Exporting Custom Properties to IFC Files

When you export SOLIDWORKS® models as IFC™ files, you can map SOLIDWORKS custom properties to IFC property sets.

To export custom properties to IFC files:

  1. In Tools > Options > System Options > Export, under File Format, select IFC.
  2. Under Output as, select Use Property Set mapping file.
  3. Then specify the XML Schema or .xsd mapping file that the software uses to validate the exported properties.

Benefits: BIM customers can export their custom properties data, which is important for the construction and operation of the building. This functionality is flexible. It lets you map SOLIDWORKS properties to IFC properties, potentially with a different name, and to define your own target property sets in the IFC file. In previous releases, you could export properties when you saved as IFC files, but only to a single hard-coded property set in the IFC file.

To export custom properties to IFC property sets:

  1. In the SOLIDWORKS file, click File > Properties.
  2. On the Custom tab, add properties that you want to export to the IFC file and save the file.
  3. Create an XML mapping file that maps the SOLIDWORKS custom properties to the IFC property set values.
    SOLIDWORKS offers sample mapping files at SOLIDWORKS install folder\lang\language\IFC.
    Sample mapping file:
    <CustomPropertiesPSETMapping>
    <Schema Version="1.0"/>
    <PropertySet Name="Pset_DoorCommon">
        <AppliesTo ElementType="IFCDOOR"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="Reference" IFC="Reference" Type="IfcIdentifier"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="FireRating" IFC="FireRating" Type="IfcLabel"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="NoiseRating" IFC="AcousticRating" Type="IfcLabel"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="Security" IFC="SecurityRating" Type="IfcLabel"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="External" IFC="IsExternal" Type="IfcBoolean"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="Infiltration" IFC="Infiltration" Type="IfcVolumetricFlowRateMeasure"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="ThermalTransmit" IFC="ThermalTransmittance" Type="IfcThermalTransmittanceMeasure"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="Glazing" IFC="GlazingAreaFraction" Type="IfcPositiveRatioMeasure"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="Accessible" IFC="HandicapAccessible" Type="IfcBoolean"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="FireDoor" IFC="FireExit" Type="IfcBoolean"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="StarTrekDoor" IFC="SelfClosing" Type="IfcBoolean"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="SmokeStop" IFC="SmokeStop" Type="IfcBoolean"/>
    </PropertySet>
    <PropertySet Name="ACME_CageCodes">
        <AppliesTo ElementType="IFCDOOR"/>
        <AppliesTo ElementType="IFCWINDOW"/>
        <PropertyMapping SOLIDWORKS="RefCode" IFC="CageCode" Type="IfcLabel"/>
    </PropertySet>
</CustomPropertiesPSETMapping>
  4. In the SOLIDWORKS file, click Save As (Standard toolbar) or File > Save As.
  5. In the dialog box, for Save as type, select the IFC file type, then click Options.

    You can select any IFC file type.

  6. In the System Options dialog box, under Output as, select Use Property Set mapping file, and select the mapping file from the list or browse to select it.
    To include all the custom properties from the SOLIDWORKS file in the exported IFC file, under Output as, also select Custom Properties. To include these in the IFC property set, map all the custom properties in the XML Schema file.
    SOLIDWORKS checks the validity of the XML IFC property set for these items:
    • Proper tags, tag attributes, and tag structure.
    • The Schema Version is equal to or lower than the version supported by the current version of SOLIDWORKS.
    • SOLIDWORKS custom properties map one-to one or one-to-many IFC properties. You cannot map multiple SOLIDWORKS custom properties to the same IFC property.

    The software stores up to 10 property sets in the registry.

  7. Click OK then click Save to export the file as an IFC file.

    The IFC file contains the SOLIDWORKS custom properties in the IFC property set, based on the XML Schema mapping file.