Export to IFC

Hello,
I am new to Freecad, and I would like to use it to convert Step files to IFC format.
I have just installed it, I can Open my Step file, but when I Export it to IFC format, it says “IfcOpenshell not found”.

I have downloaded ifcOpenShell, but it is just a bunch of Python files.

What is the procedure to configure this with Freecad ?

Thanks in advance.
JB

OS: Windows 7
Word size of OS: 64-bit
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.15.4671 (Git)
Branch: releases/FreeCAD-0-15
Hash: 244b3aef360841646cbfe80a1b225c8b39c8380c
Python version: 2.7.8
Qt version: 4.8.6
Coin version: 4.0.0a
OCC version: 6.8.0.oce-0.17

Hello,

You have two possibilities :
Stay with your version (0.15.4671), download IfcOPenShell Python http://ifcopenshell.org/python.html (python 2.7 and 64bits version)
In you macro folder, copy pste the ifcopenshell folder.

Or download dev snapshot of FreeCAD : IfcOpenShell is bundle with it. https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases

Ifc has regular improvements on FreeCAD and IfcOpenShell. I would hardly recommend to use the latest Development Release of FreeCAD from https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/releases The win64bit has an up to date IfcOpenShell included. Be sure use the 64bit version because only this one has the up to date IfcOpenShell. The IfcOpenShell from http://ifcopenshell.org/python.html is a development snapshot from February and therefore a bit outdated.

Jeeez ! This is why the IFC import/export didn’t work on the computer of my trainee. :mrgreen:

Hello,
Thanks for the answers.

I could download IFCand copy/paste the PY file in my Macro directory.
Now I dont have error message anymore, but … The IFC file that are created are just 2k size, with no geometry Inside :frowning:

Anything I Missed ?
Regards
JB

It just contains the following:
ISO-10303-21;
HEADER;
FILE_DESCRIPTION((‘ViewDefinition [CoordinationView]’),‘2;1’);
FILE_NAME(‘D:/blblavbla/fgdf.ifc’,‘2015-12-18T17:18:50’,(‘’,‘’),(‘’),‘IfcOpenShell’,‘IfcOpenShell’,‘’);
FILE_SCHEMA((‘IFC2X3’));
ENDSEC;
DATA;
#1=IFCPERSON($,$,‘’,$,$,$,$,$);
#2=IFCORGANIZATION($,‘’,$,$,$);
#3=IFCPERSONANDORGANIZATION(#1,#2,$);
#4=IFCAPPLICATION(#2,‘0.15 build 4671 (Git)’,‘FreeCAD’,‘118df2cf_ed21_438e_a41’);
#5=IFCOWNERHISTORY(#3,#4,$,.ADDED.,$,#3,#4,1450459130);
#6=IFCDIRECTION((1.,0.,0.));
#7=IFCDIRECTION((0.,0.,1.));
#8=IFCCARTESIANPOINT((0.,0.,0.));
#9=IFCAXIS2PLACEMENT3D(#8,#7,#6);
#10=IFCDIRECTION((0.,1.,0.));
#11=IFCGEOMETRICREPRESENTATIONCONTEXT(‘Plan’,‘Model’,3,1.E-05,#9,#10);
#12=IFCDIMENSIONALEXPONENTS(0,0,0,0,0,0,0);
#13=IFCSIUNIT(,.LENGTHUNIT.,$,.METRE.);
#14=IFCSIUNIT(
,.AREAUNIT.,$,.SQUARE_METRE.);
#15=IFCSIUNIT(,.VOLUMEUNIT.,$,.CUBIC_METRE.);
#16=IFCSIUNIT(
,.PLANEANGLEUNIT.,$,.RADIAN.);
#17=IFCMEASUREWITHUNIT(IFCPLANEANGLEMEASURE(0.017453292519943295),#16);
#18=IFCCONVERSIONBASEDUNIT(#12,.PLANEANGLEUNIT.,‘DEGREE’,#17);
#19=IFCUNITASSIGNMENT((#13,#14,#15,#18));
#20=IFCPROJECT(‘fac68be2_6837_4ffc_b9d’,#5,‘Unnamed’,$,$,$,$,(#11),#19);
#21=IFCBUILDINGELEMENTPROXY(‘2s2dy0fQiHvRyJm1Y5rtek’,#5,‘424923_BIM’,‘’,$,$,$,$,.ELEMENT.);
#22=IFCSITE(‘2s2dy1fQiHvOFKm1Y5rtek’,#5,‘Default Site’,‘’,$,$,$,$,.ELEMENT.,$,$,$,$,$);
#23=IFCRELAGGREGATES(‘2s2dy2fQiHvR1lm1Y5rtek’,#5,‘ProjectLink’,‘’,#20,(#22));
#24=IFCBUILDING(‘2s2dy3fQiHvQo4m1Y5rtek’,#5,‘Default Building’,‘’,$,$,$,$,.ELEMENT.,$,$,$);
#25=IFCRELAGGREGATES(‘2s2dy4fQiHvRODm1Y5rtek’,#5,‘SiteLink’,‘’,#22,(#24));
#26=IFCRELCONTAINEDINSPATIALSTRUCTURE(‘2s2dy5fQiHvRrbm1Y5rtek’,#5,‘BuildingLink’,‘’,(#21),#24);
ENDSEC;
END-ISO-10303-21;

You need to copy the whole folder “ifcopenshell”

download the latest win dev version! It works out off the box. You need to select the object you would like to export in tree view before click on export

Hello,
I downloaded the Dev version.
I found what was wrong, my first Input step files contained only “surfaces”.
If I export my 3D models as “Solid”, then FreeCAD can export the geometry as IFC.

It works pretty well !

Thanks for all suggestions.

JB

I’m glad it works for you. :slight_smile:

Would be great if you encounter any problems if you could post them in the Arch Development section of the forum. As stated before IFC is ongoing development.