When working with IFC, the model data gets imported or exported according to your IFC Translator settings. This tool sets the guidelines for converting elements and deciding how they’re understood, whether it’s in ARCHICAD or the external app reading the IFC file. It’s like the rulebook that ensures everyone speaks the same language when sharing models.
To ensure a good BIM workflow, is important to understand how a Translator is built. Archicad’s template already contains many preset Translators for you to use out of the box. The translator is composed of Conversion Presets, such as “Geometry Conversion”, in which the user can determine how the Geometry is going to be translated in the IFC file and software that will read that IFC.
For reference, the Geometry Method in a Software like Archicad is Parametric, which means the geometry responds to preset parameters (such as composite materials that can be adjusted and dimensions).
The usual Geometry Conversion Method for IFC models is Precise BREP (Boundary representation) Geometry because it is the method that preserves the geometry of the elements the best, allowing more precise Analysis.
If the user’s goal is to import this IFC into another Parametric Software and to be able to make Parametric Changes, then it is worth exploring the Parametric Extruded Geometry Method. When editing, remember to always create a New Preset, so the other Translators are not affected by the changes:
