Free Online BCF Viewer (No Signup)
Also opens DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, IFC, SKP, STL, OBJ, GLB, FBX, 3DM and other 3D/CAD files. Drop any file on the viewer.
Works directly in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
Also from Innerscene: Circadian Lab, a free lighting calculator for room illuminance, melanopic EML, and glare.
What Is a BCF File?
BCF (BIM Collaboration Format) is the open buildingSMART format for sending issues about a building model between BIM tools. A BCF file does not carry the model. It carries the conversation about it: clashes found in coordination, questions for the architect, requests for change, each as a topic.
The file is a ZIP archive with one folder per topic. Each folder holds the topic’s markup (title, type, status, priority, labels, author, dates, assignee, due date, description and comments), its viewpoints (the camera and the visible elements) and a snapshot picture of each viewpoint.
The viewer reads the archive in your browser and lays out every topic as a card with its snapshots, details and comments, in the order the file gives them. The page can be saved as one HTML file to send to anyone. Open the BCF sample to see one, and the IFC viewer for the model the issues refer to.
Who Uses BCF Files?
BIM coordinators, design teams and contractors exchange BCF files from BIMcollab, Solibri, Navisworks, Revit, ArchiCAD, Trimble Connect, BIM Track and other coordination tools. A BCF file often reaches people who do not use any of them: a client, a consultant, a site manager. This page shows them the issues without an account or a BIM application.
Common Use Cases
- Read the issues from a coordination meeting without a BIM application
- Check the status, assignee and due date of every topic at a glance
- Look at the snapshot each issue was raised with
- Follow the comment thread of each topic in order
- Save the issue list as one HTML file to send or archive
- Send a share link that opens the issues in any browser
Features
Opens .bcf and .bcfzip
BIM Collaboration Format 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0, from BIMcollab, Solibri, Navisworks, Revit, ArchiCAD and other coordination tools.
Every Topic on One Page
Each issue as a card, in the order the file gives them.
Snapshots
The picture of every viewpoint, beside the topic it belongs to.
Status at a Glance
Status, type and priority as coloured badges: open, in progress and closed stand apart.
Who, When and By When
Author, creation date, last change, assignee, due date, stage and labels for each topic.
The Comment Thread
Every comment with its author and date, in order, with the snapshot it refers to.
Model Files Listed
The IFC files the topics refer to are named at the top of the page.
Save as HTML
Save the issue list as one web page that opens offline in any browser.
Nothing Is Uploaded
The file is read entirely in your browser. No account, no upload, no copy of your project on a server.
Share and Embed
Send a link that opens the issues in any browser, or drop the viewer into your own page with one iframe.
Compatibility & Format Notes
Versions: BCF 2.0, 2.1 and 3.0, saved as .bcf or .bcfzip. Files are recognised by their content, so a BCF file renamed to .zip still opens as its issues.
Shown for each topic: title, status, type, priority, labels, author and creation date, last change, assignee, due date, stage, description, comments with their authors and dates, and the snapshot of every viewpoint (PNG or JPEG). The project name and the model files the topics refer to head the page.
Not shown: the model itself, which is a separate file; open its IFC on its own. Viewpoint cameras and component visibility are read but not applied to a model.
Embed on Your Website
Add this viewer to your own site with a single line of HTML. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate an embed code, or use the snippet below with your own file URL.
Your Files Stay on Your Computer
Your BCF files are parsed entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or shared unless you explicitly click the Share button. Shared files are hosted for 90 days then deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions
▶What is a BCF file?
A BIM Collaboration Format file: a ZIP archive of issues (topics) raised on a building model, each with its details, comments, viewpoints and snapshots. BIM tools use it to send issues to each other without sending the model.
▶Is .bcfzip the same as .bcf?
Yes. BCF 2.0 files were usually named .bcfzip; BCF 2.1 and 3.0 use .bcf. Both are the same kind of ZIP archive and both open here.
▶Does the BCF file contain the building model?
No. It holds the issues, and names the model files they refer to at the top of the page. Open the model itself, usually an .ifc file, in the IFC viewer.
▶Is this BCF viewer really free?
Yes, completely free. No signup, no watermarks, no file size limits on the viewer (the optional share-link feature has a 100 MB upload cap). Built by Innerscene as a tool for architects, engineers, and designers.
▶Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. All parsing, rendering, and conversion runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded, stored, or transmitted by default. The Share button is the only feature that uploads a file, and only when you explicitly click it.
▶Can I convert to another format?
Yes. Click Export and choose HTML: the issue page is saved as one self-contained HTML file with its snapshots, which opens in any browser without an internet connection.
▶Can I embed this viewer on my own site?
Yes. Click Embed in the toolbar to generate a one-line <iframe> snippet you can paste into any HTML page. You can choose whether the embed shows the viewer’s toolbar.
BCF is an open standard of buildingSMART International; Innerscene is not affiliated with buildingSMART.