How to Convert Revit to IFC: Free RVT to IFC Converter

Revit® has an IFC exporter built in, but it runs inside Revit: every export needs a licensed Revit seat and an open model, and it is started from the File menu. Custom parameters only reach the IFC through a user-defined property set mapping file that someone has to write and maintain.

The standalone Revit to IFC converter reads .rvt files directly and writes IFC. No Revit installed. No Autodesk® account. Runs from the command line on Windows® and Linux, offline on your own computer. The converter is part of the cad2data repository on GitHub.

When the built-in export is not enough

Three situations where a standalone converter helps:

1. License bottleneck: you need Revit running to export. If your IFC coordinator doesn’t have a seat, they can’t export. If you need to batch-export 50 models overnight, you need 50 Revit sessions (or one very slow queue).
2. Parameter mapping: results depend on the Revit version and on the export settings and mapping files of each user, so two people can export the same model differently.
3. No automation: it’s a GUI operation. You click File → Export → IFC, configure settings, wait. No scripting, no CI/CD, no batch processing without add-ins.

Quick start

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/datadrivenconstruction/cad2data-Revit-IFC-DWG-DGN.git

# Convert (Windows)
DDC_WINDOWS_Converters\DDC_CONVERTER_Revit2IFC\DDC_REVIT2IFC_CONVERTER\RVT2IFCconverter.exe "C:\Projects\Building.rvt"

# Extended export with more detail
RVT2IFCconverter.exe "C:\Projects\Building.rvt" preset=extended

# Custom configuration
RVT2IFCconverter.exe "C:\Projects\Building.rvt" config="ExportBaseQuantities=true; SitePlacement=Shared"

# Linux
sudo apt install ddc-rvt2ifcconverter
ddc-rvt2ifcconverter input.rvt output_dir/

Export presets

Preset	Description
standard	Standard IFC export (used when no preset is given)
extended	Extended export with more detail
custom	Your own settings via config="K=V; K=V; ..." or individual key=value parameters

The full syntax is RVT2IFCconverter.exe <input.rvt> [<output.ifc>] [preset=<name>] [config="..."] [key=value ...]. mode=<name> works as an alias for preset=<name>.

IFC output versions

The converter can write IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4.3, IFCXML, IFCZIP and HDF5. In our benchmark every Revit sample produced valid IFC4 (ISO 16739-1:2018). IFC2x3, IFC4.3, IFCXML, IFCZIP and HDF5 output have not been part of the benchmark yet.

Batch conversion

import subprocess
from pathlib import Path

converter = Path(r"C:\DDC\RVT2IFCconverter.exe")
for rvt in Path(r"C:\Models").glob("*.rvt"):
    result = subprocess.run(
        [str(converter), str(rvt), "preset=extended"],
        capture_output=True, timeout=600
    )
    print(f"{rvt.name}: {'OK' if result.returncode == 0 else 'FAIL'}")

For a nightly export of all project models, run the script as a scheduled task or a GitHub® Action step. No Revit session is involved.

Use cases

• OpenBIM coordination: share IFC models with teams using different BIM platforms (ArchiCAD®, Tekla®, Allplan®)
• Model checking: feed IFC into Solibri™, BIMcollab, or open-source checkers for rule-based validation
• Archival: IFC is an ISO standard. Long-term storage in a non-proprietary format
• CI/CD for BIM: automated IFC export in build pipelines, paired with validation and reporting
• Government submissions: many public sector clients require IFC deliverables

FAQ

Can I convert Revit® to IFC without a license?

Yes. The converter reads .rvt files directly. No Revit, no Autodesk account needed.

What Revit versions are supported?

2015 through 2026. All versions, same converter binary.

Is the IFC output valid?

In our benchmark (DDC Community v18.4.1, 10 public sample files) all 10 conversions produced valid IFC4. Use the buildingSMART IFC Validation Service or IfcOpenShell for additional checks.

Can I also get Excel data from the same Revit file?

Yes. Use RvtExporter.exe for Excel output, or run both converters on the same file. See our Revit to Excel guide.

Download

Free Community version of the Revit to IFC converter. IFC4 output, batch processing, preset configurations. No Revit license required. The Community licence covers personal and research use; commercial use needs a commercial licence.

Get it on GitHub
Revit to IFC converter: download and details

Need data in spreadsheets instead? See our guides for Revit to Excel, DWG to Excel, IFC to Excel, and DGN to Excel conversion.

Revit® and AutoCAD® are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. ArchiCAD® is a registered trademark of Graphisoft SE. Tekla® is a registered trademark of Trimble Inc. Allplan® is a registered trademark of Nemetschek SE. Solibri™ is a trademark of Solibri, Inc. GitHub® is a registered trademark of GitHub, Inc. Excel® and Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.