BIM application compatibility table
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This page gives a general overview of how the different tools and concepts found in other mainstream BIM applications compare to FreeCAD, specifically its BIM Workbench.
| Feature / Concept / Tool | FreeCAD | Revit | ArchiCAD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing and license | Free for anyone to use, no registration necessary | Free to use for students upon registration, registration and fee needed for other users | Registration and fee |
| Default file format and versions | The default FreeCAD files uses the .FCStd extension. Openable by FreeCAD and Blender (using a plugin), but it can also be unzipped. Any FreeCAD file, created will any version, will open in any other version, even older ones. However, some complex objects created with a more recent version might not be editable anymore when opened in older versions. | The default Revit files use the .rvt extension. Only openable by Revit. Files created with any older version will open. Files created with a newer version will not. | The default ArchiCAD files use the .pln extension. Only openable by ArchiCAD. Files created with any older version will open. Files created with a newer version will not. |
| Interchange BIM models and data formats | IFC, DXF (2D only), DWG (2D only) | IFC, DXF, DWG | IFC, DXF, DWG |
| Setting up project units | In FreeCAD, all projects accept any unit. You just have to configure the unit you wish to work with in menu Edit -> Preferences -> General -> Units. This can be changed anytime without modifying anything in the project. | Select the right template (Metric or Imperial), then modify the unit aspect in menu Manage -> Project. | |
| Organizing the elements of your project | You can use sites, buildings or building parts (storeys) to organize your model, but you are not forced to. You can also simply use standard groups or any other structure that FreeCAD offers. However, when exporting to the IFC format, having a site, and at least one building is mandatory (they are added automatically if not present). | Objects are organized into Floor Plans. | |
| Creating and using families of objects | There is no concept of family in FreeCAD. The same idea is achieved by cloning another object, in which case it adopts its shape and all its properties, or by constructing another similar object such as a wall or structure (column, beam) on the same base profile, in which case the profile is common but all the other properties (height, etc) are independent. Wall compositions depend on the multimaterial used, which can also be shared by several wall instances. | Each object belongs to a given family. | Each object belongs to a given type. |
| Grouping objects into reusable components | Objects can be grouped into simple compounds, or into building parts, which can be cloned or linked to from another file using references | Revit groups can be duplicated, and a Revit file can be linked to from another file |