Importing Revit and ArchiCAD Models into Harth
How to import existing Revit and ArchiCAD models into Harth — export IFC from your BIM tool, load it into the browser workspace, and situate it on real terrain with AI agents.
Importing Revit and ArchiCAD Models into Harth
Direct answer
How architects bring existing Revit, ArchiCAD, and IFC models into Harth's browser workspace to work with real terrain and AI agents.
Key facts
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge format | IFC | open, works from both Revit and ArchiCAD |
| Where it runs | Browser — no install | Harth workspace |
| Context | Real-world terrain | situate the model on its actual site |
| Best practice | Export a filtered coordination view | smaller, cleaner import |
Why bring a BIM model into Harth
Your design already lives in Revit or ArchiCAD. Harth lets you take that model into a browser workspace, drop it onto real-world terrain, and work through it with AI agents — without installing anything or leaving the model stranded at an arbitrary origin. The bridge between your BIM tool and Harth is IFC, the open format both platforms export natively.
Exact export options vary by Revit and ArchiCAD version. Confirm the IFC steps against your installed release, and check Harth in-product for the currently supported import formats.
From Revit
- Set shared coordinates so the model exports with a real-world placement.
- Build a coordination 3D view with only the categories and phase you want to bring across.
- Go to File → Export → IFC, pick a widely supported setup (e.g. IFC 2x3 Coordination View 2.0), and check the category mapping.
- Export, and spot-check the IFC in a viewer before importing. See the full IFC export walkthrough.
From ArchiCAD
- Confirm the project's survey point / origin so the export carries the right location.
- Use a saved IFC translator suited to coordination handover, or configure one for your target schema.
- File → Save As → IFC (or the Interoperability export path), choosing the translator and the elements to include.
- Verify the output in a viewer, then bring it into Harth.
Into Harth
- Open your Harth workspace in the browser.
- Import the IFC you exported.
- Situate it on terrain — if shared coordinates were set, the model lands in place; otherwise position it on the real-world site.
- Work with AI agents to explore the model in context, test ideas against the surrounding site, and drive early-design decisions.
Keep your authoring tool
Harth complements Revit and ArchiCAD rather than replacing them. Keep authoring in your BIM tool and re-export an updated IFC as the design develops — treat each import as a coordination-and-context snapshot. For help deciding between the two authoring platforms, see Revit vs. ArchiCAD.
BIM-to-Harth handoff acceptance test
Harth’s public product page confirms a browser-based workspace, Revit and ArchiCAD import/export, terrain and existing-building context, live comments, multiplayer work and one-link boards. Exact file-format support and import controls must be verified in the current product before publishing step-by-step instructions.
| Test | Reproducible pass condition | Evidence to capture |
|---|---|---|
| Source-model scope | Only the intended phase, categories and view are included | Source view screenshot |
| Import | Current Harth UI accepts the documented export | Format, app versions and import screenshot |
| Geometry | Levels, scale and orientation match a known dimension | Before/after measurement |
| Site placement | Model aligns with the intended terrain and context | Georeferenced comparison screenshot |
| Visual fidelity | Representative materials and openings survive as documented | Comparison images and limitations |
| Collaboration | A recipient opens the intended board and permissions | Recipient test and permissions screenshot |
| Update cycle | A revised model can be handed off with the documented behavior | Timed second-import test |
Do not describe the connection as live or two-way unless the tested product demonstrates that behavior. Record sample-model size, upload and processing time, browser, operating system, BIM version and test date.
Frequently asked questions
What file format should I bring into Harth?
IFC is the reliable bridge from both Revit and ArchiCAD because it is the open buildingSMART standard and both tools export it natively. Export a filtered coordination 3D view rather than the entire model — it imports faster, stays lighter in the browser, and avoids carrying work-in-progress you did not mean to share. Confirm Harth's currently supported import formats in-product, as coverage expands over time.
Will my model keep its real-world location?
If you set shared coordinates before exporting IFC, the model carries a real-world placement that lets Harth situate it correctly against terrain rather than at an arbitrary origin. If coordinates were not set, you can reposition the model on the site inside Harth. Getting shared coordinates right in your BIM tool first is the cleaner path.
Can I keep working in Revit or ArchiCAD after importing?
Yes. Harth is for working with the model in context — exploring it on real terrain and collaborating with AI agents — not a replacement for your BIM authoring tool. Keep authoring in Revit or ArchiCAD, then re-export an updated IFC when the design moves on. Treat the import as a coordination and context snapshot rather than a live two-way link.
Source & method: Compiled from official Autodesk Revit and Graphisoft ArchiCAD IFC export documentation and Harth's import workflow. Exact export options vary by BIM software version; confirm the IFC steps against your release.