While using OneClick for LCA calculations, I encountered a limitation I’d like to bring to your attention. In all integration options (OneClick for Autodesk Construction Cloud, IFC Viewer, and OneClick Revit), calculations can only be done on one IFC file at a time.
This becomes problematic when working on building projects involving multiple disciplines, each with a separate IFC model. For example, it’s not possible to conduct an LCA for the full MEP system if the MEP model is split into separate files like “Heating.ifc”, “Cooling.ifc”, and “Ventilation.ifc”.
Similarly, when using the Building Circularity tool, calculating the total weight of all MEP components from 60 separate IFC files requires uploading each file individually and manually summing the results. This process is time-consuming and prone to errors.
It would be very helpful if the tool allowed uploading and processing multiple IFC files as a single model. Alternatively, do you have any suggestions for merging multiple IFCs into one?
Thanks for your support—this would greatly improve workflow and usability for interdisciplinary projects.
Thank you for reaching out and for your detailed feedback. You’ve raised an excellent point about the challenges of working with multiple IFC models for interdisciplinary projects, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Although the tool does not currently support uploading multiple IFC files simultaneously, you can achieve the desired outcome of a combined analysis by uploading individual files. Here are two possible workflows:
Recommended method: Combine data within One Click LCA
This is the most direct solution and avoids creating large, unwieldy files. The software can automatically aggregate data from multiple IFC files into a single project design.
When you upload your files, simply do so one by one into the same design. After the first upload, you will be prompted on how to handle the new data. Be sure to select the “Add data to the design” option. This will merge the new data with the existing information rather than overwriting it. By repeating this process for all your files (e.g., “Heating.ifc”, “Cooling.ifc”, etc.), you can perform a single, consolidated LCA or circularity calculation on the combined model.
Another option is to merge the IFC files in the original BIM authoring software (e.g., Autodesk Revit, Archicad). You can link the various models and then export a single, unified IFC file for upload to One Click LCA. However, please be mindful of our recommended file size limits, as importing a very large, merged file can sometimes affect performance.
The request for a multi-file import feature is a popular one. This functionality is not yet available, but the feedback has been shared with our product development team and is under consideration for a future release.
I hope one of these suggestions will help you move forward. Let us know if you have any further questions.
