Getting started with IFC import
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Updating IFC Models
IDA ICE has no automatic method to update a model when the source IFC file changes. When a revised IFC model becomes available, the update must therefore be handled by importing the changed IFC file again and deciding how it should relate to the existing content in the project.
If the current IDA ICE model already contains IFC data, the import process provides the possibility to replace the previous IFC model or keep it. Options are also available to keep mappings, zones, and buildings, which allows the user to preserve part of the work already carried out in IDA ICE while updating the IFC reference used in the project. This makes it possible to manage revisions without rebuilding the model entirely from the beginning.
Adding a new IFC model alongside an existing one is only possible when the models do not occupy the same physical space. Two IFC models cannot be placed on top of each other. In practice, imported IFC files are often deleted once they have been converted into representative IDA ICE objects, since IFC objects take up space and reduce available memory. When a changed IFC file is imported into a model that already contains IDA ICE building elements, viewing the new IFC content together with the existing model in the floor plan or 3D view usually makes geometric changes easier to identify.