IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls

CarlM — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:17:00 GMT

Hi,

I am wondering if someone knows how to export an IFC with only doors in windows in a wall? For dwg-export you can easily get the doors and walls on separate layers, but I cannot find a similar setting for the IFC export.

Many thanks!

Operating system used: Windows 11 25H2

Re: IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:12:26 GMT

I know a trick to achieve that.

I utilizes that fact that Building Materials have a setting called "Participates in Collision Detection".

Also, in the IFC Translators Dialog, there is an option called "Export only geometries which participate in Collision Detection".

With the combination of these two, plus the fact the Door/Window type library parts do not utilize Building Materials, we can achieve a scenario in which Wall geometries are not exported as IFC, while Door/Window geometries are. The steps are:

1. For the purposes of the IFC exchange, save your Project File under a new name. The reason this is needed is that we will make some changes in this file only for the purpose of the IFC export, which we otherwise do not want to have in our Project File.

2. Go to the Building Materials Dialog, select all Building Materials in the list on the left, and uncheck the "Participates in Collision Detection" checkbox. This will mean that no Building Material will be considered by Archicad to be participating in Collision Detection.

3. In the IFC Translators Dialog, check the IFC Translator you wish to use for export. Let's say it is the "Exact Geometry Export" Translator. Go to the "Geometry Conversion" dialog, and make sure that the "Export only geometries which participate in Collision Detection"checkbox is checked.

4. Export your model as IFC. The result is that only Door and Window will be exported (and possible other library parts).

No construction elements will be exported because they all use Building Materials, and no Building Materials participate in Collision Detection, so based on the IFC Translator settings, they are not exported. The Doors and Windows are exported because they do not use Building Materials so these settings do not affect them.

Please note that with these settings, not only Walls will not be exported, but other building element types will not be exported either. This is the only drawback of this method. However, you can export everything except Doors/Windows easily (by unchecking the 3D display of Doors and Windows in the "Filter and Cut elements in 3D" Dialog. So, if you need all, you can export only Doors/Windows, then all except Doors/Windows, and send both IFC files to the other party, if needed.

You will need to save a separate file and make the changes to the Building Materials in that file each time you want to save a new IFC file.

Re: IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls

CarlM — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:35:15 GMT

Laszlo,
Great and very creative workaround! 🙂
Thanks a lot!!

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IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls

Re: IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls

Re: IFC Export - only doors and windows, not the walls