BTW

    BIMCollabZoom seams to do a good job as well ...

    Not sure but I think ODAs OpenIFCViewer is not really free open source software and meant for individuals ? Now they make downloading harder by not only asking for registering with an email address but now for whole office data ..... (And spam you with business emails)

    So does anybody now a good, fast loading, Mac ARM supporting FOSS IFC Viewer ?
    If there isn't, I'll rather make Bonsai my default IFC Viewer App ......

  • News from Bricscad Support because of the missing Window Openings ...

    Confirmed. It happens because the openings have MappedRepresentation.

    What ever that means :)

  • I read this already - but it did make me understand either :)

    It probably means "We haven't added that functionality yet."

    I would have thought it may be a strict IFC construct that Bonsai uses as recommended, but other mere proprietary Apps did not always expect or care of ....

    It is forwarded to BC devs and they look at it. If Representation Map was properly used in that context, they may update the BC importer to support it.

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