Use when you need to model or read an IFC solid as boundary representation, CSG, or a clipping operation : faceted and advanced Breps, the shell / face / loop topology, Boolean results, CSG primitives, and half-space clipping of extruded elements. Prevents a non-watertight shell, a repeated first point in a poly-loop, a mixed loop-type shell, a clipping result with the wrong operator, a finite solid used as a clip, and a RepresentationType that does not match the item. Covers IfcManifoldSolidBrep, IfcFacetedBrep, IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids, IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids, IfcClosedShell, IfcOpenShell, IfcFace, IfcFaceOuterBound, IfcAdvancedFace, IfcPolyLoop, IfcEdgeLoop, IfcBooleanResult, IfcBooleanClippingResult, IfcHalfSpaceSolid, IfcPolygonalBoundedHalfSpace, IfcCsgSolid, the IfcCsgPrimitive3D family, and IFC2x3 / IFC4 / IFC4.3 differences. Keywords: IFC Brep, boundary representation, IfcFacetedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcClosedShell, IfcPolyLoop, watertight mesh, IfcBooleanClippingResult, clipping,
Use when you need to model or read an IFC solid as boundary representation, CSG, or a clipping operation : faceted and advanced Breps, the shell / face / loop topology, Boolean results, CSG primitives, and half-space clipping of extruded elements. Prevents a non-watertight shell, a repeated first point in a poly-loop, a mixed loop-type shell, a clipping result with the wrong operator, a finite solid used as a clip, and a RepresentationType that does not match the item. Covers IfcManifoldSolidBrep, IfcFacetedBrep, IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids, IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids, IfcClosedShell, IfcOpenShell, IfcFace, IfcFaceOuterBound, IfcAdvancedFace, IfcPolyLoop, IfcEdgeLoop, IfcBooleanResult, IfcBooleanClippingResult, IfcHalfSpaceSolid, IfcPolygonalBoundedHalfSpace, IfcCsgSolid, the IfcCsgPrimitive3D family, and IFC2x3 / IFC4 / IFC4.3 differences. Keywords: IFC Brep, boundary representation, IfcFacetedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcClosedShell, IfcPolyLoop, watertight mesh, IfcBooleanClippingResult, clipping, half space, IfcHalfSpaceSolid, CSG, IfcBooleanResult, IfcCsgSolid, mesh geometry, my solid has holes, geometry not watertight, model renders inside out, opening not cut, how do I cut a wall, how do I import a mesh, Brep validation error, RepresentationType Brep, IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4.3.
license
MIT
compatibility
Designed for Claude Code. Requires IFC IFC2x3, IFC4, IFC4.3.
metadata
{"author":"OpenAEC-Foundation","version":"1.0"}
IFC Syntax : Geometry Brep, CSG and Clipping
Boundary representation (Brep) describes a solid by explicitly listing the
surfaces, edges and vertices that bound it, instead of by a parametric recipe such
as an extrusion. Brep is the escape hatch of IFC geometry : imported meshes,
free-form shapes, anything a tool cannot round-trip as a swept solid. This skill
also owns CSG (Boolean combinations of solids) and clipping (the half-space
subtract that cuts openings and sloped tops into extruded elements).
Applies to IFC2x3, IFC4, and IFC4.3. The faceted Brep, CSG and clipping families
exist from IFC2x3 ; the advanced (curved-face) Brep family is IFC4 and later. See
Version Differences.
Quick Reference
When to use Brep, CSG, or clipping
A faceted Brep (IfcFacetedBrep) : an explicit watertight mesh of planar
polygons. Use it to carry imported or irregular geometry. RepresentationType = 'Brep'.
An advanced Brep (IfcAdvancedBrep, IFC4+) : a watertight solid whose faces
may be curved (NURBS, cylinders, cones). Use it to round-trip true CAD free-form
geometry. RepresentationType = 'AdvancedBrep'.
CSG (IfcBooleanResult, IfcCsgSolid) : a solid built by Boolean union,
intersection and difference of simpler solids and primitives.
RepresentationType = 'CSG'.
Clipping (IfcBooleanClippingResult) : the DIFFERENCE-with-a-half-space
special case that cuts openings, recesses, chamfers and sloped tops into an
extruded element. RepresentationType = 'Clipping'.
