How do I edit an IFC File in Revit?

While you cannot directly modify the content of a .ifc file itself within Revit, you can bring the data from an IFC file into a Revit project (.rvt) and make your desired changes there. This involves converting or linking the IFC data into Revit's native format, editing within Revit, and then exporting a new IFC file.

The process to achieve this in Revit, based on the provided steps, is as follows:

Steps to Edit IFC Data in Revit

Follow these steps to work with IFC data in a way that allows for modifications within the Revit environment:

1. Start Revit and Link the IFC File:

   • Open Autodesk Revit.
   • Initiate the process to link the IFC file into a new or existing Revit project. This action integrates the geometric and data information from the IFC file into your Revit environment.

2. An RVT File is Created:

   • When you link the IFC file, Revit automatically creates an associated .rvt file. This file is typically placed in the same directory as the original IFC file and is named after the IFC file. This new .rvt file contains the linked IFC data and serves as the basis for your edits.

3. Close the Model and Open the Newly Created RVT File:

   • Close the current model if you were working in a different one.
   • Open the .rvt file that was automatically generated in the previous step (named name.rvt or similar, based on your IFC file name). This ensures you are working directly within the Revit project that contains the IFC data.

4. Edit Revit Model and Export as a New IFC:

   • Now that the IFC data is accessible within a standard Revit project environment, you can edit the Revit model according to your needs. Use Revit's standard tools to modify elements, add or remove geometry, adjust properties, etc.
   • Once you have completed your edits in the .rvt file, you can export it again from Revit, choosing the IFC format. This creates a new IFC file that reflects the changes you made in the Revit model.

These steps outline the workflow as described on 08-Oct-2023.

Understanding the Process

This method doesn't alter the original .ifc file. Instead, it leverages Revit's ability to interpret and recreate IFC data as native Revit elements (or representations thereof) within an .rvt project. By performing edits in the .rvt file and then exporting to IFC, you produce a new version of the IFC file incorporating your modifications.

Essentially, you are:

• Importing IFC data into Revit.
• Editing the data within the Revit environment.
• Exporting the modified data as a new IFC file.

This allows you to utilize Revit's powerful modeling and editing capabilities on data originally structured in the IFC format.