Issue 1, Topic 2
From an Image to a Real BIM Model
Last updated: September 22, 2026
A raster floor plan goes in, real IFC4 BIM data comes out: property sets, base quantities, and doors that actually cut a void in their host wall. No CAD file needed as input.
Tested on real geometry problems
Chichu Art Museum (Tadao Ando) as the first stress test, a rotated, non-orthogonal plan with no scale reference given. Then validated further on Seagram Building (Mies van der Rohe) for the orthogonal case, and Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum (Oscar Niemeyer) for the curved case.
How it works
- Ink darkness and stroke thickness separate real walls from dimension lines and furniture
- Hough line detection for orthogonal walls, circle fitting for curved ones
- A standalone Python script (
ifcopenshell) exports real IFC4, no Rhino license required for this step
Honest scope: LOD 200-300. A strong first draft for review, not a certified deliverable.
What you get
The Grasshopper script, the standalone IFC export script, a full BIM data specification document, and fully worked test files (Seagram and Niteroi).
