buildingSMART IDS checker — validate IFC, RVT and NWD models against an IDS spec online

Check your IFC model against a buildingSMART IDS specification and get a compliance report.

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.

Validate an IFC model against a buildingSMART IDS specification online — upload your model, add the .ids (or .xml) spec, and get a pass/fail result per specification with the non-compliant elements listed. It checks against IDS 1.0, the buildingSMART Information Delivery Specification standard, entirely in the browser.

IDS is how a client or BEP states what data must be in the model — every wall carries a FireRating, every space a Category, every element a classification. A checker that reads that spec and tells you which elements don't comply is the fastest way to catch a delivery problem before you issue. No desktop model checker and no licence: pick one of the bundled starter specs to run a useful check on day one, or bring your own.

When to reach for it: When you need to verify that your model meets project data requirements defined in a buildingSMART IDS specification.

What you get: An HTML compliance report (pass/fail per rule with non-compliant elements), plus a CSV of every failing element for pivot-tables or hand-off to the author.

Example: Check that every IfcWall carries the FireRating your IDS requires before issuing the model.

Bring your own IDS — or start from a bundled spec

Upload any buildingSMART IDS file (.ids or .xml) and validate against it. If you haven't authored one yet, the tool ships a set of starter specs you can run immediately and then tailor to your project:

ISO 19650 starter — every wall, door, and storey has a Name.
LOD 300 starter — walls, doors, and windows carry a Tag.
PAS 1192 baseline — Pset_*Common.Reference on key element classes.
Fire rating, Load-bearing, Classification coverage, Naming, and a COBie handover starter — small single-requirement specs for the most-asked-for BEP checks.

Build or edit the spec without touching XML

IDS is XML under the hood, but you never have to write it by hand. Open the current spec — or start a new one — in the IDS Maker: build applicability and requirements in a visual editor, hit Save & use, and it comes straight back to the checker ready to run. Specs you'll reuse can be saved to your workspace and re-applied to any future model, so a project's data ruleset becomes a one-click check on every revision.

The checker validates that an uploaded file is a real IDS document before it binds it, so a stray spreadsheet or an unrelated XML is rejected clearly rather than quietly producing an empty report. Your saved specs, the bundled starters, and your recent runs all sit in one picker, so re-running last week's exact check — or applying a client's standard spec to a new model — is a single click rather than a re-upload.

What the report tells you

The result is a pass/fail per specification. Turn on "List failing elements" and the report names every element that doesn't meet a requirement, so the model author knows exactly what to fix rather than just seeing a red X. Before you even run, the tool shows what each specification targets ("this spec applies to IfcWall + IfcDoor") as a labelled row, so you can sanity-check the spec against the model first.

Download an HTML compliance report that opens in any browser, or a CSV of every failing element for a pivot-table or hand-off to the author (CSV export requires a Pro or higher plan). Pro accounts can add a company title and logo to the report before sending it to a client.

IDS validation vs a model health check

An IDS check answers "does this model carry the data THIS project requires?" — the rules come from the spec you supply. A Model Health Check answers a different question: "is this IFC structurally sound?" — duplicate GlobalIds, orphan references, missing storey assignments, geometry anomalies. They're complementary, not substitutes: run the health check to make sure the file is well-formed, and the IDS check to make sure it's complete against the BEP. Both accept the same upload.

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.

On Revit files: The MEP system-tag spec looks for Pset_*Common properties that converted pipes and ducts don't carry yet; the other built-in specs check the same data as Revit's own IFC export.

On Navisworks files: The built-in specs check Pset_*Common, which a converted model has only when the Navisworks file was built from IFC; for a Revit-exported Navisworks file, write the IDS against its Revit property names.

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 validate an IFC against IDS online

Upload your model (IFC, RVT or NWD)
Upload an IDS specification file (.ids)
Click Run to validate against the rules
Download the compliance report

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

Is there an online buildingSMART IDS checker?

Yes — this page. Upload your IFC and an IDS specification (.ids or .xml) and validate against IDS 1.0 in the browser. You get a pass/fail per specification and, optionally, a list of every non-compliant element. No desktop model checker required.

Do I need to write the IDS XML myself?

No. Pick one of the bundled starter specs (ISO 19650, LOD 300, PAS 1192, fire rating, load-bearing, classification, naming, COBie handover) to run a useful check right away, or build your own visually in the IDS Maker — no XML knowledge needed — and it comes straight back to the checker.

What file format is an IDS specification?

A buildingSMART IDS file with a .ids or .xml extension, following the IDS 1.0 schema. The checker validates the file is a real IDS document before running, so a wrong file is rejected clearly rather than silently producing an empty report.

Does the report tell me which elements failed?

Yes. Turn on "List failing elements" and the report names every element that doesn't meet a requirement, grouped by specification, so the model author knows exactly what to fix. You can also export those failing elements to CSV on a Pro or higher plan.

How is IDS validation different from a model health check?

IDS validation checks the project-specific data requirements you supply in the spec — the right properties, classifications, and values. A Model Health Check runs standard correctness checks (duplicate GlobalIds, orphan references, geometry issues). Use both for complete coverage before delivery.

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 the IFC Checker free?

Yes. the IFC Checker 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 IFC, RVT, NWD Checker?

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. On Revit files: The MEP system-tag spec looks for Pset_*Common properties that converted pipes and ducts don't carry yet; the other built-in specs check the same data as Revit's own IFC export. On Navisworks files: The built-in specs check Pset_*Common, which a converted model has only when the Navisworks file was built from IFC; for a Revit-exported Navisworks file, write the IDS against its Revit property names.