Tool · IFC to PDF

IFC to PDF — for stakeholders who don't open IFC

A4 PDFBranded on ProLocal parsing

Most teams don't need an IFC reader for themselves. They need to share IFC data with someone who refuses to install one — a client, a cost manager, a planning officer, a lawyer. PDF is the lingua franca those stakeholders accept. ifcreport.app turns an IFC file into a downloadable PDF. The raw IFC stays on your device; extracted report data is sent to our server to generate the PDF.

Two different things people mean by “IFC to PDF”

Before clicking convert, it's worth knowing which of these you actually want, because the tools that produce them are different:

Option A

Visual PDF

A screenshot or render of the 3D model dropped onto a PDF page. Generic IFC viewers and document conversion libraries handle this. Useful when the recipient needs to see the model.

Option B · what we do

Takeoff PDF

A structured schedule of element counts, areas and volumes, grouped by IFC class. Pro adds storey and material schedules. Useful when the recipient needs to read the numbers, not the geometry.

If you specifically need a 3D snapshot, a free viewer like Sortdesk, BIMvision or Open IFC Viewer with a print-to-PDF will get you there faster. If you need a tabular report a non-modeller can actually read, keep going.

What the takeoff PDF contains

  • Report headerproject name, IFC schema version, generation date and element count
  • Element schedulegrouped by IFC class — walls, slabs, columns, beams, doors, windows, spaces
  • Quantity columnsvolume and area totals where present in the IFC quantity sets
  • Storey breakdownon Pro: element counts and quantities per level
  • Material scheduleon Pro: material names, element counts and volumes
  • Branded layouton Pro: your company name and logo in the header, without a watermark

Schema version compatibility

The parser is built on web-ifc, so IFC2X3, IFC4 and IFC4X3files all work. Practically speaking, that covers everything you'll receive from Revit, ArchiCAD, Allplan, Tekla and Vectorworks exports made in the last decade. If a file fails to parse, the most common cause is a non-standard schema variant from a niche tool — please open an issue and a fixture will get added.

Privacy

The IFC file is parsed inside your browser, in a Web Worker. It is not uploaded to our server. Extracted report data is sent to our server to generate each PDF. Saving a report summary for later access is optional on Pro. Check that sending this extracted data meets your project confidentiality requirements.

Free account required · 3 reports per month. Your IFC file stays on your device. Extracted report data is sent to our server to generate your PDF. Saving a report summary is optional on Pro.

Generate a free report →About IFC takeoff

Converting IFC to PDF — questions

How do I convert an IFC file to a PDF?
Sign in to ifcreport.app and open an IFC file. The file is parsed locally in your browser; extracted report data is sent to our server to generate a downloadable PDF. No software installation is required.
Can I convert IFC to PDF for free?
Yes. A free account includes 3 watermarked reports per month with an element schedule. Pro adds unlimited reports without a watermark, storey and material schedules, and your company name and logo.
Is there an online IFC to PDF converter?
Two different kinds exist. General file-conversion sites — GroupDocs, Aspose, FileFormat.app — render the IFC geometry onto a PDF page, i.e. a picture of the model. ifcreport.app is an online IFC-to-PDF converter for the data instead: it reads the quantities and outputs a structured report PDF — element counts, volumes and areas, with storey and material schedules on Pro. Both run in the browser with nothing to install. Use a geometry converter if you need to see the model; use ifcreport.app if you need a report someone can read.
Does the PDF show the 3D model or the quantities?
The quantities. ifcreport.app produces a takeoff PDF — a structured schedule of element counts, areas and volumes grouped by IFC class, with storey and material schedules on Pro — not a screenshot of the geometry. If you specifically need a 3D snapshot, a free viewer with print-to-PDF is a better fit.
Is the IFC uploaded anywhere when I convert it to PDF?
The raw IFC file stays on your device and is parsed in a Web Worker. Extracted report data is sent to our server to generate the PDF. Saving a report summary is optional on Pro. Check your project confidentiality requirements before sending extracted data.
Which IFC versions can be converted to PDF?
IFC2x3, IFC4 and IFC4x3, since the parser is built on web-ifc. That covers exports from Revit, ArchiCAD, Allplan, Tekla and Vectorworks from the last decade.