Can someone explain the difference between a imodel file and a IFC file? please

RE: Can someone explain the difference between a imodel file and a IFC file? please

Paul Cusack — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 01:59:39 GMT

I guess there are many ways to answer this question but for information on IFC see

https://www.buildingsmart.org/standards/bsi-standards/industry-foundation-classes/ and for information on iModels and Digital Twins see

https://www.itwinjs.org/#anchor-why-digital-twins-section

What you will find is that IFC is a file format that is being developed as an open industry standard for data exchange and is gradually expanding to include infrastructure and more recently, road and rail infrastructure.

On the other hand, Bentley has developed iModels as an open standard that encompasses everything we can build in DGNs from all the various Bentley applications (and a range of 3rd party applications) to publish as a Digital Twin and then manage, view, consume, analyse and report on the content in the Digital Twin. So iModels are not just a file format but part of a larger Digital Twin initiative from Bentley to not only support open standards such as IFC (that can be consumed within an iModel) but also to provide the technology and tools to work with the Digital Twins.

RE: Can someone explain the difference between a imodel file and a IFC file? please

Oto — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 12:41:56 GMT

iModels has more features than IFC so it may be more detailed and contain features which IFC does not yet or will not support. Like textures, 3D line styles.

RE: Can someone explain the difference between a imodel file and a IFC file? please

Matt LeRette — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 12:36:58 GMT

I hope you found the answer to this. I am trying to figure it out myself as well.

Currently my understanding is that IFC and iModels are essally read-only 3D model file extensions. Just like a PDF is to a word doc.

I beleive iModels are bentley specific, and IFC files are more universal and can be shared across all disciplines.

RE: Can someone explain the difference between a imodel file and a IFC file? please

Matt LeRette — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 12:36:47 GMT

I hope you found the answer to this. I am trying to figure it out myself as well.

Currently my understanding is that IFC and iModels are essally read-only 3D model file extensions. Just like a PDF is to a word doc.

I beleive iModels are bentley specific, and IFC files are more universal and can be shared across all disciplines.