Free online IFC to GLTF converter

Web viewers, game engines, AR applications, and many 3D pipelines require glTF or GLB rather than BIM exchange data. Converting an IFC model produces a compact renderable asset, but usually removes much of the original building-information structure.

What the IFC format is

IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open BIM exchange format for buildings, infrastructure, components, materials, quantities, relationships, and properties. Revit, Archicad, Tekla Structures, Allplan, Vectorworks, and other BIM applications create or export IFC files, commonly with the .ifc extension.

IFC is intended for coordination, clash detection, quantity workflows, facility management, and exchanging model data between different authoring systems. An IFC file can contain walls, slabs, doors, spaces, structural members, classifications, object properties, and multiple geometric representations.

What the GLTF format is

glTF is a runtime 3D delivery format designed for fast loading in browsers, game engines, mobile applications, and real-time viewers. A .gltf file usually references a binary buffer and image textures; .glb packages the JSON scene, geometry, and textures into one binary file.

glTF supports meshes, node hierarchies, transforms, cameras, materials, textures, and animations. It does not provide IFC's native BIM entities, classifications, quantities, relationships, or editable parametric components. Use GLB when a single portable file is more useful than separate JSON, geometry, and texture files.

How to actually convert IFC to GLTF

The most practical desktop workflow uses Blender with the Bonsai IFC add-on. Blender provides the glTF exporter, while Bonsai imports IFC geometry and preserves selected BIM information inside the Blender scene.

1. Install a current Blender release and the Bonsai add-on compatible with that release.
2. Open Blender and choose File → Import → IFC, then select the .ifc file. For a large model, hide or remove unnecessary disciplines and construction elements before export.
3. Check the imported scene for missing geometry, incorrect units, excessive detail, and an unsuitable origin. IFC models may use georeferenced coordinates that place the building far from Blender's origin; move a working copy near the origin if the target viewer has floating-point precision problems.
4. Assign or verify materials and textures. IFC material definitions do not always map cleanly to real-time PBR materials, and some exports contain color data without usable image textures.
5. Choose File → Export → glTF 2.0. Select GLB for a single file or glTF Separate when the application needs editable JSON, binary geometry, and image files.
6. Enable the exporter options required by the destination, such as selected objects, visible objects, cameras, normals, tangents, and material export. Export to a new folder so referenced textures remain together with a separate .gltf file.

For a browser-based conversion, 101convert.com can convert the file for free without installing software. Desktop conversion is preferable for large models or when you need to inspect geometry, remove objects, correct materials, or control the exported scene.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• Semantic data is usually lost: GLTF contains renderable scene data, not IFC wall, door, space, classification, or property semantics. Retain the original IFC for BIM editing and coordination.
• Model size can increase or decrease: GLB avoids many small referenced files, but detailed IFC geometry may produce a large mesh. Remove hidden objects, simplify high-resolution profiles, and reduce texture dimensions before export when download size matters.
• Coordinate systems require checking: IFC files may contain project, site, and map-coordinate information. A GLTF viewer may ignore that metadata, interpret units differently, or suffer precision artifacts at very large coordinate values.
• Materials are approximate: IFC surface styles may export as basic colors rather than physically based materials. Rebuild roughness, metallic, opacity, and image textures in Blender when visual fidelity matters.
• Geometry may be triangulated: Real-time glTF rendering commonly uses triangles, so the exported mesh is not suitable for precise CAD measurement or parametric editing.
• Check the result in the target application: Verify units, normals, transparency, texture paths, object visibility, and scene orientation in the actual web viewer, engine, or AR tool that will load the GLB.