IFC Georeference Editor

View and set map coordinates (CRS, eastings/northings, rotation) and site latitude/longitude.

Add or correct an IFC model's georeferencing in the browser. Set the projected coordinate reference system, the eastings and northings, the height offset and the rotation to true north, and download a model that states where in the world it actually is.

Georeferencing is the difference between a model that happens to be in the right place and one that KNOWS where it is. Without it, every consumer needs the same offset applied by hand and told to them out of band — and the moment two parties apply different offsets, or one forgets, the models are in different places and nothing reports an error. The buildings simply don't overlap.

When to reach for it: When a model has no georeferencing (or the wrong one) and needs to land correctly in GIS, federation or site coordination.

What you get: An IFC with IfcMapConversion + IfcProjectedCRS written (IFC4), or the agreed ePSet_MapConversion fallback on IFC2x3, plus site latitude/longitude/elevation.

Example: Anchor a model to EPSG:25832 grid coordinates so it lands correctly in GIS and federation.

What georeferencing actually records

IFC has schema slots for exactly this. A projected coordinate reference system names the CRS the real-world coordinates belong to — usually by EPSG code, so the receiving tool knows whether "eastings 528000" means British National Grid, UTM zone 31N or something else entirely. A map conversion then states how the model's own coordinate system maps onto it.

Eastings and northings — where the model's origin sits in the projected CRS.
Orthogonal height — the vertical offset from the CRS datum to the model's zero level.
Rotation to true north — because a model's Y axis is almost never true north, and anything doing solar analysis, wind studies or drawing north arrows needs to know the difference.
Scale — where the projection requires it.
The CRS itself, by name or EPSG code, so the numbers above mean something specific.

Declare the position, don't move the model

There are two ways to make a model land in the right place, and only one of them is right. You can move the geometry, or you can declare where the geometry already is. Moving works for one recipient and makes the model wrong for everyone who had the correct offset; declaring works for everyone, forever, and travels inside the file.

Use this tool when the model is correctly placed in its own coordinate system and simply doesn't state its real-world position — which is the common case, because plenty of exporters drop georeferencing entirely. Use Transform IFC Model instead when the geometry itself is genuinely in the wrong place; and note that if you move a model that IS georeferenced, you need the map-conversion compensation option or its declared position silently becomes a lie.

Check first, and check after

The Coordinate & Georeference Check reports whether a model carries a map conversion, how far from the origin it sits, and whether its world coordinate system is rotated without a declared north — run it before you edit so you know what you're fixing, and again afterwards to confirm the fix landed. Get IFC File Info shows the raw values.

The most common practical outcome of getting this right is that federation stops being an argument. Two georeferenced models from two consultants line up because both state their position in a shared CRS, rather than because somebody worked out the delta and everybody remembered to apply it.

How to georeference an IFC model

Upload your IFC file
Review the current georeferencing state
Enter CRS, map coordinates, rotation and/or site latitude/longitude
Click Run and download the georeferenced IFC

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 add georeferencing to an IFC file?

Upload the model, enter the projected CRS (by name or EPSG code), the eastings and northings of the model origin, the height offset and the rotation to true north, and download. The values are written into the IFC as a proper map conversion and projected CRS, so they travel with the file.

Why do my federated models not line up?

Most often because one is georeferenced and the other isn't, so there's no shared statement of where either sits. Run the Coordinate & Georeference Check on each, then georeference the one that's missing it — after that they align because both declare their position, not because someone remembered an offset.

Should I move the model instead?

Only if the geometry is genuinely in the wrong place. Moving a correctly-placed model to compensate for missing georeferencing makes it wrong for everyone who had the right offset. Declaring the position works for everyone and travels inside the file.

What's true north for?

A model's Y axis is almost never true north. Solar studies, wind analysis, drawing north arrows and alignment against a survey all need the difference, and a rotated world coordinate system with no declared north leaves every one of them guessing.

Do I need the EPSG code?

It's the reliable way to name the CRS. "Eastings 528000" means different places in British National Grid and in UTM zone 31N, so the coordinates only mean something specific once the CRS is identified — and an EPSG code identifies it unambiguously.

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 Georeference Editor free?

Yes. IFC Georeference Editor 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.