Why are certain building elements missing after the IFC import, and how do I find the cause?

Q: Why are certain building elements missing after the IFC import, and how do I find the cause?

This is often intentional: vyzn primarily imports the IFC types relevant for analysis, and elements such as furniture or open spaces are frequently excluded so that even detailed models stay performant. If important, analysis-relevant elements such as facade layers are missing, however, this points to an import problem or a modelling detail. The fastest way to narrow down the cause is to inspect the missing element in an IFC viewer.

Short Answer

If elements are missing after the import, this is often intentional: vyzn primarily imports the IFC types relevant for analysis – elements such as furniture or open spaces are frequently excluded so that even detailed models stay performant. If important, analysis-relevant building elements (such as facade layers) are missing, however, this points to an import problem or a modelling detail.

Issue Description

After importing an IFC file, certain building elements, for example facade layers, are missing in vyzn even though they exist in the CAD model.

Root Cause

vyzn primarily imports the IFC types relevant for analysis. Elements that are not relevant for analysis, such as furniture or open spaces, are frequently excluded on purpose so that even detailed models stay performant. If important, analysis-relevant elements are missing instead, the cause is usually an import problem or a modelling detail – for example an unexpected IFC type, an element modelled as a proxy or generic element, or a position far outside the building.

Step-by-Step Solution

Open the IFC file in an IFC viewer and locate a missing element.
Check its IFC type (e.g. IfcWall, IfcSlab, IfcFurniture), whether it is located far outside the building, and whether it is modelled as a proxy or generic element.
Compare whether other elements with the same IFC type were imported.
As a test, export a simplified IFC file without the non-relevant elements and upload it again.

If the Problem Persists

If this does not resolve the issue, contact our support team (support@vyzn.tech) – ideally with the project link, the IFC file (or a reduced sample model) and a short description of which elements are missing and what they are called in the CAD software.

Update (version 1.8.5)

As of version 1.8.5, IFC processing was updated to version 1.4.3, which improves the detection of components and material assignments – if elements are still missing after the update, the troubleshooting steps described above still apply unchanged.