Is my IFC file uploaded anywhere?

No. Files are parsed entirely in your browser via web-ifc, a WebAssembly build of the open-source IFC parser. Nothing leaves your machine. The app works completely offline once loaded.

Can I use it with confidential models under NDA?

Yes. Because all processing happens in your browser and no data is ever transmitted to any server, you can safely use it with confidential project models under NDA. There is no service agreement to review with your client — no data changes hands.

Can I share the validation results with my team or client?

Yes. After running validation, click Share Report to copy a link that encodes the full Health Score and issue list directly in the URL — no file upload, no server, no account required. You can also export results as JSON, CSV, or a Validation Certificate. The IFC file itself never leaves your browser.

Yes, fully. IFC Viewer Online works on any modern browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on both Mac and Windows. No plugin, no installation, no operating system restriction.

What happens if my IFC file is very large?

The app handles files up to 2 GB. Performance depends on your device — files under 200 MB load well on most modern hardware. Once parsed, geometry is cached in OPFS so every subsequent load of the same file is instant, even offline.

How does the validation work?

The validator runs 44 built-in rules in a background Web Worker so the UI stays responsive. Rules cover GUID duplicates, spatial hierarchy, orphan elements, naming conventions, missing type assignments, ISO 19650 property sets, LOD completeness, clash detection, proxy overuse, coordinate offset, storey-elevation integrity, unit consistency, and more. You can also run a buildingSMART IDS specification against the model. Every model receives a Health Score from 0 to 100. Results stream in as each rule completes.

Can I fix errors and re-export a corrected IFC?

Yes. All edits (GUID fixes, renames, property value changes) are held as non-destructive diffs with full undo/redo. Clicking Export IFC applies all diffs to the original binary in a Web Worker and downloads the corrected file — no server involved.

What IFC versions are supported?

IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4x1, and IFC4x3. The viewer uses the open-source web-ifc parser — the same engine used by most modern BIM tools and @thatopen/components. Outdated schemas are automatically flagged by the validator.

What measurement tools are available?

You can measure lengths between any two points, areas of surfaces, volumes of enclosed elements, and individual edge lengths — all directly in the 3D viewport. Measurements persist as labelled annotations and can be exported alongside your model.

Can I load multiple IFC files at once?

Yes. Load as many IFC files as your device memory allows. Each model has independent visibility, transforms, validation, quantity takeoff, and export. Use the Scene panel to manage, reorder, or remove models at any time.

Does it work offline?

Yes, once the page is loaded. The WebAssembly parser and WebGL renderer run entirely in the browser. Parsed geometry is cached in OPFS so repeat loads are instant even without a network connection.

What are the file size limits?

There is no enforced limit — performance depends on your device. Files up to ~200 MB typically load well on modern hardware. The OPFS geometry cache means you only pay the parse cost once per file.

Is it free? Can I use it for commercial projects?

Yes, completely free. The source code is MIT-licensed. You can use the live app or fork the repository for your own projects, including commercial ones.

Is the warehouse LiDAR captured by a physical sensor?

No. The returns and motion are deterministic synthetic data, clearly labelled in the interface. The IFC loading, alignment, binary transport, bounded buffering, timeline and GPU updates use the real viewer path.

Can I download the warehouse files?

Yes. The compact IFC4 reference and a representative binary PLY snapshot are public assets; the running demo can also generate an indexed MCAP recording locally.

Why use points instead of a normal warehouse video?

Points retain XYZ, intensity and classification. Users can orbit, inspect spatial relationships and compare motion with racks and structure instead of seeing only fixed camera pixels.

Back to the BIM & IFC blog

Digital Twins · 2026-08-27 · 8 min

Warehouse Digital Twin: IFC + Moving LiDAR in the Browser

See a forklift and an autonomous cart move through a dense warehouse point cloud while the IFC stays available as the designed spatial reference.

Actual IFC Viewer Online warehouse scene with moving orange forklift returns, cyan autonomous cart points and a translucent IFC reference

Warehouse operations are spatial and temporal at once. A model describes fixed racks, slabs and columns; operational evidence describes vehicles, occupied lanes and changing conditions. An IFC plus a temporal point cloud keeps both layers in one coordinate frame without turning the scan into a flat video.

The example below is designed for a trade-fair screen: it starts from one button, works without venue Wi-Fi and makes movement legible immediately. It is also deliberately honest. The moving returns are simulated from the same dimension table as the IFC, so this is a workflow and performance demonstration rather than a claim about a connected sensor.

Try the moving warehouse live

Warehouse operations — IFC + moving LiDAR

Interactive 18-second replay with roughly 39,000 visible points, a moving forklift, an autonomous cart and the matching IFC4 warehouse.

Actual product interface showing the moving warehouse LiDAR replay aligned with racks, columns and slabs in its IFC model — Warehouse replay is running — drag to orbit

What is actually moving?

The building shell and rack returns remain stable. The forklift, its mast, an autonomous cart, LiDAR rings and short motion trails are rewritten into the same resident typed arrays on every frame. No new Three.js geometry or GPU buffer is allocated during playback.

Layer	Purpose	Lifecycle
IFC4 model	Designed warehouse context and inspectable objects	Loaded once; translucent during replay
Static returns	Floor, envelope, columns and rack surfaces	One deterministic catalogue
Moving returns	Forklift, autonomous cart, scan rings and trails	Updated at 12 FPS in one bounded buffer
MCAP recording	Portable timestamped example for adapters	Generated locally at 2 FPS on demand

Download the reproducible pair

Use the warehouse IFC4 reference with the representative PLY snapshot. Both originate from the same declared dimensions. The PLY header states that it is synthetic and names its companion IFC.

Performance choices for a useful operations view

Keep the frame capacity fixed so a slow GPU cannot cause memory growth.
Prefer newest-valid-frame-wins to an ever-growing queue; operational latency matters more than replaying stale frames.
Filter and voxelize at the edge for real deployments, then send only the attributes the user can inspect.
Pause hidden sources and reuse materials, geometry and typed arrays.
Keep the IFC independently visible so users can move from an impressive animation to an actual spatial question.

From this demo to a real warehouse feed

A physical deployment needs sensor timestamps, a calibrated sensor-to-site transform, edge filtering and an adapter into the same frame contract. The user interface should then replace the simulated badge with a source status only when those facts are known. WebSocket or WebTransport is the delivery choice; neither fixes poor registration or an unbounded browser queue.

For the lower-level packet and buffering design, see Real-Time LiDAR in a Web Digital Twin. For a measured static comparison, start with IFC + point-cloud Scan-to-BIM alignment.

Warehouse Digital Twin: IFC + Moving LiDAR in the Browser