Free online BCF viewer: open .bcf and .bcfzip files

Bimlyte is a free online BCF viewer: open a .bcf or .bcfzip file in your browser and read its issues, comments, viewpoints and snapshots — nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.

For when someone has just sent you a BCF file and you need to see what is in it. If you then need to answer, the same app is a full BCF manager.

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Open a BCF file in two steps

  • Open Bimlyte in your browser — there is nothing to download or install.
  • On the Home screen, click Quick open and pick the .bcf or .bcfzip file, or drop it anywhere on the page. Bimlyte creates a project for it and opens its issues.

What you see

  • Every issue as a card or as a row in a table: title, status, type, priority, assignee, due date, labels and description.
  • The comment thread of each issue, with who wrote what and when.
  • The snapshot of each viewpoint, with the markups drawn on it.
  • Search and filters, to find the issues that concern you in a long list.
  • Load the IFC model the issues belong to, and opening an issue takes you to its exact view in 3D.

.bcf, .bcfzip and BCF versions

  • .bcf and .bcfzip are the same thing: a ZIP archive of issues, viewpoints and snapshots. The extension tells you nothing about the version — a bcf.version file inside the archive does.
  • Bimlyte reads BCF 2.1 and BCF 3.0, the two versions in current use.
  • Files in the older BCF 2.0 or 1.0 are not read. Ask whoever sent the file for a BCF 2.1 export.

Nothing uploaded, nothing installed

The BCF file is read by code running in your browser, on your device. It is never uploaded, there is no account to create, and no BIM licence is needed. It works on Android and iOS phones and tablets, including the iPad, as it does on a desktop, and the installed app keeps working offline.

When a BCF file will not open

  • It is an older version: BCF 2.0 and 1.0 are not read — ask for a 2.1 export.
  • It is not a BCF archive at all: some tools export issues in their own format, or as a plain ZIP without a bcf.version file.
  • It was cut short: a file truncated by an email gateway or a broken download cannot be read; ask for it again.

From reading to answering

Viewing is often only the first step. In the same app you can comment, change a status, assign an issue and send the file back as standard BCF — or turn the issues into a PDF or an Excel workbook for someone without BIM software.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a BCF file online?

Open Bimlyte in your browser, click Quick open on the Home screen and pick the .bcf or .bcfzip file — or drop it onto the page. Bimlyte opens its issues, comments and snapshots straight away, free and without uploading the file.

What is the difference between .bcf and .bcfzip?

None that matters: both are ZIP archives holding the same BCF structure, and different tools simply use different extensions. Bimlyte opens both; the BCF version is declared by a bcf.version file inside the archive, not by the extension.

Can I view a BCF file without Revit or BIMcollab?

Yes. Bimlyte opens BCF files in the browser with no BIM software, no plug-in and no account, and shows every issue with its comments, viewpoints and snapshots.

Is my BCF file uploaded when I open it?

No. Bimlyte reads the BCF file in your browser, on your own device, and never sends it to a server.

Which BCF versions can Bimlyte open?

Bimlyte opens BCF 2.1 and BCF 3.0 files. Files in the older BCF 2.0 or 1.0 are not read; ask for a BCF 2.1 export from the tool that wrote them.

Can I see the snapshots and where the issue is in the model?

Yes. Bimlyte shows each viewpoint's snapshot with its markups; load the IFC model the issues belong to, and opening an issue takes you to its exact view in 3D.

Can I open a BCF file on an iPad, an iPhone or an Android phone?

Yes. Bimlyte runs in a current browser on Android and iOS phones and tablets, including the iPad, as well as on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, with nothing to install from an app store.

Can I reply to or close an issue after viewing it?

Yes. Bimlyte is a full BCF manager as well as a viewer: comment, change the status, assign the issue and export the file back as standard BCF 2.1 or 3.0.

How do I send BCF issues to someone without BIM software?

Export the issues from Bimlyte to a PDF report or an Excel workbook, or hand over the whole project as a .bimlyte package that opens in any browser with no BIM software and no account.

Open your BCF file now

Free, no upload, no account — open Bimlyte and click Quick open.

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No installation. No upload. No account required.