Structure of a family name in Revit
The name of a product model is built up as:
<System>_<Category>_<Subcategory>_<Host>_MEPcontent_<Manufacturer>_<Series/Type>_<Info>
- Within a field, do not use underscores but use spaces to make the name more clear, if needed.
- Every field starts with a capital.
- Italic fields are optional. When irrelevant, they are skipped to keep the family names short.
- Do not use a prefix in the name of a product referring to a standard or a company.
- Do not use the following special characters in family names: . â â ; : / ? \ | ! @ # $ % ^ & * < > [ ] { } Although some of them are allowed in Revit, these characters can give problems in viewing or coordination software such as Navisworks.
System
Short list of predefined codes to distinguish between the main disciplines.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Architecture |
| E | Electrical |
| FG | Flue Gas |
| HC | Heating/Cooling |
| M | Mechanical (for other than one of the specific systems) |
| SA | Sanitary/Sewerage |
| SP | Sprinkler |
| VE | Ventilation |
Naming Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Category | Main functional group. The available categories are defined in a list with standardized English names. |
| Subcategory (optional) | Functional subgroup, only included when useful. The available subcategories are defined in a list with standardized English names. |
| Host (optional) | For a hosted product model, one letter code is used to specify the host type. The code is skipped for unhosted product models. |
| MEPcontent | Fixed code to recognize the product model as a MEPcontent product model. |
| Manufacturer | Name of the manufacturer of the product that is modeled. Use Generic for non-manufacturer-specific products. |
| Series / Type (optional) | Description of the series or type as specified in manufacturer documentation, including spaces and special characters like -. Replace disallowed characters with spaces. Should be as specific as possible, but still applicable to all included types. If only part of a series is included, extend this field with a specification of included products. Not required for generic products. |
| Info (optional) | Additional information (e.g. indicating a highly detailed or large model). Only use this if the information cannot be captured in other fields. |
Platform specific rules
Revit Host: For Revit, the only host type we use is face based. The code in the family name is âFâ. Families should only be if there is a clear functional reason to do so. Preferably the face-based template should be used for hosted families allow for flexible placement on hosts unless there is a clear functional reason to choose another template.
Source and Interpretation
This documentation is based on the Extended MEPcontent Standard (EMCS) Version 5.0 (March 2023) by Trimble Inc.
The structure and descriptions have been adapted, simplified, and reformatted to support practical implementation within DAQS workflows.
This is not a replacement for the official EMCS documentation.
For authoritative definitions and legal use, always refer to the original publication by Trimble.