Modeling a building in 10 minutes using Blender, Urb, and IFC

When you have to start a modeling project for visualization in Blender, it is a process that can take a considerable amount of time, depending on the resources and references you have at the moment. Wouldn’t it be great to have a way to make a full building design in a couple of minutes? Better yet, have that design saved as an IFC file that you can later use to keep developing the design.

A few days ago, a developer called Bruno Postle posted on his Youtube channel a proof of concept from a tool that shows impressive results for architectural modeling. The concept uses Blender 2.83, Blender 2.79, BlenderBIM Add-on, and a Perl framework called Urb.

Here is the video showing the modeling.

The video shows all modeling required to use the script, which takes about 2/3 of the length. The real “magic” starts around 8:00.

Here is what happens:

1. The developer makes a simple model with the outer shell for walls, floors, and ceiling.
2. Copy the structure to make multiple levels
3. Send the model to Blender 2.79 and export it in DXF. From the DXF dialog, it chooses POLYFACE for all meshes
4. Run the Urb script for the DXF file
5. It converts the DXF file into a molior file. That is a BIM building description language to describe building elements like walls, rooms, floors, and etc.
6. From the molior file, he converts the data to IFC
7. As the last step, he goes back to Blender and imports the IFC file

Using the BlenderBIM tools, he shows the features of that project with sections and internal details. An impressive demonstration of automation for building modeling for architecture and BIM integration.

All tools used in the proof of concept are free and open-source.

Using Blender for architecture

Do you want to use Blender for architecture or render your projects using Cycles or Eevee? We have three books available that could help you!

They cover the use of Blender for producing architectural content and also all information you need to render projects in real-time:

• Blender 2.9 for architecture: Modeling and rendering with Eevee and Cycles
• Blender 2.8 parametric modeling: Drivers, Custom Properties, and Shape Keys for 3D modeling
• Blender 3.0: The beginner's guide
• Blender 2.8 for technical drawing
• Blender Eevee: The guide to real-time rendering with Blender 2.8

You can get them in both digital and paperback formats. By ordering those books, you will not only improve your skills with Blender for architecture but also support Blender 3D Architect.