Import of Revit IFC file creates geometry which appears jumbled: renders model unusable

[jrk]

SketchUp Pro version 20.2.172 64-bit.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q

I have imported an architect’s IFC file, which they exported from Revit for me. After importing the IFC file into SketchUp, the resulting model behaves very oddly, rendering it unusable for both modelling in SketchUp and drawing production in Layout. All geometry appears to move slightly as I navigate around the environment and when viewed in plan, elevation and section. This creates linework that appears in a random pattern (see sample images). When a component is exploded down to un-grouped geometry this behaviour stops for that geometry only (see sample image), but persists with unexploded components.
I’ve experienced this issue before but never to this extent. The IFC file is fine when viewed in Trimble Connect, so I don’t think the file is corrupted. The issue happens both with a native import and using SimLab IFC Importer.
The attached sample file is a window extracted from the main model to demonstrate the behaviour. Is it possible to overcome this issue without exploding the entire model (66MB), which is not an option for workflow reasons?

Revit IFC import - sample 1.skp (426.2 KB)

[Anssi]

The Revit IFC exporter, like all Revit exporters places the origins of the components it has created to the origin point. Either the original Revit model is rather far from the origin point or the exporter has used the geolocated “shared” coordinates instead of the more manageable project coordinates to place the component origins. I bet the latter has happened.

[mihai.s]

In Outliner select everything and then use the Eneroth Line Up Axes extension

[Anssi]

@mihai.s

and then use the Eneroth Line Up Axes extension

I thought there was an extension to address this. Thanks for pointing it out!

[jrk]

Brilliant! Thank you both very much for your advice. I will try the extension on the whole model and see if that fixes it.

[jrk]

Update.
I have managed to remove the behaviour. The model had been imported a long way from the origin point, so I relocated it closer to 0,0,0 and reset the major component axes to 0,0,0. This didn’t solve the issue on its own so I ran Eneroth Line Up Axes. Initially, this didn’t solve the issue either but after I stripped out all extraneous elements (a few dozen pieces of unrelated architecture that had been nested incorrectly) and the ground/landscape area, I ran Eneroth Line Up Axes again and this solved the issue.
Thanks again for your advice.

[djoseph]

Thanks a lot for the link to Eneroth’s extension

and thanks too @jrk for asking your question
Maybe you could be interested by that Thread

Importing IFC to 0,0,0?

Hi there, I’m searching a solution to import directly an IFC at the origine of an SU project (0,0,0)? I’ve tryed to add dynamic attributes to move it to 0,0,0 but it’s not easy when the ifc is very big and at a very big distance of the origine An idea? Or maybe an extension to send a component to a specific position? Thanks! David

… and i’ll put the link to your message in mine
Have a nice day !

You can look at the Mike’s video (about trimble connect)

[jrk]

Thanks @djoseph. I’m anticipating having to move my model back to project coordinates eventually (although this hasn’t been asked for yet), so your thread is helpful.

[djoseph]

cool … and thanks again for your question

[Anssi]

@jrk

I’m anticipating having to move my model back to project coordinates eventually (although this hasn’t been asked for yet), so your thread is helpful.

I would discuss with the people who send you the IFC files about the possibility of their using the project coordinates instead of shared coordinates when exporting the IFC. In that way your project and theirs could use the same coordinates without the need to move things around. The origin in the file you originally posted is so far away that Revit cannot handle it cleanly either so I am sure that that is not the coordinates they are using in their Revit model.

[jrk]

Thanks Anssi. Very good of you to offer the advice. That is all in hand but moving at an apparently glacial pace outside of my organisation. I needed to work on the files urgently hence the coordinate change.

[psaal]

There’s also a good blog post about importing IFC into SketchUp from Revit here.

[jrk]

Thanks @psaal.