NativeBIM by NativeCAD
IFC server licensing and attributions
Answers to the questions people ask about the NativeBIM license, and the attribution for every model, schema and dataset the NativeBIM pages show.
License FAQ
Is it one license or two?
One. The NativeCAD license covers NativeBIM: a NativeCAD MCP / Modeler seat, or a free Education / Maker key, includes NativeBIM.
Do I need to buy NativeBIM separately?
No. There is no separate NativeBIM purchase; the pricing page has the seat and the free key.
Do I need Revit?
No. NativeBIM reads IFC from any application that exports it. Revit files are read for their metadata; for a full Revit model, export IFC from Revit.
What does it cost on top of a Claude subscription?
Your AI client plan, such as a Claude subscription, is separate and billed by its provider. The NativeCAD seat covers NativeCAD and NativeBIM only.
Does it work offline?
The server runs locally and does not need a connection to read, check, edit or export files. License keys verify offline. Your AI client is separate and may need a connection.
Who owns my data?
You do. NativeBIM reads and writes IFC files on your disk and claims no rights in them.
Does NativeBIM train on my data?
No. NativeBIM does not upload your models; the one exception is a short repro that you choose to attach to a bug report. See the telemetry statement under Security and privacy. What your AI client sends to its provider is governed by that provider's terms.
The license
NativeBIM is part of NativeCAD and is licensed under NativeCAD's dual license from FeatureBoard Labs Incorporated:
- The NativeCAD Non-Commercial License, free with a registered Education / Maker key, for personal, academic and other non-commercial use.
- The NativeCAD Commercial License, through a NativeCAD MCP / Modeler seat, for any commercial use.
Both are annual term licenses, and neither is available to the excluded parties the license names. The full text is in the LICENSE and COMMERCIAL.md files that ship in every NativeBIM package. For a copy before you install, e-mail support@featureboard.ai.
Warranty and liability. The software is provided as is under both licenses; paying for a seat buys the rights in the commercial license, not a warranty. To the extent the law allows, liability under the commercial license is capped at the fees paid in the 12 months before the claim, and the non-commercial license excludes it. Indirect, incidental and consequential damages, lost profits and lost data are excluded under both.
Attributions
- IFC. Schema tables are generated from the official schema definitions published by buildingSMART International, with attribution as their notice requires. Copyright buildingSMART International Limited. Industry Foundation Classes, IFC and ifcXML are trademarks of buildingSMART International Limited. standards.buildingsmart.org
- Sample models. Public images and videos of NativeBIM use only models NativeBIM generated and buildingSMART sample files under CC BY 4.0, credited as follows:
- BSI (2020) "Medical-Dental Test Files," buildingSMART International, CC BY 4.0. Changes made: cut to 2D floor plans and re-planned as office space by NativeBIM, shown as figures on the drawing-to-model demo; the model files are not redistributed. Source repository
- BSI (2020) "Duplex Apartment Test Files," buildingSMART International, CC BY 4.0, shown in the 3D viewer and as floor plans on the drawing-to-model demo. Changes made: geometry drawn by NativeBIM; cut to 2D floor plans, read back and rebuilt. Source repository
- BSI (2020) "Duplex Apartment Test Files," buildingSMART International (the Duplex MEP model), CC BY 4.0, shown as the MEP layer over the Duplex in the 3D viewer. Changes made: geometry drawn by NativeBIM and shown over the architecture model. Source repository
- Spec warehouse: generated by NativeBIM; no third-party model.
- Test-fit figure. Parcel boundary and zoning district: City of Boulder Open Data (CC0 1.0), accessed 2026-10-23. Development standards summarized from the Boulder Revised Code, Title 9. Layouts are hypothetical and not endorsed by or affiliated with the City of Boulder or Boulder County; verify current code before relying on it. Options generated by NativeBIM.
- Software notices. Third-party notices will ship with the package in a NOTICE file, and a public copy will be linked here at release.
- Research cited. BIM-Edit (arXiv 2606.20146), ifc-bench v2 (arXiv 2605.01698) and the official MCP registry API, linked with dates in the numbers on the front door.
Notices
NativeBIM is licensed software. It does not provide design, engineering or other professional services. Outputs are drafts for review by the licensed professional of record.
Sheets are marked NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION by default.
IFC and Industry Foundation Classes are marks of buildingSMART International.
NativeBIM is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the companies and organizations named here. Product names and marks belong to their owners.
NativeBIM is provided as is, without warranty of any kind. To the extent the law allows, FeatureBoard Labs Incorporated is not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages, lost profits or lost data, and its total liability is limited to the license fees paid in the 12 months before the claim. Read the license.