Why IFC matters for electrical coordination
On a BIM project the electrical model is only useful if the other disciplines can open it. Architects, structural engineers and mechanical designers rarely share the same authoring tool, so the industry relies on a neutral exchange format to move geometry and data between them. IFC is that format.
For an electrical engineer this changes the job. Instead of sending drawings for information, you send a model that someone else can rotate, measure and clash against. That is why the export step deserves the same care as the design itself.
In GorkyCAD the electrical model is built once and drives everything downstream — single-line diagrams, plans, panels and the cable schedule all come from the same source. Exporting to IFC simply carries that coordinated model into the shared environment, alongside exports such as PDF, DXF, XLSX, BCF and GLTF.
It helps that the same model is governed by a chosen standard — IEC, IS, ANSI or BS depending on the project and region. The checks applied to the design follow that standard, so the model you export is not just geometrically correct but consistent with the code the rest of the team is working to. When a reviewer opens the file, the environment and the assumptions behind it travel together.
Before you export: prepare the model
An IFC file is a snapshot. It will show whatever state the model was in when you exported, so a few minutes of housekeeping before you start saves hours of confusion for everyone downstream.
- Finish the circuits you intend to publish — a half-drawn distribution board exports as a half-drawn board.
- Check that devices sit at sensible elevations and levels, because clashes are judged on position.
- Give elements consistent names so other disciplines can filter the model instead of scrolling through it.
- Complete the cable schedule, since conductor data is part of what makes the electrical model useful.
Working with a single model means these details are already in one place. You are not reconciling three drawings and a spreadsheet before you can export; you are checking one source.
Step 1 — Set up the export and its scope
With the model ready, start the export and decide what goes into the file. A coordination model does not have to carry every internal detail, but it must carry enough to be checked.
- Open the project in GorkyCAD and confirm you are on the current revision, not an earlier save.
- Choose IFC as the export format from the same model you use for PDF and DXF output.
- Select the scope — the whole project or only the systems you are publishing this round.
- Pick the units and coordinate reference that match the site model, so nothing lands in the wrong place.
- Name the file with the project, discipline and date so recipients can tell revisions apart.
Because the export comes from the same model as the rest of your documentation, the panels and cable schedule you already produced stay consistent with the geometry that leaves the building model.
Step 2 — Decide what the coordination model carries
Not every element needs to travel. A leaner file is easier to federate and faster to open, while a richer file answers more questions up front. The table below is a quick way to think about the trade-off.
| Content | Include in coordination model | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Switchboards and distribution boards | Yes | Physical space and weight for clash checks |
| Cable routes and trays | Yes | Routing conflicts are the most common issue |
| Final devices | Yes | Ceiling and wall coordination |
| Calculated results | As properties | Useful for review, not for geometry |
The aim is a file another discipline can open without a manual. If a reviewer has to ask where the boards are, the export is too sparse; if it takes ten minutes to load, it is too heavy.
Step 3 — Export and verify the file
Run the export, then open the result before you send it. This short verification pass catches the mistakes that are expensive to fix after federating.
- Reopen the IFC file and confirm the boards, routes and devices are all present.
- Check that levels and elevations match the source project.
- Scan a couple of named elements to make sure properties survived the round trip.
- Confirm the file opens in a viewer without errors or missing geometry.
If something looks wrong, the fastest fix is almost always in the model, not in the export settings. Correct it once at the source and export again.
Working through the coordination cycle
Publishing an IFC file is not the end of the job; it is the start of a loop. Other disciplines review it, raise issues and send them back, and you answer with a revised model. The faster each turn of that loop, the sooner the design settles.
Clash comments and coordination notes are commonly exchanged as BCF, which pairs naturally with the IFC model because both point at the same elements. GorkyCAD exports BCF as well as IFC, so feedback can be attached to the model rather than described in an email.
Keep a simple naming convention — project, system, revision — and a short note of what changed. Teams that do this spend their meetings resolving real conflicts instead of working out which file is current.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most coordination pain in electrical BIM comes from a handful of avoidable habits.
- Exporting an old revision because the file name gives no clue which save it came from.
- Sending geometry with no naming structure, which forces reviewers to guess.
- Ignoring the coordinate reference, so the model appears kilometres from where it belongs.
- Treating the export as one-way, and never answering the issues that come back.
None of these is difficult to fix once the workflow is habitual, and each one costs less to prevent than to resolve late in the project.
One habit ties most of them together: export from one model and treat that model as the single truth. When the diagrams, panels, cable schedule and IFC all trace back to the same source, there is no question about which version is current and no reconciliation step to forget.
Next steps
An electrical model that already drives your diagrams, panels and cable schedule is the best starting point for a clean IFC export, because there is nothing left to reconcile. The work is in preparing the model and in keeping the coordination loop turning.
You can open the browser-based editor and export a project free of charge, with no card required, to see how the model behaves as IFC on your own job.
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FAQ
What is IFC used for in electrical design?
IFC is a neutral exchange format that lets different disciplines open and federate the same model. For electrical work it carries boards, routes and devices into the shared environment for clash checks.
Can I export IFC without a desktop installation?
Yes. GorkyCAD runs in the browser and exports PDF, DXF, XLSX, IFC, BCF and GLTF from the same electrical model, with no install step.
Should the IFC file include every calculation?
No. Include the geometry that others must coordinate and carry key results as properties. A leaner file opens faster and is easier to review.
How do I handle coordination comments?
Exchange them as BCF, which points at the same elements as the IFC model. GorkyCAD exports BCF, so feedback stays attached to the model instead of an email.