Upcoming updates for IFC 4.3 support?

[Belinda J]

Is there any timeline for the support of IFC 4.3?
I found one topic from the Roadmap that was marked as Delivered.
Shouldn't it be In progress since it only supports export and import of IFC 4.3 files but not the actual schema standard?

There are no new or modified IFC Types from the IFC 4.3 standard and you can use IFC Types that are deprecated in IFC 4.3. since the used schema for Type Mapping is IFC 4, not IFC 4.3.  I don’t think you can promise that the exported IFC will be compatible with all the requirements if that is not actually the case.

Or have I totally missed something here? I am confused.

Link to Roadmap: Support IFC 4.3

Operating system used: Windows

[Zoltan Vale]

Hi @Belinda J ,

We do have this on our internal roadmap/backlog, as a continuation for extended and full IFC4.3 support in Archicad, but it is still under discovery, especially with the IFC5 coming in fast, so there is no definitive timeline for it yet, and we don't want to overcommit with uncertain plans.

The delivered item refers to the 4.3 compatibility for existing types, meaning that no, you cannot export an IfcBridge or an IfcTunnel for ex. but still all the available types are now using the 4.3 property schema.
The promise is, that all exported files to 4.3 will be schema valid, even though not all new types are available for mapping and the same goes for import: we cannot import bridges and tunnels (yet) but all 4.3 ifc files will be read and usable for existing features.

[Belinda J]

Thank you for your answer @Zoltan Vale.

Starting from 1.1.2026 in Finland, it will be strictly regulated what types + predefined types the elements should be and other information the IFC model should be providing. For example, the fire exit ladders should be IfcStair, and their Predefined Type should be LADDER (which was added in IFC 4.3), Geographical Referencing should be done up to IFC 4.3 standard etc. There are quite a lot requirements we cannot meet, and it might become a problem, especially with bigger projects if we must update them to meet the standards afterwards.

[Martin Jan Rosa]

Hi Zoltan,

Honestly, I've spent the last few weeks thoroughly examining IFC 4.3, and in terms of modifications and new features in the new schema, exactly zero has been implemented in Archicad. Archicad can save a model in this schema version, but in reality it provides no benefit to users. It looks good in marketing communications, but in practice it's the same as one click on automatic conversion in Bonsai BIM (and even that saves it better). I strongly advocate for completing what you advertise as a new feature for us who pay for Archicad. Please don't argue with the coming of IFC5 – there will always be something new on the horizon.

And it's not just about IfcBridges—there are many usable classes and predefined types for buildings as well. I would especially welcome implementation of options for working with proxies. Et cetera.

If you want to see the scope of IFC 4.3 (non-)implementation clearly, you can look at my spreadsheet (especially the orange columns on the right):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pS33RsEXSUOFvygekU8xh3pdvdq0x61_Nb6xnL5eHRs/edit?usp=sharing

(Of course, the schema scope in it is much broader than what can realistically be used in Archicad—just focus on IfcElement subclasses)

[vlahtinen]

I agree fully with the concerns raised by @Belinda J and @Martin Jan Rosa.

The announcement of IFC 4.3 support was misleading and created expectations that weren’t met in the actual release. Clearer, more consistent communication about development priorities and the roadmap would go a long way toward maintaining user trust and helping us plan our workflows effectively.

[Belinda J]

I didn’t know how the development of IFC 5 was doing, so I did some digging and it seems that it’s not really coming in fast. IFC 5 is now on alpha stage, and I looked at the Project Plan of IFC 5, and it won’t be a part of ISO in a while. It will take minimum of 18 months after it is approved by ISO. Before that it must be approved by Standards Committee in buildingSmart International. It will take years before IFC 5 is official.

IFC 5 won’t be replacing any parts based on IFC 4.3, it will be a separate part within the same ISO standard. So, there is no overcommitting by implementing IFC 4.3, it just assures that Archicad could finally be up to date and not using IFC schema that was released over a decade ago. There might even be IFC 4.4 which is an extension of 4.3.

[runxel]

I second this. Nothing about IFC 5 screams "fast", @Zoltan Vale, honestly it never did around IFC at all anyway. 

Even the stated 18 months are very optimistic. I don't think we will see it in action much before 2029.

Also from my understanding it's cutting so many ties that much will be needed to be reimplemented in any case. So IFC 5 is a totally different beast – but we need the current IFC now – this has nothing to do with "overcommiting". I've said multiple times before, but I'll say it again: If a tool can not satisfy the legal demands that we architects face it is not fit for use.