IFC to USDA Converter
FileFlip converts IFC to USDA entirely inside your browser, using Assimp compiled to WebAssembly. The file is never uploaded to a server: it is read off your disk, converted on your own machine, and saved back by the browser. That means no file-size limit, no queue and no account.
How do I convert an IFC file to USDA?#
- Drop your IFC file onto the converter at the top of this page, or click it to pick one from your computer. You can add as many as you like.
- Leave the target set to USDA and the conversion starts on its own. FileFlip downloads 11.2 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, then runs Assimp on your own machine.
- Save the USDA file. Your browser writes it straight to your downloads folder, because there was never a server holding it.
Does converting IFC to USDA lose quality?#
Not in the sense of pixels or samples. Converting IFC to USDA rebuilds the file in USDA's own model rather than re-encoding it, so everything USDA can represent comes through exactly and anything it cannot has to be dropped. Expect the geometry to be exact, and anything the target has no place for, such as a rig, to be left behind.
Is it safe to convert IFC files online?#
Yes, because nothing is uploaded. FileFlip converts IFC files inside the browser tab you already have open, using WebAssembly builds of the same engines a desktop converter would install. Your file is read from your own disk into the page's memory, and no request carrying it is ever made.
You do not have to take that on trust. Open your browser's network panel, run a conversion, and you will see the engine come down and your file go nowhere. There is no upload, no server-side copy, no retention window, and no account tied to what you converted.
How FileFlip works lists every engine, its version and its download size, and shows how to check for yourself that nothing leaves your machine.
What IFC to USDA actually does to the file#
Converting IFC to USDA runs on Assimp, downloads 11.2 MB of WebAssembly the first time and nothing after that, rebuilds the file in the target's own model.
| Engine | Assimp |
|---|---|
| Conversion path | One step: IFC → USDA |
| Downloaded to your browser | 11.2 MB, once, then cached by your browser |
| Quality | Rebuilt in the target's model |
| You get back | One file |
| Where it runs | In a background worker, so the page stays responsive |
What survives the conversion
| What is in the file | This conversion | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Sometimes | Survives for some files and not others. |
| Textures | Sometimes | Survives for some files and not others. |
| Skeleton and animation | Sometimes | Survives for some files and not others. |
What is an IFC file?#
An IFC file holds a building information model under the buildingSMART schema, representing walls, doors, spaces and systems as typed objects with properties and relationships instead of bare geometry.
Use IFC when a building model needs to move between architecture, engineering and construction software that don't share a native format.
Convert away from IFC when the destination only needs the geometry, such as loading a building into a generic 3D viewer or game engine.
What is a USDA file?#
A USDA file holds a USD scene written out as plain UTF-8 text, spelling out every prim, attribute and layer composition line by line, in the encoding Universal Scene Description calls its ASCII form.
Use USDA while authoring or debugging a layer by hand, or whenever a file needs to go through text-based diff and review.
Convert USDA to USDC once a layer is finished and only needs to load fast, not be read by a person.
IFC to USDA questions people ask#
What is an IFC file used for?
IFC is the neutral file format for Building Information Modelling, letting architects, structural engineers and contractors exchange a building model between different software without everyone using the same package.
What's the difference between IFC2x3 and IFC4?
IFC4 is the newer schema, published in 2013, extending IFC2x3 from 2006 with more precise geometry and additional building domains. Because the two schemas aren't fully compatible, many projects still standardise on IFC2x3 for exchange since it has the widest tool support.
Can I open an IFC file without BIM software?
Free options exist beyond commercial BIM suites: Solibri offers a free model viewer, and Blender can open IFC files with the Bonsai add-on. Both let you inspect the model without a paid Revit or ArchiCAD licence.
Does an IFC file include 3D geometry?
Yes, alongside the properties and relationships that make IFC more than a shape format, each building element carries actual geometry, so an IFC file opens as a real 3D model, not just a database of attributes.