IfcConvert(1)

💖 NAME 💖

IfcConvert — converts IFC files to various formats 🦋 (section 1, bestie, we're in the big leagues)

okay so picture this: it's IfcOpenShell, it's IfcConvert 0.8.0 (rocking OCC 7.8.1), and it is literally here to take your IFC file and turn it into something else. The whole shape of it is:

IfcConvert [options] <input.ifc> [<output>]

And what's it converting (the geometry in) an IFC file into?? So many options, we love a versatile queen 👑:

• .obj — WaveFront OBJ (and yes, a .mtl file is also created, she comes with accessories 💅)
• .stp — STEP, aka Standard for the Exchange of Product Data
• .igs — IGES, aka Initial Graphics Exchange Specification
• .xml — XML, for property definitions and the decomposition tree
• .svg — SVG, Scalable Vector Graphics (2D floor plan energy 🗺️)
• .cityjson — City JSON format for geospatial data
• .ttl — TTL/WKT, RDF Turtle with Well-Known-Text geometry
• .ifc — IFC-SPF, Industry Foundation Classes

And here's a lil quality-of-life moment: if you don't hand it an output filename, <input>.obj will be used as the output file. No output name? She picks one herself. Self-sufficient icon behavior.

🎀 Command line options 🎀

• -h [ --help ] — shows you the usage information, the classic cry-for-help but make it productive
• --version — displays the version information ✨
• -v [ --verbose ] — more verbose log messages. Use it twice (-vv) and you're at debugging level — that's the deep lore, iykyk
• -q [ --quiet ] — less status and progress output, for when you want her to stop yapping
• --stderr-progress — outputs progress to the stderr stream
• -y [ --yes ] — answers 'yes' automatically to possible confirmation queries (e.g. overwriting an existing output file) — consent pre-granted, so be careful out there 🙈
• --no-progress — suppresses possible progress bar type of prints that use carriage return
• --log-format arg — log format: plain or json
• --log-file arg — redirects log output to a file

🌈 Geometry options 🌈

• --kernel arg (=opencascade) — the geometry kernel to use (opencascade, cgal, cgal-simple).
• -j [ --threads ] arg (=1) — number of parallel processing threads for geometry interpretation. Default is a humble little 1.
• --center-model — centers the elements by applying the center point of all placements as an offset. Heads up bestie, this can take several minutes on large models, so go make a snack 🍓
• --center-model-geometry — centers the elements by applying the center point of all mesh vertices as an offset.
• --model-offset arg — applies an arbitrary offset of the form 'x;y;z' to all placements.
• --model-rotation arg — applies an arbitrary quaternion rotation of the form 'x;y;z;w' to all placements.
• --include arg — specifies that the instances that match a specific filtering criteria are to be included in the geometrical output:
  1. 'entities' — the following list of types should be included. SVG output defaults to IfcSpace being included. The entity names are handled case-insensitively.
  2. 'layers' — the instances that are assigned to presentation layers of which names match the given values should be included.
  3. 'attribute <AttributeName>' — products whose value for <AttributeName> should be included. Currently supported arguments are GlobalId, Name, Description, and Tag.

The values for 'layers' and 'arg' are handled case-sensitively (wildcards supported). Also, real talk: --include and --exclude cannot be placed right before the input file argument, and only a single one of each argument is supported for now. See also --exclude.

• --include+ arg — same as --include but it applies the filtering also to the decomposition and/or containment (IsDecomposedBy, HasOpenings, FillsVoid, ContainedInStructure) of the filtered entity. For example, --include+=arg Name "Level 1" includes the entity with name "Level 1" and all of its children — she said bring the whole family 💖. See --include for more information.
• --exclude arg — specifies that the entities that match a specific filtering criteria are to be excluded in the geometrical output. See --include for the syntax and more details. The default value is '--exclude=entities IfcOpeningElement IfcSpace'.
• --exclude+ arg — same as --exclude but applies filtering also to the decomposition and/or containment of the filtered entity. See --include+ for more details.
• --filter-file arg — specifies a filter file that describes the used filtering criteria. Supported formats are '--include=arg GlobalId. Spaces and tabs can be used as delimiters. Multiple filters of the same type with different values can be inserted on their own lines. See --include, --include+, --exclude, and --exclude+ for more details.
• --default-material-file arg — specifies a material file that describes the material object types will have if an object does not have any specified material in the IFC file.

fr fr, that's the whole page — every flag, every default, every weird missing space preserved with love 🫶

and that's the vibe check bestie ✨ this was IfcConvert(1) from IfcOpenShell IfcConvert 0.8.0 (OCC 7.8.1), dated 26 November 2025. go convert something iconic 💅🌈