IFC Entities

IFC Converter

Objects are always written to an IFC file as a specific IFC entity, which defines the basic class of the object. Within an entity, the classification is specified with a type (PredefinedType). Typing objects makes it easier to identify them in the model.

When a Vertex BD model is exported to an IFC file, the entity and type of the objects are determined as follows:
  • By default, the program uses hard-coded entities and types.
  • The default values ​​can be overwritten with the user's own definitions using so-called IFC entity type rules. They define which IFC entity and type certain Vertex objects are exported to the IFC file as. Objects for which no entity type is defined in the rule are exported using default values. You can select entity type rules to use in the IFC export settings. Read more about Edit the IFC Entity Type Rule Library.
  • It is also possible to define the entity and type on an object-by-object basis. Object-specific definitions override all other definitions if you enable them in the IFC export settings. Read more about Define the Entity Type for an Object.

In addition, it is possible to set a default entity and type for macro components (for example, furniture) in the component library. When you add a macro component to a model, it receives the default values ​​specified in the component library. These default values can be overwritten based on entity type rules or object-specific definitions. Read more about Default Entities in the Component Library.

Note: The following object types are an exception, whose IFC entities cannot be changed:
  • Grids - Always exported as the IfcGrid entity.
  • Walls - Always exported as the IfcWall entity.
  • Panels and G4 assemblies - Always exported as the IfcElementAssembly entity.