Table of Contents

IFC GIS & Portfolio Map Dashboard

Executive Overview

The IFC GIS Dashboard is a specialized solution designed to manage and visualize portfolios of construction projects. Using multiple files in the same query, this dashboard extracts geospatial metadata and project attributes embedded deep within IFC files to create a unified, map-based portfolio view.

It solves a critical industry challenge: Unstructured Data. IFC files often vary in quality and schema compliance. This tool employs an engineering-first extraction engine to normalize data across different authoring tools (Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla, VectorWorks, DDS-CAD) without requiring manual data entry.

Data Extraction Logic

The dashboard does not rely on simple property sets (Psets). Instead, it parses the raw STEP physical file structure to retrieve "Trusted Data" from the native IFC Schema hierarchy:

  1. Project Context: Extracts IfcProject attributes (Name, Phase, Context).
  2. Site & Location: Extracts IfcSite for geospatial coordinates and elevation.
  3. Building Topology: Extracts IfcBuilding and IfcBuildingStorey to understand vertical scale.
  4. Address Data: Parses IfcPostalAddress for city and country information.
  5. Authoring Info: Extracts IfcApplication, IfcPerson, and IfcOrganization for file provenance.

Universal Pattern Matching

The extraction engine handles variations in IFC file formatting from different authoring tools:

Authoring Tool IFC Format Pattern Status
Revit #123=IFCPROJECT('guid',... ✅ Supported
ArchiCAD #123 = IFCPROJECT ('guid',... ✅ Supported
DDS-CAD #123= IFCPROJECT('guid',... ✅ Supported
VectorWorks #123=IFCPROJECT('guid',... ✅ Supported

Ideal IFC Specifications

For optimal performance and automatic georeferencing, input IFC files should adhere to the following standards:

  • Schema: IFC4, IFC2x3, or IFC2x2.
  • Geolocation (Priority 1): For IFC4, the file should contain the IfcMapConversion entity with True North and Scale settings.
  • Geolocation (Priority 2): For IFC2x3/IFC2x2, the IfcSite entity should contain RefLatitude and RefLongitude attributes.
  • Hierarchy: The model should strictly follow the IfcProject -> IfcSite -> IfcBuilding containment tree.

Note: If explicit coordinates are missing, the dashboard will attempt to use the Project Address (City, Country) for approximate location via Azure Maps geocoding.

Automated Fallback Logic

Real-world IFC files frequently lack standard metadata. To ensure no project is left behind, the extraction query implements a Cascading Fallback Logic. It prioritizes high-fidelity data sources and automatically "falls back" to secondary options if the primary data is missing ($, null, or invalid).

Entity Attribute Priority 1 (Primary Source) Priority 2 (Secondary Source) Priority 3 (Last Resort)
Project Name LongName (Index 5) Description (Index 3) FileName (Cleaned)
Site Name LongName (Index 7) Name (Index 2) "Default Site"
Building Name LongName (Index 7) Name (Index 2) Project Name
Geolocation IFCMAPCONVERSION (IFC4) IFCSITE RefLat/RefLon Address_Town + Country
Address (City) Town (Index 6) Region (Index 7) "Not Defined"
  • GUID Protection: The system includes a strict validation layer that detects and rejects "False Descriptions" (e.g., if a GUID is accidentally written into a Name field), ensuring clean readable text in the report.

Location Status Indicators

The dashboard provides visual feedback on the quality of location data for each project:

Icon Status Description
● Precise Project has valid coordinates from IFC file
◐ City-Based No coordinates, but city name available for geocoding
⚠️ Unknown No location data available in IFC file

Projects with "Unknown" status will not appear on the map but remain visible in the project list with a warning indicator.

Project Color System

Each project is automatically assigned a unique color based on its GUID hash. This ensures:

  • Consistency: Same project always gets the same color across refreshes
  • Distinction: 20 unique colors prevent visual confusion
  • No Manual Input: Colors are generated algorithmically

The color palette includes professional tones suitable for executive presentations.

Multi-File Loading Strategy

The dashboard is architected to handle multiple IFC files simultaneously through a single connection parameter.

How to Load Multiple Projects

You do not need to create separate queries for each file. Use the Semicolon Delimiter (;) method to pass a list of file paths.

Example String:

C:\Projects\Tower_Block_A.ifc; C:\Projects\Hospital_Zone_B.ifc; C:\Projects\Stadium_Roof.ifc

Supported File Sources

Source Example Path
Local Files C:\Projects\Building.ifc
Network Shares \\Server\BIM\Project.ifc
SharePoint/OneDrive https://company.sharepoint.com/.../file.ifc

Dashboard Components

Project List Panel

Displays all loaded projects with:

  • Active Projects count
  • Location Legend (● Precise, ◐ City, ⚠️ Unknown)
  • Color-coded project cards with location status icons

Map Visual

Interactive Azure Map showing:

  • Project locations with color-coded markers
  • Automatic clustering for nearby projects
  • Zoom and pan controls

Project Information Panel

Detailed view when a project is selected:

