An export format should match the work the recipient needs to do. A file extension is not a promise of useful information. Before choosing a format, clarify whether the next task involves viewing geometry, exchanging building information or continuing a drawing workflow.
Use geometry exports for bounded visual tasks
An OBJ file can carry mesh geometry for a viewer or modeling application. That makes it useful for checking a simple concept's shape, but it does not automatically provide building-element meaning or a construction specification. Tell the recipient which objects were modeled and which units you used. Open the exported file in the intended receiving tool and check a known dimension before relying on its scale.
Distinguish IFC from a generic mesh
buildingSMART describes IFC as an open standard for exchanging building information. That is a different purpose from a collection of visually similar mesh boxes. Whether an IFC exchange is useful depends on its authored content and the information the receiving workflow expects. Ask for a defined exchange requirement and an acceptance check rather than assuming that saving a file with the requested extension completes the handoff.
Keep drawing exchange separate
Autodesk documents DXF as a drawing interchange representation, available in ASCII or binary forms. A drawing workflow has different expectations from a mesh-viewing workflow. Confirm which entities, units and version the recipient needs. A document may also include PDF sheets for convenient review, but a PDF review copy should not be confused with editable CAD data. Ask the receiving designer to verify that the exported drawing contains the information required for the next task.
State the actual available formats
TranslateDesign's open preview exports room-envelope OBJ, floor-plan SVG, quantity CSV and project geometry JSON. It does not currently export IFC or DXF. Choose one of its available formats for a suitable concept task, or use another agreed authoring workflow when the deliverable requires richer information. Send a short readme explaining purpose, source revision, units and known omissions with any file package.
- Choose the format after defining the recipient's task.
- Check a known dimension in the receiving application.
- Confirm content expectations, not just the extension.
- Keep concept exports distinct from coordinated project deliverables.
Further reading
Primary references for the technical background discussed above; they do not endorse TranslateDesign.
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