Free online IFC viewer
Last updated: 21 October 2026
DIMview opens IFC files in your browser. There is nothing to install and no account to create, and the file is read on your own computer or phone instead of being sent to a server.
Open an IFC file
- Open DIMview with the button below.
- Drag the .ifc file onto the page, or press the open area and choose the file.
- Wait while the model loads. In our tests a 62 MB model with about 1,000 meshes took 20 to 30 seconds to open, and small models open in a few seconds.
IFC2x3 and IFC4 files are supported. The file is read by the open source web-ifc engine, which runs as WebAssembly in a background worker, so the page stays responsive while the model loads.
What you can do with the model
- Browse the structure. Elements are listed by IFC type and as a tree. You can hide a whole category, or isolate one element with a double click.
- Read properties. Selecting an element shows its identity, its property sets and its placement (location and rotation), next to the dimensions of the whole model.
- Measure. Click two points and DIMview snaps to vertices, edges and edge midpoints. Each measurement shows the distance, the signed X, Y and Z differences, the angle above the horizontal plane and the direction in plan.
- Measure an angle between two lines. For each line pick an axis of the origin or two points. The angle is shown in the XY, XZ and YZ planes and in 3D.
- Cut sections along the X, Y and Z axes, switch to wireframe, change between perspective and orthographic view, and use the view cube to jump to a face of the model.
- Print the view with its measurements, using Ctrl+P.
Origins and coordinates
Large building models often sit far away from the IFC origin, and in a coordinated project it matters where that origin is. DIMview draws the model origin (0, 0, 0) with its axes, starts a measurement from it with one button, and shows the distance from the origin to the model.
If the file contains an IfcSite placement, a list in the status bar lets you switch the origin to the site origin and measure from there instead. If the file has an IfcMapConversion, the map position of the model origin (eastings, northings, height and the name of the coordinate system) is shown in the properties. Z is up, and rotations follow the right hand rule, so an anticlockwise rotation is positive, as in Blender.
Privacy
The model is read by your browser and is not uploaded. DIMview makes no request that contains your file, so it is also suitable for models that are not meant to leave your company. Our visitor statistics count page views without cookies and never see the file (privacy policy).
What DIMview does not do
DIMview is a viewer. It does not edit IFC files, check them against IDS rules or detect clashes. A very large model needs a device with enough memory, because the browser has to hold the geometry, and DIMview shows a warning when a file is larger than 100 MB.
Questions
Is the IFC viewer free?
Yes. There are no ads, no account and no time limit.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. On a small screen the toolbar moves to a bar at the bottom with a More menu. Large models are still better opened on a computer.
Which units does it use?
Measurements are shown in millimetres by default, and the Units list in the status bar changes that.
The model is not where I expected it. Why?
The IFC origin can be far from the building. Press the Origin button to measure from it, and check whether the file has a site placement that should be used as the origin instead.