How Fetch families are built and tested
The modeling, parameter, performance and QA standards behind every Fetch family, for BIM managers deciding whether Fetch content meets their firm's standards.
Fetch pluginRevit 2023–2027Updated
If you're deciding whether Fetch content belongs in your firm's projects, this is the standard every family is held to. The full reasoning is in What makes a great Revit family?
Who builds them
Fetch families are built and maintained by Southwest Solutions Group's content team: design professionals who have used Revit on real projects. Every family is a real product from a manufacturer SSG represents, with real product codes and list pricing for budgeting.
Naming and types
- Families are named from generic to specific, so similar content groups together in the Project Browser.
- Types are used only for meaningful configuration changes. A family with one type calls it "Default".
- Options that would otherwise need a large type catalog are instance parameters with input validation. See Configure a family.
Parameters
- Standard parameter sets for each category, with prefixes that say what each parameter does (
ENTER_,ACTUAL_,ADD_,MODIFY_,MAT_). - Consistent parameter groups across every family, so the Properties palette always looks the same.
- Shared parameters across similar categories, so one schedule works across many families.
- Tooltips on inputs that aren't obvious. Parameters users shouldn't change are hidden.
- Constraints that stop you from modeling configurations the manufacturer doesn't make.
Performance targets
| Family | File size | Nested families |
|---|---|---|
| Typical | Under 1 MB | 1–2 |
| Complex | 1–1.5 MB | 3–5 |
To hit them:
- Levels of detail in every family: simple geometry in coarse views, detail where it counts.
- Simplified plan geometry, with a hidden line marking the back of the family for alignment. 2D follows standard drafting conventions.
- All geometry constrained to reference planes. Arrays only when there are more than three repeated objects. Voids only when necessary.
- Materials are built so textures don't go missing when a model moves between machines. See Fetch Materials.
Automated QA
Every family runs through an automated test suite before it's published, and again whenever it's updated. Each test returns a score and a list of what to fix.
| Test | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Naming | Family, type, parameter and nested family names match the naming standard |
| Performance | File size, plan geometry hidden where it should be, levels of detail set up correctly |
| Parameters | Parameters in the right groups, values valid for their type, nothing left broken |
| Imports | No imported CAD, images, line patterns or materials |
| References | Reference settings, no weak references, origin references set correctly |
| Standardization | Correct family category, so scheduling, tagging and electrical properties work |
Keeping families current
Products change and Revit versions introduce bugs, so families get fixed and rebuilt over time. Updates reach your projects through sync and update, and you choose when to apply them.
Use the standard yourself
The same standard is published as a 55-point Revit family checklist, linked from the content strategy post. You're welcome to use it on your own families.
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