What is a 'Hosted Family' in Revit?

A 'Hosted Family' in Revit is indeed described as a family that is attached to a host element, such as a light fixture connected to a ceiling. This means that hosted families rely on the presence of a host element to be placed in the project. For example, a light fixture is designed to be placed in a ceiling, making the ceiling the host element. This relationship affects how the component behaves during the design process, including adjustments to the host, as the hosted family will adapt to the host's geometry and any changes made to it.

In Revit, this concept is important because it governs how components interact within a model. Hosted families can inherit properties from their host, which enhances the overall coherence and functionality of a design project. Other types of families, such as non-hosted families or standalone families, can be used independently and do not require a host to exist within the Revit environment, which differs fundamentally from hosted families. Thus, the integral relationship between a hosted family and its host makes it an essential concept for users to understand when modeling in Revit.