The Brep family tree
IfcGeometricRepresentationItem
└── IfcSolidModel
└── IfcManifoldSolidBrep (abstract) attribute : Outer : IfcClosedShell
├── IfcFacetedBrep planar polygonal faces (IFC2x3+)
│ └── IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids adds Voids : SET OF IfcClosedShell
└── IfcAdvancedBrep curved IfcAdvancedFace faces (IFC4+)
└── IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids adds Voids : SET OF IfcClosedShell
IfcManifoldSolidBrep defines exactly one attribute, Outer : IfcClosedShell :
the watertight shell bounding the solid, with normals pointing away from the
interior. Dim is derived and always 3.
IfcFacetedBrep : the workhorse
IfcFacetedBrep is a manifold solid Brep whose faces are all planar bounded
polygons. It is the lowest-common-denominator Brep, present since IFC2x3. It adds
no attributes : it inherits the single .
Outer : IfcClosedShell
Two informal propositions are load-bearing :
Every bounding loop of every face MUST be an IfcPolyLoop. NEVER use
IfcEdgeLoop or IfcVertexLoop in a faceted Brep.
Each IfcCartesianPoint MUST be referenced by at least three poly-loops : at a
corner of a closed polyhedron at least three faces meet.
IfcAdvancedBrep : curved faces (IFC4+)
IfcAdvancedBrep is a manifold solid Brep whose faces are all IfcAdvancedFace.
It permits curved (non-planar) faces backed by elementary, swept, or B-spline
surfaces. It adds no own attributes ; it is defined by the WHERE rule
HasAdvancedFaces : every face of the outer shell MUST be an IfcAdvancedFace.
IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids and IfcAdvancedFace were introduced
in IFC4. NEVER emit them into an IFC2x3 file.
Breps with voids
IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids (IFC2x3+) and IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids (IFC4+) add
Voids : SET [1:?] OF IfcClosedShell : the inner shells bounding internal
cavities. Each void shell is fully enclosed by Outer, disjoint from Outer and
from every other void shell. A solid with no internal cavity uses the plain
IfcFacetedBrep / IfcAdvancedBrep instead.
Shells : closed versus open
IfcConnectedFaceSet is the supertype of both shell types ; its attribute
CfsFaces : SET [1:?] OF IfcFace is the set of faces.
IfcClosedShell : a complete, watertight, boundary-free 2-manifold that fully
encloses a volume. Every edge is referenced by exactly two faces. This is the
ONLY shell type permitted as the Outer and as a Voids member of a Brep.
IfcOpenShell : a 2-manifold with boundary (holes punched in it). Its boundary
edges are referenced only once. It belongs in surface models, NEVER in an
IfcManifoldSolidBrep.
Faces and loops
IfcFace : a portion of a surface. Attribute Bounds : SET [1:?] OF IfcFaceBound. WHERE rule HasOuterBound : at most one bound is an
IfcFaceOuterBound (inside a faceted Brep, exactly one).
IfcFaceBound : attributes Bound : IfcLoop and Orientation : IfcBoolean.
Its subtype IfcFaceOuterBound marks the outer (primary) boundary loop ;
interior holes stay plain IfcFaceBound.
IfcAdvancedFace (IFC4+) : the only face type allowed in IfcAdvancedBrep.
Adds FaceSurface : IfcSurface and SameSense : IfcBoolean.
IfcPolyLoop : attribute Polygon : LIST [3:?] OF UNIQUE IfcCartesianPoint.
The only loop allowed in a faceted Brep. It is implicitly closed : the last
segment runs from the last point back to the first. All points MUST be coplanar.
IfcEdgeLoop : a loop of oriented edges, used in advanced Brep faces.
The watertight rules
A valid Brep Outer shell is watertight : it bounds a real volume with no gaps.
ALWAYS reference every edge by exactly two faces in a closed shell. An edge on
one face only is a hole ; an edge on three or more faces is non-manifold.
ALWAYS reference every IfcCartesianPoint by at least three poly-loops in a
faceted Brep.
ALWAYS keep one shell to one loop type : all IfcPolyLoop in a faceted Brep,
all IfcEdgeLoop in an advanced Brep. NEVER mix loop types in one shell.
ALWAYS wind a poly-loop so its face normal points away from the solid interior.
