BIM Software Tip: Handling Linking and Binding Issues of IFC Files in Revit
The author attempted to import an exported IFC file into a newly created RVT file. Since Revit does not have a direct IFC import command, the process involves first linking the IFC file and then binding it.
During the export of the IFC file, the author selected the spatial boundary option as “First level”. As a result, the bound model contains many cubes representing spatial boundaries. Additionally, the conventional model has multiple layers stacked within the rooms.
The image above shows the remaining cubes after the author hid the four overlapping standard models placed in the room. You can observe the cubes generated around the door openings, which correspond to the door components. The bound IFC file appears as a single entity but can be viewed as individual components after editing or ungrouping.
What puzzled the author is that although the IFC model imported this way retains the original category distinctions—for example, walls remain categorized as walls and doors as doors—all components in the bound IFC are converted into system families. This means they cannot be edited in place.
Furthermore, as seen in the properties panel in the image above, the components’ parameters are still fully preserved. However, due to the loss of editability, these parameters no longer offer variability.
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