Since 1 July 2026, the ability to export IFC from Revit to the right standard is no longer optional for most projects in Vietnam. Government Decree 217/2026/NĐ-CP makes BIM mandatory for every new construction work of grade II and above, starting at the feasibility study stage (Article 8, clause 1, point a). Clause 3 of the same article requires BIM data submitted to the construction authority to be in the open IFC standard or other open formats. Where the authority also asks for the native file, that file must keep its parameters and object structure intact. Who falls under the rule is covered in the BIM roadmap in Vietnam.
For the modeller, this means the IFC file must carry every element, in the right category and the right place, and must be reopened and checked before submission. This article walks through fifteen steps in Revit 2027 on a four-storey structural model. For the full path from model to submission, the Institute runs a Revit Structure course.
The kinds of IFC to tell apart before exporting
"An IFC file" involves three separate layers: the schema version, the Model View Definition and the file format.
| Layer | Kind | Characteristics | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | IFC2x3 | Released in 2006, read well by many programs | The recipient uses older software |
| Version | IFC4 | ISO 16739 standard since 2013, fuller geometry and properties | Coordination and submissions today |
| Version | IFC4.3 | ISO 16739-1:2024, adds infrastructure objects: roads, bridges, railways, marine works | New submissions, infrastructure works |
| View | Coordination View 2.0 | Goes with IFC2x3 | Coordination between disciplines |
| View | Reference View | Goes with IFC4 and IFC4.3; simplified geometry, not meant for further editing | Referencing, checking, coordination, submissions |
| View | Design Transfer View | Goes with IFC4 | Handing a model to another program to keep editing |
| File format | .ifc | STEP text, the most common | Default |
| File format | .ifcXML | Same content written as XML | The recipient processes data as XML |
| File format | .ifcZIP | A compressed .ifc file | Large files that must travel light |
In Revit each view is further split by discipline, architecture, structure or building services, which is why the list shows setups such as IFC4.3 Reference View [Structural]. The version and view should follow the information requirements in the contract or of the receiving authority. Without a specific requirement, IFC4 or IFC4.3 Reference View is a safe choice for submissions. IFC in general is covered in what is IFC.
Before you export
You need a copy of the model and a 3D view without Temporary Hide/Isolate, because some export options read the open view; type HR to restore everything hidden temporarily. If the recipient needs drawings, send PDF or DWG as well, because IFC carries only the model and its properties; line weights before PDF are in line weights in Revit, DWG in exporting Revit drawings to CAD.
This article is part of the Institute's Revit Structure series.
The Export IFC dialog: file name, setup, version
Step 1 — Go to File › Export › IFC
Click File, point to Export, choose IFC.
In Revit 2027.2 the IFC item is enabled even when the current view is a sheet; only FBX is greyed out. Still, export from a 3D view, because Export only elements visible in view in step 5 uses that view.
Step 2 — Set the file name and folder
The Export IFC dialog is compact: File name with Browse…, Export setup, Modify setup…, three read-only lines IFC Version, Coordinate Base and Project Site, and Projects to export with a check box per open project. The default is <In-Session Setup> with IFC 2x3 Coordination View 2.0.
Step 3 — Understand why you must open Modify Setup
IFC Version cannot be chosen directly; it follows the setup. So do Coordinate Base and Project Site, which come from the Geographic Reference tab of the chosen setup. To know what the file will carry, open the setup. Click Modify setup….
Modify Setup: the tabs that decide the file content
Step 4 — Read the setup list and the General tab
The left column holds 16 setups: six IFC 2x3 and 2x2, four IFC4, four IFC4.3, one IFC+SG, plus <In-Session Setup>. According to Autodesk's Export a Model to IFC, the In-Session setup is editable but not kept between sessions; built-in setups cannot be edited, only duplicated.
The General tab of the In-Session setup sets Exchange Requirement to Architectural Reference Exchange: the default leans towards architecture. Classification Settings…, File Header Information… and Project Address… write management data into the file header.
Step 5 — The Additional Content tab
Linked files is Do not export: linked models do not travel. Include Steel Elements is ticked. Export only elements visible in view is clear; tick it to deliver part of a building.
Step 6 — The Level of Detail and Geographic Reference tabs
Level of Detail has a single option, Low by default.
Geographic Reference uses Internal and Shared Coordinates. The Projected Coordinate System Reference block, with EPSG Code, Geodetic Datum, Eastings, Northings, Elevation and Angle from True North, is empty in the sample model. Projects submitted to an authority should fill it with Override so the model lands in the right place on the map.
Step 7 — The Advanced tab
The tab has 14 check boxes, all clear. Two matter for structures. Store the IFC GUID in an element parameter after export writes the IFC ID into each element so later issues keep the same IDs. Export bars in uniform rebar sets as separate IFC entities splits a uniform set into single bars, needed when the recipient counts bars one by one. Entities to Export… is where category mapping is redefined.
IFC4.3 Reference View for structures, then export
Step 8 — Choose IFC4.3 Reference View [Structural]
Click <IFC4.3 Reference View [Structural] Setup> in the left column.
General switches to IFC4.3 Reference View and Structural Reference Exchange, with an extra Facility Type box. Most options are greyed out because this is a built-in setup; to change them, use the icon buttons under the list to duplicate it and edit the copy. Click OK.
Step 9 — Check IFC Version, then Export
The dialog now reads IFC4.3 Reference View. Click Export. The sample model exports in about half a minute into a 7.1 MB file. The target folder holds only the .ifc file; no log file appeared beside it.
Step 10 — Read the header and count entities
IFC is a text file, readable in any editor. FILE_SCHEMA reads IFC4X3_ADD2, the description line reads ExchangeRequirement [Structural], and the application line reads Autodesk - Revit 27.2.0.39.