CSG : Boolean combinations
IfcBooleanResult is one Boolean operation. Attributes : Operator
(IfcBooleanOperator), FirstOperand (IfcBooleanOperand), SecondOperand
(IfcBooleanOperand), derived Dim. WHERE rule SameDim : both operands share
dimensionality.
IfcBooleanOperator has three values : UNION, INTERSECTION, DIFFERENCE.
IfcBooleanOperand is a SELECT over five entities : IfcBooleanResult,
IfcCsgPrimitive3D, IfcHalfSpaceSolid, IfcSolidModel, IfcTessellatedFaceSet.
IfcCsgSolid wraps a CSG tree as a solid : attribute TreeRootExpression : IfcCsgSelect. The IfcCsgPrimitive3D family supplies the primitive leaves :
IfcBlock, IfcRectangularPyramid, IfcRightCircularCone,
IfcRightCircularCylinder, IfcSphere, each parameterised relative to a
Position : IfcAxis2Placement3D.
Clipping : IfcBooleanClippingResult and half-spaces
IfcBooleanClippingResult is the constrained subtype of IfcBooleanResult used
for openings and cuts. It adds no attributes ; it adds three tightening WHERE
rules, verified verbatim (IFC4.3) :
OperatorType : Operator = DIFFERENCE. A clipping result is NEVER a union or
intersection.
FirstOperandType : FirstOperand is an IfcSweptAreaSolid, an
IfcSweptDiskSolid, or an IfcBooleanClippingResult (the last for chained,
sequential clipping).
SecondOperandType : SecondOperand MUST be an IfcHalfSpaceSolid. The clip
is always a half-space, NEVER a finite solid.
IfcHalfSpaceSolid is geometrically infinite : the half of all space on one side
of an unbounded BaseSurface (in practice an IfcPlane). AgreementFlag
(IfcBoolean) selects which side. Subtypes :
IfcPolygonalBoundedHalfSpace : bounds the half-space to a finite prism via
PolygonalBoundary. Used for localised openings. WHERE rules : BoundaryDim
(the boundary is 2D) and BoundaryType (the boundary is an IfcPolyline,
IfcCompositeCurve, or IfcIndexedPolyCurve).
IfcBoxedHalfSpace : attaches an Enclosure : IfcBoundingBox as a computation
aid only. WHERE rule UnboundedSurface : the BaseSurface is NEVER a bounded
surface.
RepresentationType mapping
Geometry item
RepresentationType
IfcFacetedBrep, IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids
'Brep'
IfcAdvancedBrep, IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids
'AdvancedBrep' (IFC4+)
IfcBooleanResult, IfcCsgSolid, IfcCsgPrimitive3D
'CSG'
IfcBooleanClippingResult
'Clipping'
The RepresentationIdentifier is normally 'Body'. See
ifc-syntax-geometry-representations.
How is the solid most naturally described?
|
+-- A parametric extrusion or revolution of a profile
| --> a swept solid. See ifc-syntax-geometry-swept-solid (not this skill).
|
+-- An extruded element with openings, recesses, or a sloped cut
| --> IfcBooleanClippingResult : DIFFERENCE of the swept solid and a
| half-space. RepresentationType = 'Clipping'.
|
+-- A solid assembled from union / intersection / difference of solids
| --> IfcBooleanResult or IfcCsgSolid. RepresentationType = 'CSG'.
|
+-- An explicit mesh of flat polygons (imported or irregular geometry)
| --> IfcFacetedBrep. RepresentationType = 'Brep'.
|
+-- A watertight solid with curved (NURBS) faces, IFC4 or later
--> IfcAdvancedBrep. RepresentationType = 'AdvancedBrep'.
Faceted or advanced Brep?
Are all faces planar polygons?
|
+-- YES --> IfcFacetedBrep. Faces bounded by IfcPolyLoop. Works in IFC2x3.
|
+-- NO, some faces are curved (cylinder, cone, sphere, NURBS)
--> IfcAdvancedBrep with IfcAdvancedFace. Requires IFC4 or later.
Targeting IFC2x3? Tessellate the curved faces into planar facets
and use IfcFacetedBrep instead.
Plain, polygonal-bounded, or boxed half-space?
