Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)
IFC data can be represented by various file formats [13]. A common myth is that IFC is only an intermediate file format. Instead, IFC is a schema, with a full file being only one of many possible ways to store or transfer OpenBIM data. Table 1 shows the various serialisations that can be used for encoding the IFC data.
Serialisation
.ifc
.ifczip
.ifcxml
.json
.hdf:
.sqlite
Summary
IFC-SPF format, a commonly used plain text format based on STEP
IfcZIP format, where a single .ifc file is compressed into a ZIP package
IfcXML format, a plain text format
JSON format, a plain text format
HDF5 format, a binary format
SQLite format, a binary format
Table 1: Serialisation Formats for Encoding IFC Data
At the moment only .ifc and .ifczip see common usage. Non-developer users, such as BIM modellers, need only recognise that BIM data can be represented in different formats. Content remains consistent across formats like .ifc and .json etc, differing solely in their presentation.
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[13] IFC Formats. buildingSMART Technical n.d. https://technical.buildingsmart.org/standards/ifc/ifc-formats/ (accessed July 22, 2024).
Table 1: Serialisation Formats for Encoding IFC Data