A Safe Haven for IFC Files

The Barcelona Port Authority is working on a 3D library of a wide variety of objects as a first step in creating a 3D digital twin of the Port of Barcelona. They chose IFC as the data exchange format for this library because it is an open and widely supported standard. But as with all standards, there are many degrees of freedom and different ways of implementing them, and it is crucial to ensure that all IFC files received from the producers comply with specific criteria, such as version, units of measure, geometry types, minimum set of properties, etc.

For this purpose, con terra created a self-service IFC Validator based on an FME Server App so that data producers can validate complex IFC files before submitting them to the Port of Barcelona. The output is a report listing the file's leading properties, layer structure, property sets and a 3D view of the IFC object, and a validation record of any errors and warnings.