  • Project Information (Name, GUID, Phase, Type)
  • Site Information (with warning if no coordinates)
  • Building Information (Storeys count and names)
  • File Information (Author, Application, IFC Version)
  • Address Information

Troubleshooting

Projects Not Appearing on Map

Symptom Cause Solution
⚠️ Warning icon IFC file has no coordinates or address Re-export IFC with geolocation enabled
No marker on map Coordinates = 0,0 or missing Check IfcSite RefLatitude/RefLongitude in source file
Wrong location Coordinates in wrong CRS Verify source uses WGS84 or has proper IfcMapConversion

Data Quality Issues

Issue Resolution
"Default Project" name Original IFC has no Project Name - edit in authoring tool
"Unknown" author IfcPerson not populated in source file
Missing storeys IfcBuildingStorey entities not properly linked

Performance & Best Practices

Understanding Refresh Times

The query reads IFC files line-by-line to extract metadata from multiple entity types (IfcProject, IfcSite, IfcBuildingStorey, IfcPostalAddress). Refresh times depend on:

  • File Size: Larger files = longer refresh
  • Number of Files: More files = longer total refresh
  • Machine Specs: RAM and CPU affect processing speed

Recommendations

Factor Recommendation
File Size Keep individual files under 150-200 MB for optimal refresh speed
Number of Files Start with 15-25 files per query; add more based on your machine's performance
RAM Minimum 16 GB RAM recommended for multi-file loading
Refresh Location For large portfolios, consider scheduled refresh on Power BI Service (cloud)

Performance Tips

  1. Test incrementally: Start with 5 files, then add more to gauge performance
  2. Use metadata-only IFC exports: If available, export IFC files with geometry excluded for faster parsing
  3. Schedule refresh: For large portfolios, use Power BI Service scheduled refresh during off-hours
  4. Split large portfolios: If refresh exceeds 30 minutes, consider splitting into multiple reports by region or project phase

Note: Actual performance varies based on file complexity, machine specifications, and network speed (for SharePoint/network files). Test with your specific files to establish baseline refresh times.

Technical Specifications

Supported IFC Versions

  • IFC4 (fully supported)
  • IFC2x3 (fully supported)
  • IFC2x2 (legacy support)

Coordinate Systems

  • WGS84 (standard for web maps)
  • Automatic conversion from DMS (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds) to Decimal Degrees

Extracted Entities

Entity Data Extracted
IfcProject Name, Number, Description, Phase, Type
IfcSite Name, GUID, RefLatitude, RefLongitude, Elevation
IfcBuilding Name, GUID, Description
IfcBuildingStorey Names (concatenated), Count
IfcPostalAddress Town, Region, PostalCode, Country
IfcApplication Name, Version
IfcPerson Author Name
IfcOrganization Organization Name

How to add your files and Set Up the files Parameter in Power BI

Step 1: Open Power Query Editor

  1. Open your Power BI file
  2. Go to Home → Transform Data
  3. This opens the Power Query Editor

Step 2: Create the Parameter

  1. In Power Query Editor, go to Home → Manage Parameters → New Parameter
  2. Configure the parameter as follows:
Setting Value
Name IFC_File_Paths
Description Enter IFC file paths separated by semicolon (;)
Required ✅ Checked
Type Text
Suggested Values Any value
Current Value (Your file paths here)
  1. Click OK to create the parameter

Step 3: Enter Your File Paths

In the Current Value field, enter your IFC file paths separated by semicolons:

C:\BIM\Project_A.ifc; C:\BIM\Project_B.ifc; C:\BIM\Project_C.ifc

Important Rules:

  • Use semicolon (;) as separator between files
  • Spaces before/after semicolon are OK (will be trimmed automatically)
  • Each path must be a complete file path with .ifc extension
  • Supports local paths, network paths, and URLs

Step 4: Edit Parameter Value (After Setup)

To change the files later:

  1. Go to Home → Transform Data (Power Query Editor)
  2. In the left panel, find Parameters
  3. Click on IFC_File_Paths
  4. Edit the Current Value field
  5. Click Close & Apply

Parameter Examples

Local Files:

C:\Projects\Building_A.ifc; C:\Projects\Building_B.ifc

Network Share:

\\Server\BIM\Tower.ifc; \\Server\BIM\Hospital.ifc

SharePoint/OneDrive:

https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/BIM/Documents/Project1.ifc; https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/BIM/Documents/Project2.ifc

Mixed Sources:

C:\Local\Building.ifc; \\Network\Shared\Tower.ifc; https://sharepoint.com/.../Hospital.ifc

Visual Guide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Power Query Editor                                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                 │
│  ┌─────────────────┐                                            │
│  │ Queries         │    ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│  │                 │    │ Parameter: IFC_File_Paths           │ │
│  │ 📁 Parameters   │    │                                     │ │
│  │   └─ IFC_File.. │◄───│ Current Value:                      │ │
│  │                 │    │ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │ │
│  │ 📁 Queries      │    │ │ C:\BIM\A.ifc; C:\BIM\B.ifc     │ │ │
│  │   └─ IFC_Map    │    │ └─────────────────────────────────┘ │ │
│  └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