Convert SLDPRT to IFC for BIM handover

Converting SLDPRT to IFC is how equipment, brackets, skids and fixtures designed in SOLIDWORKS get into a building information model. Architects and MEP engineers ask for IFC because Revit, ArchiCAD and Navisworks read it natively. PDMPublisher adds IFC to its batch engine, in SOLIDWORKS or as a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task, so a whole equipment release reaches the BIM coordinator in one pass.

What you get

IFC (ifc) is the Industry Foundation Classes open standard for BIM exchange. For a SOLIDWORKS part it carries the geometry into a format that building-side tools import as a placeable object, which is what a plant or construction handover needs.

You get one .ifc per part and, with Convert multiple configurations, one per configuration (say, a tank in its three nozzle layouts). IFC sits next to STEP and IGES in the File formats list, so a handover package can include all three from one job. SOLIDWORKS’ current IFC export options apply.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open the part, go to File > Save As, pick IFC (*.ifc), set folder and name, save. Repeat for every configuration, and again for every body you want as its own file.

Fine for one part. For forty, or a supplier package redone at every revision, it’s an afternoon of clicking and badly named files. BIM coordinators also tend to ask for the whole set again at every design freeze.

Convert SLDPRT to IFC with the add-in

1. Open the part in SOLIDWORKS, saved, references resolved. An assembly works too if you want its parts.
2. On the PDMPublisher tab, select Settings, then Publish.
3. Set Export location: a fixed folder, UNC path, relative folder, or placeholders from the >... menu.
4. Set the Filename pattern, such as (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision); the .ifc extension is added for you.
5. Under File formats, tick IFC (ifc). Other ticked formats come out in the same pass.
6. Tick Convert multiple configurations and put (ConfigurationName) in the filename so configurations don’t overwrite each other. The Configuration Filter includes (PROD*) or excludes (*Flat*) by wildcard.
7. Tick STEP as well if the BIM side also wants a neutral CAD copy.
8. Select PDMPublisher > Publish; the arrow beside it runs a named profile at once. Confirm the review dialog if it appears.
9. Open Publishing results to see every file, its configuration and destination.

In PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS, IFC output needs Premium. The free Community Edition publishes PDF, DXF and STEP only, up to 5 references per run.

Automate it as a PDM task

PDMPublisher for PDM Professional runs the same engine as a task, so parts become IFC when they change state.

1. In PDM Administration, right-click Tasks, select New Task, choose PDMPublisher and name it; users see that name in the right-click menu.
2. On the Options page, set Export Location and Filename. (VaultRootFolder)\Exports\IFC keeps output in the vault, a UNC path keeps it outside; no trailing backslash.
3. Under File Formats, tick IFC (ifc).
4. Enable Convert multiple configurations and the Configuration Filter as in the add-in, with (ConfigurationName) in the filename.
5. Pick Use this version of SOLIDWORKS: an installed year on the host, or Latest. For release workflows, enable Get latest revision only too; it exports the revised version, not work in progress.
6. Attach the task to a workflow transition, leave it in the right-click menu, or run it from Scheduled Items.

A task run on an assembly needs Template set to a PDM BOM layout with name, configuration and quantity columns, and Export references to file formats individually enabled. A single part needs neither.

Settings that matter for IFC

Setting	What it does	Tip
Export location	Output folder: vault, relative, UNC or outside. Created if missing.	(TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\(Revision) works; no trailing backslash.
Filename	Static text, placeholders, custom properties or PDM variables.	(ConfigurationName) for configurations, (Revision) for released files.
File formats	Tick IFC (ifc); invalid formats are dropped.	Several formats per job.
Convert multiple configurations	Every configuration, not just the active one.	Needs a configuration-specific filename.
Configuration Filter	Include or exclude by name or wildcard.	Exclude *Flat* to skip flat patterns.
Customize Location	Per-format folders overriding the main one.	Premium in the add-in.
Use this version of SOLIDWORKS (task)	Which installed SOLIDWORKS year runs the export.	That version’s export options apply.
Get latest revision only (task)	Exports the version tied to the newest revision.	A file without a revision fails.

Naming and folders

Placeholders resolve when the job starts, so one profile or task names every IFC the same way:

• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision): Skid-Frame-B.ifc in (TopAssemblyFolder)\BIM.
• ($ProjectNumber)-(FileNameWithoutExtension): project number first so the BIM coordinator can sort by job.
• (VaultRootFolder)\BIM Handover\($ProjectNumber)\(Revision) in the task: one folder per project and revision, ready to zip.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) gives each format its own folder: enable the ifc row to override the main location for IFC only. Route ifc to the BIM handover share and keep STEP and PDF in the vault from the same task.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Activate a Premium key under PDMPublisher > License Key; the PDM task is licensed per vault and includes every format.
• Some formats depend on the SOLIDWORKS version installed; if one vanishes from the results, check what’s installed where the job ran.
• Can’t see the exported files? You need add and edit permission in the export location. The vault root is usually locked; target a subfolder such as (VaultRootFolder)\Exports.
• Save and Clear Logs packages the session log for a support request.

Availability

Available in PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS (the add-in) and PDMPublisher for PDM Professional (the task).

Documentation and related features

• Run a Publish Job (PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS)
• File Formats option
• SOLIDWORKS part documents
• SOLIDWORKS assembly documents
• Extension-specific export locations
• Run as a SOLIDWORKS PDM task
• Convert SLDASM to IFC
• Convert SLDPRT to STEP
• Convert SLDPRT to ACIS (SAT)

Frequently asked questions

Can SOLIDWORKS export IFC files in batch?

With PDMPublisher, yes. Tick IFC (ifc) under File formats, set the export location and filename pattern, and Publish.

Can I export every configuration of a part to IFC?

Yes. Enable Convert multiple configurations and add (ConfigurationName) to the filename.

Is IFC included in the free Community Edition?

No. Community Edition publishes PDF, DXF and STEP. IFC needs Premium; the PDM task includes all formats.

Can a PDM workflow create IFC files automatically at release?

Yes. Attach a PDMPublisher task with ifc ticked to the release transition and enable Get latest revision only.