Simplify IFC, RVT, NWD Geometry

Replace detailed 3D shapes with bounding boxes by default. Optionally turn on mesh decimation to keep curved shapes for elements that have non-extrudable mesh geometry — non-mesh elements still get OBB.

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.

Replace an IFC model's detailed geometry with bounding boxes. Upload the model, choose which classes to simplify, and download a file that keeps every element, every property and every relationship — with the heavy shapes swapped for boxes that occupy the same space.

Detail costs the same to render whether or not anyone needs it. An imported valve modelled with ten thousand triangles occupies exactly as much of a coordination model as a wall, and contributes nothing a coordinator will ever look at closely. Replacing it with a box of the same footprint keeps everything that matters for clash, navigation and spatial checking, and drops the cost by orders of magnitude.

When to reach for it: When you need a smaller file for a coordination meeting, clash detection, or embedding in a slide deck. Default mode (boxes only) is the biggest size win. Mesh decimation trades some of that size win for keeping the silhouette of curved / non-extrudable elements.

What you get: An IFC with simplified geometry. Boxes-only mode typically reduces 70–95%. Mesh decimation preserves curvature on mesh-style elements at the cost of a smaller reduction (often 20–40%).

Example: Turn a 100 MB detailed model into a 5 MB block model for a coordination meeting, or keep the curves on a piping model while still shrinking everything else.

Oriented boxes, not axis-aligned ones

The boxes are ORIENTED — computed to fit the element's actual shape in its own direction, rather than aligned to the world axes. For anything at an angle, that's the difference between a useful simplification and a useless one: an axis-aligned box around a diagonal brace is enormous and mostly empty, and would clash with everything near it. An oriented box follows the brace.

Elements built from a shared definition — the same component placed a hundred times — get their box written once into the shared representation rather than a hundred times over. The saving on a model full of repeated components is much larger than the element count suggests.

The result is verified, not assumed

A simplification that quietly moved or resized elements would be worse than no simplification, because everything downstream would still trust the positions. So the output is checked: a sample of the simplified elements is re-tessellated and compared against where they were, with a 10 mm tolerance on both position and size by default. Mismatches are reported rather than shipped.

The tolerance is adjustable, because 10 mm is tight for very large elements and very coarse modelling — on those, clean boxes can read as mismatches. If you get verification warnings on a model with large or roughly-modelled elements, relaxing the tolerance is the right response rather than ignoring the result.

Choose what to simplify — and what to leave alone

Simplifying everything is rarely right. The value is concentrated in imported components, equipment and fittings, where the detail is high and nobody looks closely. Architectural elements that people DO look at — façades, stairs, anything with a shape that carries meaning — are usually worth keeping. Target by class so the boxes land where they help.

For elements whose shape genuinely matters but whose triangle count is excessive, mesh decimation is available as an option: it keeps curved geometry recognisable rather than boxing it, for elements whose meshes can't be expressed as extrusions.

Simplification needs the tessellation service, and the run pre-flights it. If the service is unreachable the job FAILS rather than completing with no change — a green tick and a 0% size reduction is the most confusing possible outcome, and it used to be what happened.

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 simplify IFC geometry with bounding boxes

Upload your model (IFC, RVT or NWD)
Optionally pick which element categories to simplify
Optionally tick "Use mesh decimation" if you want curved / mesh elements (cylinders, sweeps, BREPs) to keep their shape — non-mesh elements still get bounding boxes
Click Run
Download the result

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

What does bounding-box simplification do to my model?

It replaces each targeted element's detailed shape with a box occupying the same space. Every element, property, relationship and GlobalId survives — only the geometry is simplified, so schedules, IDs and data workflows are unaffected.

Are the boxes axis-aligned?

No — they're oriented to fit the element's own direction. That matters for anything at an angle: an axis-aligned box around a diagonal brace would be enormous, mostly empty, and would clash with everything nearby.

How do I know the boxes are in the right place?

The output is verified. A sample of simplified elements is re-tessellated and compared against their original position and size, with a 10 mm tolerance by default, and mismatches are reported. On very large or coarsely-modelled elements you may need to relax that tolerance.

Which elements should I simplify?

Imported components, equipment and fittings — high detail, nobody looks closely. Leave the elements whose shape carries meaning: façades, stairs, anything a reviewer actually examines. Target by class so the boxes land where they help.

Can I keep curved shapes instead of boxing them?

Yes — turn on mesh decimation for elements whose geometry can't be expressed as extrusions. It reduces the triangle count while keeping the shape recognisable, rather than replacing it with a box.

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 and Team keep saved models until you delete them. Files are never shared with third parties or used to train AI.

Is Simplify IFC Geometry free?

Yes. Simplify IFC Geometry 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.

Can I use a Revit or Navisworks file with Simplify IFC, RVT, NWD Geometry?

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.