IFC Coordinate & Georeference Check

Check placement and georeferencing — large coordinates far from the origin, missing site placement, and absent georeferencing data. Run it on its own, or stack it with other checks in the Validation Center.

Check an IFC model's coordinates and georeferencing online. Upload the model and find out whether it sits somewhere a viewer can render without jitter, whether it carries the georeferencing that federation depends on, and whether its world coordinate system is rotated without a declared north.

Coordinates are the reason models don't line up, and the reason nobody can tell why. The symptoms show up far from the cause: the model shakes when you orbit it, exports come back at the wrong place, a federated set has one discipline a hundred metres off, or everything looks correct until it's overlaid on a survey. All four have the same handful of causes, and all four are visible in the file before anyone opens a viewer.

When to reach for it: Before federating discipline models. A model placed thousands of metres from the origin causes floating-point jitter when it's combined with others; missing georeferencing means it won't line up on a shared site.

What you get: A findings list flagging large coordinates far from the origin, missing site placement, and absent georeferencing data — exportable to BCF, HTML, or CSV.

Example: Catch a model placed thousands of metres from origin before it federates and jitters against everyone else's.

The four things it looks for

Model far from the origin — reported HIGH. Large coordinates exhaust the precision of 32-bit floats, which is what most viewers and downstream tools use for geometry. The result is visible jitter when you orbit, and quiet numerical error in anything that measures. It happens when a model is authored at real survey coordinates instead of at a project base point.
Coordinates approaching the precision threshold — reported LOW. Not broken yet, but on the way there; worth knowing before the next building gets added to the site.
No IfcMapConversion — reported LOW. Without it, the model states no relationship between its own coordinate system and the real world, so federating it with a georeferenced model misaligns them SILENTLY. Nothing errors; the buildings are simply in different places.
A rotated world coordinate system with no declared true north — reported INFO. Legal, and ambiguous: anything that needs orientation (solar studies, north arrows on drawings, alignment against a survey) has to guess.

Thresholds in metres, whatever the model says

Distance thresholds are evaluated in metres regardless of the length unit the model declares. That matters more than it sounds: the same building authored in millimetres carries coordinate numbers a thousand times larger than one authored in metres, and a check that compared raw values would flag every millimetre model and clear every metre model, independently of where either actually is. Converting first means the answer is about the model's real position rather than its unit choice.

Fix it rather than working around it

The Georeference Editor writes a proper IfcMapConversion and projected CRS into the model, which is the real fix for a missing georeference — it makes the model state its own position rather than relying on everyone downstream applying the same offset by hand. Transform IFC Model moves geometry when a model genuinely needs relocating to a project base point.

Resist the temptation to compensate in the receiving tool. An offset applied at import works until the next revision, the next consultant, or the next export — at which point the model is still wrong and now there are two conventions in play. Run this check on every incoming model before it joins a federation, and stack it with the other atomic checks in the Validation Center.

How to check IFC coordinates and georeferencing

Upload your IFC file
Click Run — no configuration needed
Review flagged large coordinates, missing site placement, and georeferencing gaps
Export to BCF, HTML, or CSV

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

Why does my IFC model shake or jitter in the viewer?

Almost always because it's authored far from the origin at real survey coordinates. Large coordinate values exhaust 32-bit float precision, which is what viewers use for geometry, and the visible result is jitter. This check reports it as a High finding with the actual distance.

How do I know if my IFC is georeferenced?

Run this check — it reports whether the model carries an IfcMapConversion. Without one, the model states no relationship to real-world coordinates, so federating it with a georeferenced model misaligns them with no error anywhere. The Georeference Editor writes one in.

Why don't my federated models line up?

The most common causes are all visible here: one model georeferenced and another not, different project base points, or a rotated world coordinate system with no declared north. Run the check on each model separately before federating them.

Does the check account for models authored in millimetres?

Yes. Distance thresholds are evaluated in metres regardless of the declared length unit, so a millimetre model isn't flagged simply for having coordinate numbers a thousand times larger. The finding reflects where the model actually is.

Should I fix the coordinates or compensate on import?

Fix the model. An offset applied in the receiving tool works until the next revision or the next consultant, and then there are two conventions in play. Use the Georeference Editor to declare the model's real-world position, or Transform IFC Model to relocate geometry to a project base point.

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 Coordinate & Georeference Check free?

Yes. IFC Coordinate & Georeference Check 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.