Free Online ifcXML 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 an ifcXML File?
ifcXML is the XML encoding of IFC, the open BIM format standardised as ISO 16739. Where an .ifc file is STEP text (ISO 10303-21), an .ifcxml file carries the same entities as XML elements (ISO 10303-28): ifcXML2x3 for IFC2X3 models, and ifcXML4 for IFC4 and IFC4.3, where elements nest inside the building they belong to.
The viewer reads the XML in your browser, rewrites it as the IFC model it encodes and builds the geometry with the same engine as the IFC viewer: extrusions, boolean cut-outs for door and window openings, B-reps and tessellated meshes, in their colours, grouped into layers by element type.
An .ifczip file is an IFC model compressed as a ZIP archive, holding one .ifc or .ifcxml file. It opens the same way. Try the ifcXML sample to see a wall with its window opening cut out.
Who Uses ifcXML Files?
ifcXML comes from tools built around XML pipelines: model checkers, classification and facility-management systems (CAFM), web services and custom exporters, and the buildingSMART documentation examples. BIM authoring tools such as Revit, ArchiCAD and Tekla write .ifczip to make large IFC exports smaller to send. Anyone who receives one of these files without a BIM application can open it here.
Common Use Cases
- Open an .ifcxml model without a BIM application
- Check what an XML export from a model checker or CAFM system contains
- Open a zipped .ifczip export without unpacking it first
- Compare an ifcXML export with the .ifc of the same model
- Convert the building to GLB, OBJ or STL for other tools
- Send a share link that opens the model in any browser
Features
Opens .ifcxml Files
IFC building models written as XML, from model checkers, CAFM systems, web services and BIM exporters.
ifcXML2x3 and ifcXML4
Both encodings in use: IFC2X3 models and IFC4 and IFC4.3 models, with the schema read from the file.
Opens .ifczip Too
A zipped IFC model opens as it is, whether it holds an .ifc or an .ifcxml file.
The Full Building
Walls, slabs, columns, beams, windows, doors, stairs and MEP, with door and window openings cut out.
Layers by Element Type
Walls, Windows, Doors, Slabs and the other types are layers you can turn off.
Colours From the Model
Each element takes the colour of its surface style, glass included.
Convert to GLB, OBJ or STL
Save the building as GLB, OBJ, STL, FBX, STEP or DXF, or the view as PDF, PNG or JPG.
Nothing Is Uploaded
The file is read and drawn entirely in your browser. No account, no upload, no copy of your model on a server.
Share and Embed
Send a link that opens the model in any browser, or drop the viewer into your own page with one iframe.
Compatibility & Format Notes
Schemas: ifcXML2x3 (IFC2X3, the ISO 10303-28 configuration with a uos section) and ifcXML4 (IFC4 ADD2 and IFC4.3), including nested entities, references by id, subtypes given by xsi:type, the inverse relationships ifcXML4 writes inline, and coordinate lists written as one run of numbers. Decimal commas, which some exporters write, are read as points.
Geometry: everything the IFC viewer draws: extruded, revolved and swept solids, boolean cut-outs, faceted and advanced B-reps, triangulated and polygonal face sets, mapped items and colours from surface styles.
Files: .ifcxml, and .ifczip archives holding an .ifc or .ifcxml file. Very large XML files take longer to read than the same model as .ifc, because the XML is several times bigger.
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 ifcXML 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 the difference between IFC and ifcXML?
They hold the same building model. An .ifc file writes it as STEP text, one entity per line; an .ifcxml file writes it as XML, which XML tools can validate and transform. The .ifc encoding is smaller and more common; ifcXML is used where a workflow is built on XML.
▶What is an .ifczip file?
An IFC model compressed as a ZIP archive, holding one .ifc or .ifcxml file. BIM tools offer it to make large exports smaller. Drop it on the viewer as it is; it does not need to be unpacked.
▶Which ifcXML versions open?
ifcXML2x3, written for IFC2X3 models, and ifcXML4, written for IFC4 and IFC4.3. The viewer reads the schema from the file’s namespace or header.
▶Is this ifcXML 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 in the toolbar to save as STL (3D printing), OBJ (Wavefront), GLB (glTF binary), or PDF (snapshot of the current view).
▶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.
IFC and ifcXML are open standards of buildingSMART International; Innerscene is not affiliated with buildingSMART.