Classify IFC Elements
Scan a model's classes, PredefinedTypes and proxy elements, then manually reassign the IfcClass and/or PredefinedType of any selection.
Scan a model's classes, PredefinedTypes and proxy elements, then manually reassign the IfcClass and/or PredefinedType of any selection — pick elements by clicking in the 3D viewer, or reuse a saved search or a saved selection, and watch the pick highlight live against the model before you apply anything.
This is the tool for the export that got the identity wrong. An IfcBuildingElementProxy that's obviously a piece of furniture once you read its name. A wall exported as the wrong PredefinedType so it fails a fire-rating filter that keys off it. A batch of fixtures an authoring tool dumped as generic proxies because nobody mapped the family category on the way out. Re-exporting from the original model means going back to whoever authored it, if you still have access at all; this fixes the IFC directly.
When to reach for it: When an exporter classified elements wrong or dumped them as generic IfcBuildingElementProxy fixtures — before a schedule, a quantity takeoff, or a handover that needs the real IfcClass.
What you get: The same model with the picked elements' IfcClass and/or PredefinedType reassigned. Names, properties, materials, and placement are untouched.
Example: Reclassify a batch of IfcBuildingElementProxy fixtures exported from Revit as their real IfcClass (e.g. IfcFurniture) before running a schedule.
Pick elements the way you already do
The target picker is the same one every selection-based tool in the app uses: your current viewer selection, a saved search, or a saved selection set. Whichever you choose, the matched elements highlight live in the 3D stage the moment you pick them — the same two-way sync the Estimate tool's schedule uses, so you can see exactly what a rule is about to touch before you commit to a target class.
Build more than one rule in a single run: one group of elements can go to one class, another group to a different class or PredefinedType, all applied together and downloaded as one file. A rule can change the IfcClass, the PredefinedType, or both — leaving either blank keeps the element's current value for that one.
Every class and value the schema actually defines
The target-class and target-PredefinedType dropdowns aren't a fixed list copied from a specification webpage — they're reflected live from the same compiled schema assemblies the app already uses to parse every upload, scoped to the exact IFC version your model declares. An IFC2X3 file only offers the classes and PredefinedType values IFC2X3 actually has; open an IFC4X3 model and the picker updates to that schema's own set. That also means the picker never offers a value your file's schema can't represent, which a hand-maintained list can silently drift into over time.
The scan that opens with the tool also flags every IfcBuildingElementProxy in the model and, where the element's name, type name or object type gives a strong-enough clue, attaches a rule-based suggested class — the same conservative name-matching pass the app already runs to seed automatic training data, not a machine-learning guess. It only ever promotes on a whole-word name match, and shape can veto a promotion it doesn't agree with, but it never promotes on shape alone — a wrong suggestion here would be worse than no suggestion at all.
What happens to the element when its class changes
IFC entities are typed at creation and can't be recast in place, so changing an IfcClass builds a new, correctly-typed entity and retires the old one — but the GlobalId carries over unchanged, so the element keeps its identity for anything downstream that tracks elements by GUID (a BCF issue, a saved selection, a federation member). Every relationship the old entity held — spatial containment, property sets, material assignment, type assignment, openings and connections — is rewired onto the new entity before the old one is removed, so the output file has nothing referencing an entity that no longer exists. Changing only the PredefinedType is simpler: it's a plain property on the existing entity, no new entity involved.
Every correction made here also becomes training data for the model behind Predict an IFC Element's Class — full trust, the same weight as an element's own exported classification. The tool also logs, silently, what the currently-deployed model would have guessed for each element you correct, purely to measure how often it agrees with what you actually chose. Neither the guess nor a suggestion is shown here yet — this phase is about collecting real corrections; showing the model's own suggestions in this tool is a later phase.
How to reclassify IFC elements online
- Upload your IFC file — the tool opens the 3D viewer alongside a scan of the model
- Review the scan: every IfcClass and PredefinedType currently in the model, plus every proxy element (IfcBuildingElementProxy) with a rule-based suggested class
- Pick which elements to reclassify — your current viewer selection, a saved search, or a saved selection set — and see the pick highlighted live in the 3D stage
- Choose the new IfcClass and/or PredefinedType for that pick, and add as many rules as you need
- Click Run — the model is updated and a new file is produced
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
Can I fix elements exported as IfcBuildingElementProxy here?
Yes — that's the main use case. The scan flags every proxy in the model, and where its name or type name gives a strong enough clue you'll see a rule-based suggested class next to it. Select the proxies (individually, via a saved search, or a saved selection) and assign the real IfcClass.
Does changing an element's class keep its GlobalId?
Yes. IFC entities can't be retyped in place, so a class change builds a new, correctly-typed entity and removes the old one, but the GlobalId is copied across unchanged — anything that tracks the element by GUID (BCF issues, saved selections, federation members) keeps working against the reclassified element.
Can I change just the PredefinedType without changing the IfcClass?
Yes — leave the class dropdown on "keep current class" and pick only a new PredefinedType. That's a plain property change on the existing element, no new entity involved.
Where do the target class and PredefinedType options come from?
They're reflected live from the same compiled IFC schema assemblies the app parses every upload with, scoped to your file's actual schema version — not a fixed list copied from a specification page. An IFC2X3 file only offers what IFC2X3 defines.
Does the model suggest classifications for me?
Not in this tool yet. Corrections made here train a classifier, and the tool logs — silently — what the currently-deployed model would have guessed for each element you correct, so its real-world accuracy can be measured against genuine corrections. Showing that guess as a suggestion you can accept or override is a later phase.
Can I select elements by clicking in the 3D viewer?
Yes. Pick "Current Selection" as the target source, click or box-select elements in the stage, and they become the rule's target — the same two-way viewer sync the Estimate tool's schedule uses, so a rule's matched elements also highlight back in the stage as you build it.
Which IFC versions are supported?
IFC2x3 and IFC4 — the two schema versions exported by essentially every AEC authoring application. IFC4x3, the infrastructure schema, works too: it opens in the viewer, and validation, health reports, property-set editing and georeferencing all run on it. Tools that need geometry processing, such as clash detection and 3D export, aren't verified on IFC4x3 yet.
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 keeps them 90 days and Team 180 days. Files are never shared with third parties or used to train AI.
Is Classify IFC Elements free?
Yes. Classify IFC Elements 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.