Why does my IFC appear at the origin (0,0,0)?

Because the file carries no georeference, or because the viewer ignores it and recentres the model. An IFC stores its real position in IfcMapConversion or in the IfcSite placement; if neither is there, nothing says where it belongs.

What is IfcMapConversion?

The IFC entity that relates the model's local system to a projected coordinate system such as UTM. It holds the offset (Eastings, Northings, OrthogonalHeight), the north rotation (XAxisAbscissa and XAxisOrdinate) and the scale.

Why do two federated models not line up?

Almost always because one carries a georeference and the other does not, or because each uses a different method. The fix is to correct the georeference of the failing file, not to drag it by eye until it looks right.

Can I place an IFC in UTM coordinates without Revit?

Yes. From the browser you can translate, rotate and set the model georeference and download the IFC already placed.

UTM coordinates in an IFC: IfcMapConversion explained

The symptom is always the same: you open the model and it sits at the origin, or hundreds of kilometres from everything else. This guide explains where an IFC keeps its real position, how to check the one yours carries, and how to fix it without dragging it by eye.

Check my IFC — free See the IFC editor

An IFC stores its position in one of two ways

Method	What it is	When you see it
IfcMapConversion	The correct way since IFC4: relates the local system to a projected one declared in IfcProjectedCRS.	Well configured exports from Civil 3D, Istram, Revit with a shared base…
IfcSite placement	The coordinate is buried in the site's IfcLocalPlacement chain.	Common in IFC2x3, which has no IfcMapConversion.
Neither	The model only has local coordinates: the origin is an arbitrary corner.	Quick exports, standalone building models.

What IfcMapConversion actually holds

#42=IFCMAPCONVERSION(#40,#41,430000.,4580000.,355.127,0.9998,0.0175,1.);
                     │   │   └ Eastings └ Northings └ Height  └ XAxisAbscissa
                     │   └ IfcProjectedCRS (EPSG:25831…)      └ XAxisOrdinate
                     └ the model's local coordinate system

Eastings, Northings, OrthogonalHeight: where the model's local origin falls in the projected system.
XAxisAbscissa and XAxisOrdinate: the rotation — the angle between the model's X axis and the projection's east. This is why project north rarely matches geographic north.
Scale: the scale factor, which in linear works is not always 1.
The CRS itself (for instance EPSG:25831, ETRS89 / UTM 31N) lives in IfcProjectedCRS, not here.

How to check your model's georeference

Open the file at geomaifc.com/app — or several, if you are federating.
In the 3D view, turn on Real coords and open Georef: for each file you get the method that positions it, the base coordinate and the declared CRS.
Use the Coordinates measuring mode and click a known point: if the X and Y you read are not the project ones, the georeference is wrong.

Diagnose before dragging. Moving a model "until it fits" breaks coordination the moment a new revision of that file arrives, and the error propagates into everything derived from it.

How to fix it

If a file carries no georeference, you place it: translation, rotation and height, or the destination coordinates directly, then download the IFC already positioned. That is the editor part, and it is what lets every model land where it belongs when you federate, without touching them one by one each time.

Common mistakes

Confusing project north with geographic north. If the model is rotated, the rotation lives in XAxisAbscissa/Ordinate; ignoring it shifts everything you measure.
Huge local coordinates. Modelling directly in UTM (X = 430,000) causes precision problems in many tools; the correct approach is local coordinates plus IfcMapConversion.
Mixing height units. Orthogonal height in metres with a model in millimetres is the classic factor-of-1000 jump.
Assuming the viewer honours the georeference. Many recentre the model on open and the coordinates they show are local.

Open my IFC and check its georeference IFC4x3 for infrastructure