IFC to DXF — a 3D mesh that opens straight in CAD

Convert IFC to DXF — a 3DFACE triangle mesh that opens directly in CAD and coordination applications. Geometry only (mesh surfaces, not parametric solids); units are embedded so it imports at the right scale.

Convert an IFC model to DXF online. Upload the IFC, run the export, and download a DXF carrying the model as a 3DFACE triangle mesh that opens directly in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, DraftSight, ZWCAD and the coordination tools that read DXF. Units are embedded, so it imports at the right scale instead of arriving a thousand times too big.

DXF is the format the CAD half of the industry has in common, and "send me a DXF" is still one of the most frequent requests a BIM coordinator gets. Answering it usually means opening the model in a desktop tool you may not have a seat for; this does it in the browser, free, in one pass.

When to reach for it: When someone needs your model in a CAD or coordination application and you want a file that opens directly — no IFC plugin required.

What you get: A single DXF file (R12 / 3DFACE mesh) carrying the model's 3D geometry, with units embedded so it imports at the right scale. It's mesh geometry, not editable parametric solids.

Example: Hand a contractor a DXF they can open straight in their CAD application.

3D mesh, not 2D drawings — and which one you want

This export writes the model's geometry as 3DFACE entities: the tessellated triangles of each element, in 3D, in one DXF. That is genuinely useful — it opens in any CAD tool, it carries the real shape of the building, and it can be measured, snapped to and referenced.

It is NOT floor plans. If what you actually need is a plan, an elevation or a section — 2D linework you can annotate and issue — use IFC to CAD Drawings instead, which cuts the model at a level or a plane and generates real drawing geometry. The distinction trips people up constantly, because most online IFC-to-DXF converters produce a 3D mesh and call it a drawing conversion. Knowing which of the two you're after saves a wasted round trip.

Units are embedded, so scale doesn't get guessed

The DXF declares its units, taken from the model. That sounds minor until you've received a DXF that imports at 1000× because the exporter wrote millimetre coordinates into a file that claimed metres, and someone has to work out the scale factor by measuring a known door. Embedding the unit means the receiving CAD tool places the geometry correctly on import without anyone negotiating a scale over email.

If the model's own units look wrong before you start, check them with Get IFC File Info, and fix them properly with Convert IFC Units rather than compensating with a scale factor at the CAD end.

Send the part they need

A whole-building 3DFACE mesh is a heavy DXF, and CAD tools handle it less gracefully than BIM viewers do. Cut the scope first: Split IFC Model to export one storey or zone, Delete IFC Elements to drop classes outside the request, Reduce IFC File Size to strip geometry that nothing displays. Chain the cleanup and the export into a saved pipeline and the same trimmed DXF regenerates itself on every revision.

Going the other way — a contractor's DWG or DXF that needs to become IFC — is a different job entirely, because 2D linework carries no building semantics. Start from the model, not the drawing.

How to convert IFC to DXF online

Upload your IFC file
Click Run to convert
Download the DXF file

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 convert IFC to DXF for AutoCAD?

Upload the IFC on this page and run the export. The DXF carries the model as 3DFACE triangle geometry and opens directly in AutoCAD and other CAD applications, with units embedded so it lands at the right scale. Free, in the browser, nothing installed.

Will I get floor plans?

No — this produces a 3D mesh, not 2D drawings. For plans, elevations and sections as real drawing linework, use IFC to CAD Drawings, which cuts the model and generates 2D geometry you can annotate and issue.

Can I get a DWG instead of a DXF?

The export is DXF, which every DWG-capable application reads and can save as DWG in one step. DXF is the documented interchange format; DWG is proprietary, so DXF is the reliable route between tools.

Does the DXF import at the right scale?

Yes — the model's units are embedded in the file, so the receiving CAD tool places the geometry correctly without anyone applying a scale factor by hand. If the model's own units are wrong, fix them with Convert IFC Units before exporting rather than compensating in CAD.

Are layers and element properties preserved?

The export carries geometry as mesh surfaces; the IFC's property sets, GlobalIds and spatial hierarchy don't come across. Export the data separately with Extract IFC Data if the recipient needs it, or send a view-only share link so they can query the real model.

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 IFC to DXF free?

Yes. IFC to DXF 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.