Getting started with IFC import
Previous (Updating IFC Models) | Start | Next (Annex)
Exporting Simulation Results to IFC
IDA ICE also supports exporting simulation results back to IFC. This export is not intended to reproduce the full model geometry, but to transfer simulation results and basic project information in a form that can be linked back to spaces in the BIM environment.
The export command is available only when two conditions are met. First, the model must contain thermal zones with a hidden parameter called INFO. This parameter is created automatically when thermal zones are created from IfcSpaces, and it can also be added manually by selecting thermal zones in the floor plan, opening the context menu, and using the command Adjust to IFC. Second, at least one thermal simulation must have been performed. When these conditions are fulfilled, IDA ICE can generate an IFC file containing the columns from the available simulation summary tables together with some basic project information, but no geometry.
The intended use of this export is to support an integrated workflow with MagiCAD, in which IfcSpaces are exported from the BIM model, imported into IDA ICE as thermal spaces, and later enriched with simulation results before being exported back. In this workflow, airflows and heating and cooling power are among the most important results transferred. In principle, the export can also be combined with other BIM tools, but it requires a consistent use of IFC, room, space, and zone names so that the results can be matched correctly. It is also important to note that IFC files exported from IDA ICE overwrite the target IFC file rather than append to an existing one, and that they may contain more result data than a downstream tool such as MagiCAD actually uses.