Inspect BIM element data — no 3D scene required
A BIM data explorer for coordination: find any element by name, IFC class or GlobalId and read its attributes, Psets and quantities. Parsed on your machine, uploaded nowhere.
Runs on your device — the model is never uploaded.
Drop your IFC file here
.ifc and .ifczip · IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4x3
No file at hand? Try a sample: ·
- rows indexed from one production model, searchable at once
- ~118k
- typical query time inside the worker on that index
- <10 ms
- bytes uploaded — parsing is WebAssembly on your device
- 0
Measured by this site's automated QA suite on real project models — every figure is recorded before it is published.
Coordination runs on data questions
Half of BIM coordination is not looking at buildings — it is chasing answers. Which Pset holds the fire rating on that wall type? What element does the GlobalId in this morning's clash report belong to? Spinning up a full 3D scene to settle a one-line question wastes minutes every single time. This explorer takes the opposite route: it loads only the IFC parser, keeps the model open inside a Web Worker, and answers queries there — so the page stays light and the response is immediate, even against files with enormous entity counts.
As with every BIMViewer tool, the processing is local WebAssembly. The file stays on your computer — a real requirement when the model belongs to a live tender or carries an NDA.
How it works
- Load the model. Any .ifc or .ifczip produced by Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla or another IFC-capable authoring tool. A background worker parses it and builds the search index while the page stays responsive.
- Ask your question. Type an element name, an IFC class like IfcBeam, or paste a GlobalId from a coordination report. Hits appear live; pick one to open its record.
- Read, copy, export. Attributes, property sets and quantities in a single panel — copy the element as JSON, or pull the whole result list down as CSV.
Where it earns its keep on real projects
Tracing a GlobalId from a clash report. Navisworks, Solibri and BCF issues all reference elements by GlobalId. Paste it into the search box and the mystery element becomes a named object with readable data — no federation load, no scene graph, no wait.
Auditing BIM properties before sign-off. A delivered model is only as good as its data. Pull up every IfcDoor and scan whether the required Psets were actually populated, then export those results to CSV and let the empty cells expose the gaps. A ten-minute audit here saves an ugly surprise at handover.
Fielding questions from site. When a foreman needs the spec behind a component, you don't need a licensed BIM seat — search the element's name, read its record, reply. Any laptop with a browser is enough, including the one in the site cabin.
Getting oriented in someone else's model. An unfamiliar IFC from another discipline stops being opaque once you can query it: search a class to gauge what the model contains, sample a few elements, and learn the author's naming and Pset conventions before the coordination meeting starts.
Engineered for heavyweight IFC files
The tool's speed comes from doing the expensive work exactly once. On load, the worker walks the model's data and assembles an in-memory index; from then on every keystroke queries that index inside the worker. In our QA runs, an index of roughly 118,000 rows built from a production model returns matches in single-digit milliseconds — fast enough that search feels like filtering a local list, because that is what it is. The main thread never blocks, so the interface stays fluid while a large file churns. Need the complete dataset in spreadsheet form? The IFC to Excel exporter produces a full workbook from the same file. Want the element on screen instead of on paper? Open the model in the BIM viewer and see it standing in its storey.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open confidential project models in this explorer?
Yes — the parser is WebAssembly running inside your own browser tab. The IFC stays on your device from start to finish, no server ever receives a byte of it, and closing the page discards everything. That makes it usable even under tender confidentiality or NDA terms.
How do I find a specific element?
Three ways: type part of its name, type an IFC class such as IfcWall or IfcDoor, or paste a GlobalId straight out of a clash report or BCF issue. Matches appear as you type, and clicking one opens the element's complete data record.
What data does each element record contain?
Everything the model author attached: the element's direct attributes, all of its property sets grouped and readable, and its quantity takeoff values (areas, volumes, lengths). One button copies the entire record to your clipboard as JSON for pasting into an issue or a script.
Why not just use the 3D viewer for this?
Because rendering costs time and memory you don't need for a data question. This tool loads only the parser — no scene, no GPU work — so it opens heavy models quickly and leaves your laptop cool. When you do want to see the element in context, our viewer is one click away.
Can I take the results with me?
Yes, two ways: copy any single element as JSON, or download the current search results as a CSV to review in a spreadsheet. If what you actually want is the whole model's dataset rather than a filtered slice, the IFC to Excel tool builds a complete workbook instead.
Which schemas and file sizes will open?
IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4x3 all parse, and zipped .ifczip files open without extracting them first. Size-wise the limit is your device's memory: a notice appears around 150 MB (80 MB total on mobile), and about 300 MB is the sensible maximum on a well-equipped desktop.