IFC 4.3.2.20250905 (IFC4X3_ADD2) under development

  • Help suggest improvements
  • Get user or developer support

8.12.3.31 IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction

8.12.3.31.1 Semantic definition

IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction extends the surface style lighting, or the surface style rendering definition for properties for calculation of physically exact illuminance by adding seldom used properties. Currently this includes the refraction index (by which the light ray refracts when passing through a prism) and the dispersion factor (or Abbe constant) which takes into account the wavelength dependency of the refraction.

If such refraction properties are used, the IfcSurfaceStyle should include within its set of Styles (depending on whether rendering or lighting is used) an instance of IfcSurfaceStyleLighting and IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction, or an instance of IfcSurfaceStyleRendering and IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction. New entity in IFC2x2.

8.12.3.31.2 Entity inheritance

8.12.3.31.3 Attributes

# Attribute Type Description
IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction (2)
1 RefractionIndex OPTIONAL IfcReal

The index of refraction for all wave lengths of light. The refraction index is the ratio between the speed of light in a vacuum and the speed of light in the medium. E.g. glass has a refraction index of 1.5, whereas water has an index of 1.33

2 DispersionFactor OPTIONAL IfcReal

The Abbe constant given as a fixed ratio between the refractive indices of the material at different wavelengths. A low Abbe number means a high dispersive power. In general this translates to a greater angular spread of the emergent spectrum.

Table 8.12.3.31.A

8.12.3.31.4 Formal representation

ENTITY IfcSurfaceStyleRefraction
 SUBTYPE OF (IfcPresentationItem);
	RefractionIndex : OPTIONAL IfcReal;
	DispersionFactor : OPTIONAL IfcReal;
END_ENTITY;

8.12.3.31.5 References

Edit on Github


Is this page difficult to understand? Let us know!