Reduce IFC, RVT, NWD File Size

One-click IFC file shrink with three preset strengths — Light keeps your data, Medium strips data but keeps every 3D shape, Aggressive also simplifies geometry (mesh decimation + bounding boxes).

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.

Reduce IFC file size online — upload a heavy model, pick a strength, and download a smaller file that still opens as valid IFC2x3 / IFC4 in any BIM tool. Built for the moment every project hits: the IFC is too big to email, too big for the CDE's upload limit, or too heavy to open smoothly on a site laptop.

Unlike a generic file compressor, the reducer understands the IFC schema: it knows which entities are duplicated data, which property sets nothing references, and which geometry can be simplified — so the output is a leaner model, not a zip you have to unpack before anyone can use it.

When to reach for it: When you want a smaller file and don't want to think about which specific tools to chain. Start with Light (safe — geometry, properties and materials all kept). Bump to Medium if the file's still too big — it strips properties, materials, types and duplicates but every element keeps its exact 3D shape. Use Aggressive only if you're OK with approximate shapes: meshes are decimated and extruded/parametric solids are replaced with bounding boxes.

What you get: A smaller IFC — how much smaller depends on the strength and the original file's contents. Light/Medium keep every element's shape; Aggressive trades shape fidelity for the biggest size drop. The real before/after size delta is shown in the pipeline log when the run finishes.

Example: Shrink a 50 MB IFC model to something you can email or upload over a slow connection.

Three strengths: Light, Medium, Aggressive

The run log shows the real before/after size delta when the job finishes, so you can step up in strength only if you actually need to.

Light — the safe default. Geometry, properties, and materials are all kept; only redundant data goes. Start here.
Medium — strips properties, materials, types, and duplicates but keeps every element's exact 3D shape. Right for viewing- and coordination-only copies.
Aggressive — also simplifies the geometry itself: meshes are decimated and extruded/parametric solids are replaced with bounding boxes. The biggest size drop, at the cost of approximate shapes.

Why IFC files get too big

Most oversized IFCs are inflated by the same few things: duplicated geometry definitions, property sets and type data nothing uses, orphaned entities left behind by authoring-tool exports, embedded 2D drawing layers, and material / styling data the recipient doesn't need. The presets target exactly this bloat first, which is why heavy files see the biggest wins.

If one specific source of bloat dominates, a targeted tool can beat the preset: Deep Clean removes unreachable entities, Strip Materials drops styling data, and Simplify to Bounding Boxes turns detailed shapes into block volumes for coordination models. All of them chain with this tool in a saved pipeline.

An online alternative to the Solibri IFC Optimizer

For years the standard free answer to "my IFC file is too big" was Solibri's desktop IFC Optimizer, which has since been discontinued. This tool covers the same job as a browser-based service: no installation, nothing to license, and the output stays a standards-compliant IFC2x3 / IFC4 file that opens in any buildingSMART-compatible viewer or authoring tool.

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 reduce IFC file size online

Upload your model (IFC, RVT or NWD)
Pick the strength: Light keeps your data, Medium strips data but keeps every shape, Aggressive also simplifies the geometry
Click Run
Download the smaller 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 much smaller will my IFC file get?

It depends on the preset and what's inflating the file — typical reductions run 30–70%. Heavy files with lots of duplicated geometry, unused property sets, or orphan entities see the biggest wins, and the run log shows the exact before/after size when the job finishes.

Which preset should I pick?

Start with Light — geometry, properties, and materials are all kept. Bump to Medium if the file's still too big: it strips properties, materials, types, and duplicates but every element keeps its exact 3D shape. Use Aggressive only if approximate shapes are OK — meshes are decimated and parametric solids become bounding boxes.

Does reducing the file size lose any data?

Light keeps geometry, properties, and materials, removing only redundant data. Medium deliberately strips properties, materials, and types while preserving every 3D shape. Aggressive additionally simplifies geometry. Pick the strength that matches what the recipient of the file actually needs.

Will the optimized file still open in my BIM tools?

Yes. The output is a fully valid IFC2x3 / IFC4 file, so any buildingSMART-compatible viewer or authoring tool reads it the same way as the original — just faster.

Is this a replacement for the Solibri IFC Optimizer?

Solibri's free desktop IFC Optimizer has been discontinued. This tool covers the same job — shrinking IFC files that are too big to share — as an online service: no install, runs in the browser, and the output stays valid IFC2x3 / IFC4.

My IFC file is too big to upload — what are the limits?

Guests can upload up to 25 MB, a free account raises that to 100 MB, Pro to 500 MB, and Team to 1 GB. If your file is over your tier's cap, an account upgrade raises the ceiling — the tool itself is the same on every tier.

What if I need an even smaller file?

Chain the targeted tools: Deep Clean removes unreachable entities, Strip Materials drops styling data, and Simplify to Bounding Boxes replaces detailed shapes with block volumes for coordination-only copies. All of them combine with this tool in a saved pipeline.

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.

Can I use a Revit or Navisworks file with Reduce IFC, RVT, NWD File Size?

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.