Free online IFC to TIFF converter

What the IFC format is

IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open BIM exchange format for building and infrastructure models. It stores objects such as walls, slabs, doors, spaces, structural members, materials, properties, relationships, and geometric representations.

Authoring programs including Autodesk Revit, Archicad, Tekla Structures, Allplan, and OpenBuildings can create IFC files; coordination viewers and clash-detection tools commonly receive them. IFC files are used when models move between different BIM applications or when a project requires vendor-neutral model exchange.

What the TIFF format is

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is a raster image format that stores rendered pixels rather than 3D geometry. It supports lossless compression such as LZW and ZIP, high bit depths, large page sizes, and color models used in technical printing and archival workflows.

Use TIFF for rendered floor plans, elevations, perspective views, detail sheets, or documentation that needs high print quality. A TIFF cannot be rotated interactively, queried for BIM properties, measured from model coordinates, or edited as an IFC object model.

How to actually convert IFC to TIFF

Using Blender with the Bonsai IFC add-on

1. Install Blender and the Bonsai add-on, which uses IfcOpenShell to work with IFC models.
2. Open Blender and choose File → Import → IFC, then select the .ifc file. Large models may require several minutes and substantial memory.
3. Use the viewport to select the required plan, elevation, section, or perspective. Hide unwanted categories or objects, set the display mode, and apply materials or colors if the output needs shaded geometry.
4. Set the camera to the required view. Use an orthographic camera for plans and elevations when scale-like technical output is needed; use a perspective camera for presentation views.
5. Set the output dimensions under Output Properties. For print, calculate pixels from the required physical size and resolution; for example, an A3 page at 300 dpi requires approximately 4961 × 3508 pixels.
6. Choose Output Properties → File Format → TIFF. Select RGB or RGBA as needed, set color depth if available, and choose lossless compression where the workflow supports it.
7. Render with Render → Render Image, then use Image → Save As and save the result with a .tif or .tiff extension.

For a quick browser-based conversion without installing software, upload the IFC on 101convert.com and select TIFF when the conversion options are available. Check the resulting view and resolution before using it for production printing, because automated services may choose a default camera, background, projection, or image size.

Using a BIM viewer or authoring application

If the IFC is already opened in a BIM application that supports image export, set the desired view and use its image or raster export command, such as File → Export → Image. If the program exports PDF but not TIFF, export the view or sheet to PDF first and rasterize that PDF at the required DPI in an image editor; this adds a rasterization step and may change line rendering.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

• One IFC can produce many TIFF files: each camera, section, floor plan, or sheet is a separate rendered image unless a multipage TIFF workflow is used.
• IFC geometry may import differently between applications. Verify units, geographic placement, object visibility, clipping planes, materials, transparency, and surface normals before rendering.
• Orthographic output is not automatically a certified drawing. If exact scale, dimensions, title blocks, and line weights are required, generate the view in a BIM or CAD documentation tool and verify the printed scale.
• Resolution controls detail. A low-resolution render enlarged for printing produces blurred edges; increasing TIFF compression quality cannot restore missing pixels.
• TIFF preserves the rendered appearance, not IFC metadata. Keep the original .ifc file alongside the TIFF when model identity, properties, coordination, or future editing must remain available.
• Some viewers support only baseline TIFF, RGB TIFF, or 8-bit images. Use standard RGB TIFF with lossless compression when compatibility with document-management or print systems is more important than high-bit-depth color.