Opening IFC vs Linking IFC in Autodesk Revit 2026

When working with IFCs in Autodesk Revit, you may wonder whether it is better for your use-case to open it from the file menu, or link the IFC to your RVT model. In this blog, we will explore the two options in a little more detail.

What is an IFC?

IFC stands for ‘Industry Foundation Classes’ – a standardised, CAD data exchange schema developed by buildingSMART and primarily intended for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) disciplines. An IFC is an open-data format file, meaning that it can be opened on multiple pieces of software, used for collaborative BIM working processes involving many disciplines and files. The schema and its associated specification are formalised under the International Standard ISO 16739. The current IFC version is IFC4.3, though Revit, as an example, still provides functionality for importing, exporting and linking older versions such as IFC2x3 and IFC4.

An IFC compromises of hundreds of standardised classes (known as ‘entities’) defining built environment objects such as Walls (IfcWalls), Doors (IfcDoor) and Beams (IfcBeam), as well as spatial elements such as Rooms, Building Storeys and Site Information.

Opening an IFC

Opening an IFC allows for it to be edited to a certain extent within Autodesk Revit, as Revit will go through a process to convert IFC classes into Revit Model Categories, based on the mapping options defined.

To open an IFC, navigate to the file menu > open. It is recommended to check the ‘IFC Options’ first, as this is where the options for mapping Revit Model Categories against IFC classes (entities) are stored. Note that you can only open an IFC and access the IFC options after you have opened the project interface, not from the home screen ‘Open’ option.

A problem that you may run into if you decide to go down the ‘Open IFC’ route is that you have several objects defined under the ‘Generic Models’ Revit Category after mapping or fall into the ‘BuildingElementProxy’ IFC generic definition. This is essentially a default value created when the initial file was saved as an IFC, whereby the objects within that category could not be properly defined, or the time was not taken to properly define them.

The process of exporting an IFC from Revit involved classifying objects correctly under the IFC schema and not as IFCBuildingElementProxy which is the default option for many categories with the out of the box export settings. To learn more about default classes/entities when exporting IFC, please see this blog.

Any conversion from IFC to Revit and consequent mapping process risks information loss, as with any process of converting objects between software or file formats, particularly for larger, more complicated projects. IFC data is designed to be an end point deliverable in most cases.

Linking an IFC

Linking an IFC (Insert Tab > Link IFC or Manage tab > Manage links) maintains the definition of the file as a reference for more accurate coordination.

Linking IFC files also relies on the mapping set within IFC Options, even though there is no direct link to define this from the Link IFC dialog. Therefore, remember to check the IFC Options before linking, too.

You may also notice that associated files are also created next to the IFC’s location when linking, including a *.ifc.sharedparameters.txt file, which like other Project Parameters that exist for standard Revit categories, can be used to build scheduled from IFC Parameters in the linked file.

In Autodesk Revit 2026, there is new functionality when linking IFCs in that you you can accurately define the position of the file first-time, either IFC Origin to Internal origin (previously the default and only way of linking IFCs), IFC Origin to Project Base Point and IFC Origin to Survey Point.

You also now have the option to Orient the linked IFC to True North, where this has been defined separately from the Project North.

Be aware that, like linking Revit files, the IFC should be pinned to maintain its position and ensure it is not accidentally moved once position correctly (only DWGs are ‘auto-pinned’ when using the link functionality).

IFC was primarily designed as a means of coordination, represented by linking functionality within Autodesk Revit. Therefore, it is generally recommended to link IFC files, unless it is absolutely necessary to edit them, but you must be aware that the conversion process that occurs when opening IFCs can lead to undesired results and potentially data loss.