About Exporting Industry Foundation Class (IFC) Files

When you export an IFC file, the export process creates an IFC file and a LOG file.

• The IFC file contains information specified for project number and name, file path, and external references (xrefs).
• The LOG file contains data about information (objects and geographic location) in the drawing. This file is stored in the same location as the IFC file.

Only a currently active drawing can be exported to IFC.

Exporting AutoCAD Civil 3D Objects to IFC

You can export AutoCAD Civil 3D alignment objects and their associated finished ground profile data to IFC format using IFC schema version 4x1.

Note: For each alignment, a single finished ground profile is exported.

To export other AutoCAD Civil 3D objects to IFC, they must first be converted to 3D solids. You can convert TIN surfaces, corridors, pipe networks, and pressure networks to 3D solids using commands included in AutoCAD Civil 3D. After the objects are converted to solids, you can export the drawing to IFC using the option to export solids.

Drawing coordinate systems are automatically included in IFC export and import when using version 4 or 4x1. If a drawing is assigned a coordinate system, the information is included in the IFC export. When the IFC file is imported, the new drawing that is created is assigned the coordinate system found in the imported IFC file.