Warning · Data quality
How to fix Proxy overuse
in IFC files
Reduce IfcBuildingElementProxy elements by mapping them to proper IFC classes — proxies carry no semantic type.
Check your IFC file — free
No account · No upload · Runs in your browser · 38 validation checks
What it means
The Proxy overuse check
More than 5% of elements are IfcBuildingElementProxy — typically unconverted Revit families
The fix
How to fix Proxy overuse in your authoring tool
Concrete, tool-specific steps. The check itself is schema-agnostic and works for IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4x1 and IFC4x3.
| Authoring tool | How to fix |
|---|---|
| Revit | Proxies come from in-place families, generic models, or unmapped categories. Use the IFC export class mapping table to map those categories to real IFC types instead of IfcBuildingElementProxy, and convert in-place families to loadable families. |
| ArchiCAD | Assign proper classifications / IFC types to objects (especially Morphs and custom objects) so they don’t export as proxies. |
| Tekla | Map custom or proxy parts to the correct IFC entity in the IFC export settings. |
| Allplan | Assign the correct IFC type to generic objects so they aren’t exported as proxies. |
How it works
Find and fix it in the browser
The whole flow runs client-side — your IFC file never leaves your machine.
01
Open your IFC file
Open IFC Viewer Online and drag & drop your IFC file. It is parsed locally in your browser via WebAssembly — nothing is uploaded.
02
Run the Health Score validation
Run validation. The "Proxy overuse" check (RULE_PROXY_OVERUSE) flags every affected element and pinpoints it in the model tree.
03
Fix in Revit
Proxies come from in-place families, generic models, or unmapped categories. Use the IFC export class mapping table to map those categories to real…
04
Fix in ArchiCAD
Assign proper classifications / IFC types to objects (especially Morphs and custom objects) so they don’t export as proxies.
05
Fix in Tekla
Map custom or proxy parts to the correct IFC entity in the IFC export settings.
06
Fix in Allplan
Assign the correct IFC type to generic objects so they aren’t exported as proxies.
07
Re-validate
Re-export from your authoring tool and re-run validation to confirm the issue is resolved and your Health Score improved.
Related checks
Other Data quality checks →
Check your whole model, not just one rule.
Proxy overuse is 1 of 38 checks. Run the full IFC Health Score to see every issue and a single 0–100 number — free, no account, no upload.
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