What does the clip need to remove?
|
+-- A full planar slice through the whole element (sloped top, chamfer)
| --> IfcHalfSpaceSolid with an IfcPlane BaseSurface.
|
+-- A localised pocket bounded by a polygon (a window or door opening)
| --> IfcPolygonalBoundedHalfSpace with a 2D PolygonalBoundary.
|
+-- A half-space that also needs a finite working box for fast evaluation
--> IfcBoxedHalfSpace with an Enclosure bounding box.
Patterns
Pattern : Build a watertight faceted Brep
ALWAYS build a faceted Brep bottom-up : IfcCartesianPoint corners,
IfcPolyLoop per face (each corner listed once, never repeating the first point),
one IfcFaceOuterBound per loop, one IfcFace per bound, one IfcClosedShell
collecting all faces, one IfcFacetedBrep whose Outer is that shell.
ALWAYS verify every edge is shared by exactly two faces and every point by at
least three loops before treating the solid as valid.
NEVER use an IfcOpenShell as the Outer : Outer is typed IfcClosedShell and
an open shell does not enclose a volume.
See references/examples.md for the full worked unit-cube STEP file.
Pattern : Model an internal cavity
ALWAYS model an internal hollow with IfcFacetedBrepWithVoids (or
IfcAdvancedBrepWithVoids in IFC4+) : one IfcClosedShell per cavity in the
Voids set, each cavity shell fully enclosed by Outer and disjoint from every
other shell.
NEVER represent an internal cavity by reversing face normals inside a plain
IfcFacetedBrep : the voids mechanism is the only correct way.
Pattern : Build an advanced Brep (IFC4+)
ALWAYS make every face of an IfcAdvancedBrep an IfcAdvancedFace : the
HasAdvancedFaces rule rejects any other face type. Each IfcAdvancedFace carries
a FaceSurface (an elementary, swept, or B-spline surface) and a SameSense
flag, with edge boundaries fully defined as edge curves.
NEVER target IFC2x3 with an advanced Brep : tessellate curved faces into planar
facets and use IfcFacetedBrep.
Pattern : Clip an extruded element with a half-space
ALWAYS model an opening or sloped cut as an IfcBooleanClippingResult with
Operator = DIFFERENCE, FirstOperand the extruded IfcSweptAreaSolid, and
SecondOperand an IfcHalfSpaceSolid (or IfcPolygonalBoundedHalfSpace for a
localised pocket).
ALWAYS set the half-space AgreementFlag so the solid removed is the unwanted
side : the wrong flag clips the opposite half and leaves the element inside out.
NEVER set Operator to UNION or INTERSECTION on an IfcBooleanClippingResult :
the OperatorType rule fixes it to DIFFERENCE.
NEVER use a finite solid as the SecondOperand : the SecondOperandType rule
requires an IfcHalfSpaceSolid.
Pattern : Chain multiple clips
ALWAYS apply a second clip by nesting : the second IfcBooleanClippingResult
takes the first IfcBooleanClippingResult as its FirstOperand. The
FirstOperandType rule permits exactly this for sequential clipping.
Pattern : Build a CSG solid from primitives
ALWAYS combine IfcCsgPrimitive3D primitives (IfcBlock, IfcSphere,
IfcRightCircularCylinder, IfcRightCircularCone, IfcRectangularPyramid) and
other solids with IfcBooleanResult, using UNION, INTERSECTION, or
DIFFERENCE. Wrap the tree in an IfcCsgSolid when it must be reused as a solid
operand. ALWAYS keep both operands of an IfcBooleanResult at the same
dimensionality : the SameDim rule requires it.
Pattern : Match RepresentationType to the geometry item
ALWAYS set the IfcShapeRepresentation.RepresentationType to the value that
matches the item : 'Brep' for a faceted Brep, 'AdvancedBrep' for an advanced
Brep, 'CSG' for a general Boolean result or CSG solid, 'Clipping' for an
IfcBooleanClippingResult. A mismatched label misroutes the importer's geometry
kernel.
Reference Links
references/methods.md : the complete verified entity definitions, the
IfcCsgPrimitive3D primitive table, the watertight / three-loops rule set, all
WHERE rules, and the per-version difference matrix.
references/examples.md : worked STEP scenarios : a unit-cube faceted Brep, a
Brep with an internal void, a clipped extrusion, and a CSG tree.
references/anti-patterns.md : the failure modes this skill prevents, each with
the rule it breaks and the correct form.
