it has been practice, in various places, to define height in the part, not the footprint. The part height will override the footprint height in Xpedition anyways. This method associates height values appropriately while allowing for library (footprint) optimization. Also, the 3D model is defined with height, and is assigned to the part number, so the same footprint can be used on multiple part numbers that have different heights, but use the same footprint.

  Sometimes, in the case of unique footprints (like on some connectors), height might be specified on a footprint name.

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FPE associates a footprint to a part number (or a part number to a footprint), so i can see why a height is included (since part numbers have spec'd heights). Also, the very useful PDF output describes component dimensions (including height), not just footprint dimensions - this is indeed useful.

... however, i am trying to use FPE to create footprints and maintain a library that similar footprints can be reused. 

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i am searching for a way to keep height out of the footprint name/spec, but keep it in the component spec (including 3D and PDF output. Any suggestions?

The Height is strictly used for the 3D STEP model. 

Note: the Footprint and 3D STEP model name are identical for practical reasons. 

 

On our team, we very much care about footprint height. We assign a STEP model to every part, and we expect the height to be accurate (at MMC) for 3D collision detection.

In OrCAD, STEP models are assigned to footprints, so parts with different dimensions need unique footprints.

If there is no STEP assigned to a footprint, OrCAD uses the courtyard and height to render a 3D bounding box.

Our mechanical engineers use component STEP models for 3D collusion detection as well.

In Pulsonix STEP models are also assigned in the footprint. And the part outline in the footprint has a "height" attribute for DRC during layout, where we sometimes define rules like "don't allow parts bigger than x in this keep-out area". So, although a footprint is 2D in theory, it cannot be agnostic of the part height.

However, we don't overdo this with passive components. Capacitors have many different heights for the same package size, for example. So what we do here is defining a single footprint and a single STEP model per package size having the "worst-case" height.