BCF issues on IFC, RVT and NWD models — create, view and export BCF 2.1 online

Create, edit, and assign BCF issues against an IFC model. Open clash-detection and IDS reports as issues, mark up viewpoints with snapshots, and export as .bcfzip or HTML for hand-off to any BCF-compatible coordination tool.

Besides IFC, this tool takes Revit (.rvt) and Navisworks (.nwd) files, with no Revit or Navisworks licence. Drop one in and it is converted to IFC first, then the tool runs on that IFC; your original file is not changed.

Create, view and hand off BCF issues in the browser. Open a .bcfzip someone sent you, raise issues against an IFC model with a 3D viewpoint and a snapshot attached, turn clash and IDS findings straight into topics, and export BCF 2.1 that any coordination tool will read.

BCF exists so that a coordination issue can travel between tools without everyone owning the same software. In practice it mostly travels between people who own an expensive seat, because opening a .bcfzip usually requires one — which puts the architect who needs to answer the issue, or the contractor who needs to read it, outside the loop it was designed to include.

When to reach for it: When you're coordinating clashes, RFIs, or design issues across teams and you need live, multiplayer review on top of a shared IFC. Invite anyone — registered users, teammates, or guests by email/password — and export to a portable .bcf / .bcfzip when you're done.

What you get: A BCF 2.1 .bcf / .bcfzip compatible with any BCF-capable coordination tool. Every issue carries metadata, a snapshot, and a viewpoint that reapplies the exact camera + selection + isolation + section planes on re-open. The optional HTML export embeds every snapshot as base64 for offline review.

Example: Open last week's clash report as BCF issues, assign each one to a discipline lead, then export the resolved subset as .bcfzip for the next coordination meeting.

Issues with a viewpoint, not just a description

A BCF topic is more than text. It carries a camera position, the elements involved, and a snapshot — so the recipient opens the issue and is looking at exactly what the author was looking at, from the same angle, with the same elements highlighted. That is the whole reason the format exists, and it's what a screenshot pasted into an email can't do: a screenshot shows the problem, a viewpoint puts you in it.

Raise an issue by positioning the view, selecting the elements and describing the problem. Assign it, set its status and priority, and add comments as it's worked through.

Findings become topics

Clash results and IDS validation failures can be turned into BCF topics directly, which is where most issues actually come from. A clash run produces a hundred findings; the coordinator triages them and the ones that need someone else's decision become issues, with the viewpoint already set to the clash location.

Clash topics can be grouped one per recurring pattern — "Pipe × Wall, 47 pairs" as a single topic — or one per individual pair when each needs tracking and closing separately. That choice matters on a big run: forty-seven topics that all say the same thing get closed in bulk without being read, and one topic covering forty-seven distinct locations can't be tracked.

Read what you're sent, and send what they can read

Open a .bcfzip from any BCF-compatible tool and read it here — no licence, no install. For anyone in the chain who doesn't work in BIM software at all, export the issues as HTML instead: it opens in a browser, carries the snapshots, and needs nothing installed. That covers the client, the contractor's site team and everyone else who has to act on an issue without ever opening a model.

Export as BCF 2.1 when the issues are going back into a coordination workflow — the topics round-trip into any BCF-compatible tool. Issues raised here can also be worked through in a BIMCamel collaboration room, so the review happens in one place rather than in a chain of emailed zip files where nobody is sure which version is current.

Using it on Revit and Navisworks files

When you open a .rvt or a .nwd file here, BIMCamel converts it to IFC on the server and brings you back to this tool with the converted model loaded. Element ids, levels and properties come across under their Revit and Navisworks names, so pick properties as they appear in your model. Your .rvt or .nwd itself is never edited: a tool that changes the model gives you an IFC back.

Revit files can be up to 25 MB without an account, 100 MB with a free one and 200 MB on a paid plan. Navisworks files can be up to 25 MB without an account, 100 MB with a free one and 200 MB on a paid plan, and they open in the browser viewer at the same sizes. Revit projects saved in Revit 2021 to 2027 are supported.

How to create and view BCF issues online

Open the tool at /BcfTool (or hit the COLLABORATE tab)
Optional: drop a .bcfzip to import an existing report — it auto-converts into an editable room
Optional: drop an IFC to enable 3D highlighting + viewpoint capture
Invite teammates or external reviewers via Share → email or copy-link (with optional password)
Click "+ New issue" to add a topic. Fill title, status, priority, assignee, labels
Tick "Save current 3D view" to capture camera + selection + isolation + clipping + a PNG snapshot
Click any issue to re-open it: edit properties, comment, mention people, or resolve
Hit Download → choose .bcfzip (round-trips into any BCF-compatible coordination tool) or HTML report (self-contained, emailable)

Under the hood

BIMCamel parses IFC files in the browser using the open-source web-ifc engine and renders models with @thatopen/components + three.js. Heavy operations (clean / optimise / validate / convert) run on disposable server-side workers using the same web-ifc stack plus our own .NET pipeline; results stream back to your browser as soon as they're ready. Uploads sit on our servers only as long as your tier's retention window allows and are never used to train AI.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a BCF file without BIM software?

Upload the .bcfzip here. The topics, comments, viewpoints and snapshots are all readable in the browser — no licence and no install. That's usually the point: the person who needs to answer the issue often doesn't own a coordination seat.

Can I create BCF issues from clash results?

Yes — clash findings and IDS validation failures convert to BCF topics directly, with the viewpoint already set to the location. That's where most issues come from in practice.

Should I group clash topics or create one per clash?

Depends on the run. One topic per recurring pattern ("Pipe × Wall, 47 pairs") keeps a big run readable; one per pair lets each be tracked and closed individually. Forty-seven identical topics get bulk-closed without being read; one topic covering forty-seven locations can't be tracked.

What version of BCF does it support?

BCF 2.1 — the widely-supported version, so exported topics round-trip into any BCF-compatible coordination tool.

How do I send issues to someone with no BIM software at all?

Export as HTML. It opens in a browser, carries the snapshots and needs nothing installed — right for the client, the site team, and anyone who has to act on an issue without opening a model. Use BCF export when the issues are going back into a coordination workflow.

What's the maximum IFC file size?

Up to 25 MB as a guest, 100 MB with a free account, 500 MB on Pro, and 1 GB on Team. The caps are on upload size only — every tool itself is available on every tier.

What happens to my file after processing?

Your file is uploaded over HTTPS and processed on our servers. Guest uploads are stream-only — the working files are deleted as soon as your download finishes. Free accounts keep results for 7 days; Pro and Team keep saved models until you delete them. Files are never shared with third parties or used to train AI.

Is Create and View IFC Issues free?

Yes. Create and View IFC Issues is free to use — guests get 3 runs a day with 25 MB uploads, and a free account raises that to 10 runs a day with 100 MB uploads. No trial clock, no watermarks.

Can I use a Revit or Navisworks file with Create and View IFC, RVT, NWD Issues?

Yes. Open a .rvt or .nwd file and it is converted to IFC first; the tool then runs on that IFC and your original file is not changed.