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COBie.Component.Name -- Expected Values

The COBie.Component.Name parameter identifies a specific asset instance in the project.\ It must be a unique, human-readable, machine-safe identifier for each component.

This value appears in the COBie Component worksheet and is referenced in multiple other sheets (Systems, Attributes, Coordinates, etc.).\ If this identifier is missing or inconsistent, COBie data becomes unreliable and components cannot be tracked or reconciled.

🎯 Validation Rules (DAQS)

  1. Value must exist -- cannot be empty.\
  2. Must be unique per asset instance -- no duplicates.\
  3. Allowed characters: A--Z, 0--9, _, - (no spaces, no symbols).\
  4. Structured naming -- derived from Mark, asset tag, or BEP coding.\
  5. Length: 5--40 characters.\
  6. Consistent across Revit, COBie, and asset registers.

✅ Good Examples

Asset Type Example

Door DR-00123 AHU AHU_A1_01 Pump PMP-05-A Light Fixture LGT_B2-045 Switchboard SWBD-M01

❌ Common Mistakes

Bad Value Issue

Door 1 Spaces; too generic. Main Corridor Light Descriptive text, not an ID. A-102 / 2nd Floor Illegal characters. Empty Invalid COBie dataset. Duplicate names Collapses into one component on import.

🔍 Relationship to Revit

Autodesk COBie Extension maps this from:\ Revit Instance → Mark

Empty or inconsistent Mark values → incorrect COBie export.

🧠 Best Practices

  • Define naming in BEP / Information Protocol.\
  • Keep codes stable throughout the project.\
  • Avoid late renaming.\
  • Validate naming automatically (DAQS).

Short answer: No — COBie itself does not impose a hard character limit on Component.Name. But… there are practical limits and client-specific limits you need to respect.

Let me give you the straight, European answer.

✔️ 1. COBie 2.4 Specification: No strict max length

The official COBie spec does not define a hard maximum number of characters for:

  • Facility.Name
  • Floor.Name
  • Space.Name
  • Component.Name
  • Type.Name

As long as the value is a valid string and unique, COBie accepts it.

✔️ 2. But FM systems do impose limits

Depending on the client’s system, there might be limits:

FM System Typical Limits
Planon 50–100 characters
Maximo 40–60 characters
SAP PM 40 characters (very common)
Archibus 64–128 characters
Custom CAFM varies

Clients rarely tell you this upfront, but they absolutely enforce it later.

✔️ 3. Industry best practice

Most BEP/Contractual COBie guidelines use:

5–40 characters

  • Long enough for meaningful codes
  • Short enough for any FM system
  • Safe for imports, exports, and database fields

That’s why I put “recommended 5–40 characters” in the BEP-style docs.

✔️ 4. Why length matters in practice

If you exceed about 40 characters, you risk:

  • COBie → FM import failures
  • Truncated identifiers
  • Mismatches between TagNumber / AssetIdentifier / Component.Name
  • Inability to match against physical labels or barcodes
  • Database key violations
  • Broken references in APIs, GIS links, ERP systems, etc.