Revit MEP – Space Naming Utility working with IFC data

By Dennis Collin

The Revit Space Naming utility (SNU) is a very useful tool within Revit as it enables the MEP engineer to reference rooms within a linked Architects model and automatically name and number HVAC Spaces in an identical manner. The default settings enable users to rename or renumber all spaces on all levels in the model. Alternatively, you can filter the selection to single levels as desired.

This tool was previously a separate plug in to Revit, but was incorporated as a standard tool a few years ago. The command can be located within the Analyze tab, along with the HVAC space and zone creation tools.

Whilst Revit is a popular tool with architects, it is not always employed as their standard tool. They might work with alternative products like ArchiCAD or similar which do not save Revit files natively. However, they will often issue an IFC file to facilitate coordination tasks. IFC is a generic BIM format which can be accessed by Revit and be linked like a native Revit project for coordination purposes.

Whilst Revit will link in an IFC file and show its geometry and data, the SNU is not able to read the room information and pull that information through and apply that information to MEP space objects.

There is a simple solution to this - open the IFC file in Revit MEP and save it as a Revit project, naming it as ‘architects coordination model’ or similar. Once this is done, link the Revit file to the MEP model as normal and run the SNU utility. The architect’s room data will then be transferred across to the MEP project as expected.