bim2fem

Convert Building Information Models (BIM) to Finite Element Models (FEM) for structural analysis.

Revit Model	IFC4 ReferenceView	IFC4 StructuralAnalysisView

Table of Contents

• What is bim2fem?
  • Key Features
  • Contents
• Getting Started
  • Interactive GUI
  • For Developers
• Contributing
• Requirements
• Platform Support
• License
• Support

What is bim2fem?

bim2fem is an open-source (LGPL) Python-based software that converts 3D architectural BIM models into FEM models ready for structural analysis. Support for transforming 3D building and piping models is implemented for the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard.

Key Features

• BIM to FEM conversion - Transform architectural models into structural analysis models (support for building and piping elements)
• IFC4 support - Compatibility with IFC standard (release IFC4 Add2 TC1)
• Enhanced IFC manipulation - Extended IfcOpenShell functionality for building and piping elements via IfcPlus subpackage
• GLB export - Convert IFC to GLB format for 3D visualization
• Web interface - User-friendly GUI for non-programmers
• Python API - Full programmatic control for developers

Contents

Module	Description
bim2fem.core	Core utility for converting IFC4 from ReferenceView/DesignTransferView to StructuralAnalysisView
bim2fem.ifcplus	Extension of the IfcOpenShell-Python library for enhanced IFC manipulation of building and piping models
bim2fem.bim2glb	Extension of IfcConvert for improved IFC to GLB conversion for 3D visualization

Getting Started

Interactive GUI (for non-developers)

If you just want to convert files using the graphical interface:

1. Install Python (<3.14, >=3.9) from python.org

   • ✅ During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"

2. Download this project

   git clone https://github.com/idaholab/bim2fem.git
   cd bim2fem

3. Double-click run_bim2fem.py or run:

   python run_bim2fem.py

   Note: Initial setup may take a couple minutes.

4. Your browser will open with the web interface at http://localhost:5000

For Developers (API)

Installation from PyPI (Coming Soon)

pip install bim2fem

Installation from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/idaholab/bim2fem.git
cd bim2fem

# Create virtual environment (recommended)
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt  # For development tools and base requirements

Basic Usage (coming soon)

import ifcopenshell
from bim2fem.core import convert_ifc_to_fem
from bim2fem.bim2glb import convert_ifc_to_glb

# Additional Details Coming Soon!

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See our Contributing Guide for detailed instructions.

Requirements

• Python <3.14, >=3.9
• IfcOpenShell
• NumPy
• Flask (for web interface)
• See requirements.txt for full list

Platform Support

• ✅ Windows
• ✅ Linux
• ✅ macOS

Note: The project includes platform-specific IfcConvert executables for each OS.

License

This project is licensed under the LGPL License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Developed at Idaho National Lab
• Built on top of IfcOpenShell
• IFC standard by buildingSMART

Roadmap

• PyPI package publication
• Detailed Documentation
• Extension of capabilities for complex building and piping elements
• Support for IFC4x3 input files

Support

• 📖 Documentation (Coming Soon)
• 🐛 Report Issues
• 💬 Discussions

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Note: This project is under active development. APIs may change in future versions.