IFC - Industry Foundation Classes/IFC materials

IfcMaterial retain information about «real world» material with their thermal, energy, optical, mechanical etc… properties. Visible color in authoring software might be related to IfcStyle rather than material. Styles are more a virtual ways to display objects in authoring software including line style (border, axis etc…) a color representing what kind of fluid flows in a duct or a pipe etc… IFC materials can be in different ways depending on complexity and shape. eg. A common wall is often made of multiple layers as concrete + insulation + plaster but a window is made of different part like frame + glass. Following diagram shows how materials are related to their object. Any child of IfcObjectDefinition as IfcWall, IfcDuct etc… can get a material assigned this way :