To count, open the file in VS Code or Notepad++, press Ctrl+F and type the entity name in capitals followed by an opening bracket, for example IFCBEAM(. VS Code shows the number of matches in the search box; Notepad++ has a Count button. The bracket keeps out lines such as IFCBEAMTYPE. The sample model gives:
| Entity | Lines | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IfcReinforcingBar | 360 | All reinforcement |
| IfcBeam | 74 | 71 of type BEAM, 3 of type JOIST |
| IfcColumn | 31 | 30 concrete columns, 1 steel box column |
| IfcSlab | 49 | 17 FLOOR, 32 BASESLAB |
| IfcMember | 64 | Curtain wall mullions from the architectural part |
| IfcBuildingElementProxy | 6 | Elements not mapped to any type |
Search for IFCFOOTING and IFCPILE: no lines. Search BASESLAB and you find 32 IfcSlab, 24 piles and 8 caps. Switching to the structural setup does not turn piles into IfcPile. Also note that the IFCPERSON line carries the Autodesk account name of whoever exported; that name goes out with the file.
Open an IFC file in Revit to check
Step 11 — Go to File › Open › IFC
Right below IFC is IFC Options, where the template and import mapping are set.
Step 12 — Pick the file and keep both check boxes
Open IFC File has AutoJoin Elements and Correct lines that are slightly off axis, both ticked. Type the path in File name and click Open. Revit builds a new project from the file, which takes a few minutes for this model.
Step 13 — Read the import warnings
Revit reports 0 errors and 3 warnings, all Opening not cutting anything: some openings came through but no longer cut any element. Click OK to keep them, not Delete Opening Cut, because openings are the sender's data. Expand >> lists all three warnings if you need to report them to the sender.
Step 14 — Bring the model into view
ZF shrinks the model to a dot, because the new project inherits two scope boxes from the template; Views Overall is 36,576 mm tall, a round imperial number. Type ZR and drag a box around the model.
Geometry and all 360 bars are back. The view discipline is Coordination, Views lists levels 1F to RF, and Sheets holds the template's A101 sheet, which is not part of the building.
Step 15 — Count categories with Filter
Drag a selection around the whole model and click Filter on the Modify | Multi-Select tab.
The count shows 32 Structural Foundations, 74 Structural Framing, 360 Structural Rebar and 20 Structural Columns. Select a pile to see why foundations kept their category.
IFC Parameters read BASESLAB and ifcslab: thanks to the PredefinedType, Revit puts piles back into Structural Foundations even though the entity is IfcSlab. Columns are not so lucky:
Eleven of the thirty-one columns land in Columns, the architectural category, although their IFC Predefined Type is still COLUMN. A structural column schedule on the reopened model will miss those eleven.
Result: what an IFC export from Revit contains
On the sample model with the IFC4.3 Reference View [Structural] setup:
| In Revit | In the IFC file | Reopened in Revit |
|---|---|---|
| 360 rebar | 360 IfcReinforcingBar | 360 Structural Rebar |
| Concrete beams | 74 IfcBeam | 74 Structural Framing |
| Columns | 31 IfcColumn | 20 Structural Columns and 11 Columns |
| 24 piles and 8 pile caps | 32 IfcSlab of type BASESLAB | 32 Structural Foundations |
| Floors | 17 IfcSlab of type FLOOR | 17 Floors |
The file is 7.1 MB with 105,142 entity lines. It has no IfcFooting or IfcPile at all.
When it does not work
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The IFC file misses part of the building | The view hides elements and Export only elements visible in view is ticked | Type HR in the 3D view, or clear that option |
| Nothing in Modify Setup can be edited | A built-in setup is selected | Duplicate it and edit the copy |
| ZF shrinks the reopened model to a dot | Two scope boxes from the template | Use ZR, or hide Scope Boxes in Visibility/Graphics |
| Two documents with the same name in the title bar | The imported project takes the source project name | Close the imported views and answer No to saving |
| A column schedule on the reopened model misses columns | Some columns landed in the Columns category | Count with Filter as in step 15 and schedule both Columns and Structural Columns |
Five common misconceptions about IFC export
| What people say | What Revit 2027 actually does |
|---|---|
| IFC is only enabled in a 3D view | In 2027.2 it is enabled on a sheet too; only FBX is greyed out |
| A structural setup exports piles as IfcPile | IFC4.3 Reference View Structural still writes piles and caps as IfcSlab BASESLAB |
| Reopening IFC gives back the original Revit model | Geometry and rebar return, but 11 columns become architectural and the project uses an imperial template |
| You can edit the built-in IFC4.3 setup | Built-in setups are greyed out; edit a duplicate |
| An IFC file carries no information about its author | The IFCPERSON line holds the Autodesk account name of the exporting machine |
In short, export IFC from Revit is only finished once you have reopened the file and recounted the elements; one Filter count catches lost categories before the recipient does.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I export IFC in Revit?
File › Export › IFC. Pick the setup under Export setup and edit details with Modify setup.
Which IFC version should a structural model use?
Whatever the recipient requires. Revit 2027 ships IFC4.3 Reference View [Structural] with Structural Reference Exchange; this article uses it.
How do I open an IFC file in Revit?
File › Open › IFC, pick the file, click Open. Revit builds a new project from a template and loads the model into it.
Does reinforcement go into the IFC file?
Yes. The sample model has 360 IfcReinforcingBar in the file and reopens with exactly 360 Structural Rebar.
Why is there no IfcFooting in the file?
Piles and pile caps are written as IfcSlab with PredefinedType BASESLAB. Software that reads PredefinedType still recognises foundations; software that filters only by entity name does not.