To get a Detail from Pirros into your Revit Project, stage it on the website and download it through the Plugin. This article covers the full workflow, including Project linking, duplicate Family handling, and PDF export.
With Pirros in Revit you can also find Details and insert them straight from the docked panel, without going to the website. See Insert Details from the Pirros in Revit panel below.
Prerequisites: The Pirros Revit Plugin must be installed and you must be logged in. For PDF downloads, no Plugin is needed.
Which plugin do you have? Look at the Pirros tab in the Revit ribbon. A single Pirros button that opens a docked panel with Browse, Updates, Sync and Settings tabs means you have Pirros in Revit. Separate Sync, Download, Settings, Pirros and Live Link buttons mean you have the classic plugin. Don't go by the version number alone: on Revit 2020–2023 the classic plugin can show a 4.x version number.
Step 1: Link Your Revit Project to Pirros
Before downloading your first Detail, link your active Revit Project to Pirros. This tells Pirros which Project the downloaded Details belong to.
Pirros in Revit: click the Pirros button on the Pirros tab to open the panel, then open the Settings tab. Under Project, choose your Project and click Link, or click New Project (if your role allows it) to create one. The linked Project's name shows at the top of the panel. If you insert or download before linking, the panel opens Link a project to download; pick a Project there and your download carries on. For details, see Link Your Revit Project to Pirros.
1. In Revit, click Pirros → Settings
2. Enter the Project Name and Project Number, then click Link
Step 2: Stage and Download Details
1. On the Pirros website, navigate to the Details page
The Details page showing the search bar and Detail cards. Search or browse to find the Details you need.
2. Hover over each Detail and click the checkbox to select it
Detail cards with checkboxes visible in the top right corner. Click the checkbox on each Detail you want to download.
3. Click Insert in the orange bar at the top. The button reads Insert when Pirros sees your Revit connected (Live Link on) with a model open; otherwise it reads Stage for Download.
The orange bar at the top of the page containing Insert. Insert sends the selected Details straight to your open Revit: Pirros in Revit imports them automatically, and the classic plugin opens its Download Items window for you (go to step 6). Stage for Download queues them until you download them in Revit (steps 4–6).
4. In Revit, click the Pirros tab in the top ribbon
The Revit ribbon with the Pirros tab. Click it to access download controls.
5. Classic plugin: click Download → Download
The Pirros plugin panel showing the Download button. Click it to start importing your staged details.
Pirros in Revit: click the Pirros button to open the panel. On the Browse tab, open Stashes and click + Download under Staged for download. The panel imports everything you staged; if any Details are already in your project, it asks what to do first (see Insert Details from the Pirros in Revit panel below).
6. Classic plugin: the Download Items window lists the staged Details, all ticked. Untick any you don't want and click Confirm. If a Detail is already in your project, its Status shows Already in project (or Name match found); choose a Resolution: Skip (the default), Replace existing or Keep both.
The download confirmation dialog listing the details queued for import. Verify the list and click OK to proceed.
The details are automatically upgraded to your current Revit version and appear in your Project Browser. If your Project Browser organization groups views by folder parameters, Pirros sets them to --PIRROS IMPORTS-- so new Details are grouped together:
The Revit Project Browser showing downloaded details listed under the PIRROS IMPORTS section. From here, you can place them on sheets and edit them as needed.
To turn this sorting off, uncheck Use Pirros Imports for View Sorting before you download. In the classic plugin it's at the bottom of the Download Items window; if you don't see it, your classic plugin version always sorts this way. In Pirros in Revit it's on the Browse tab (on the Details and Stashes tabs).
Insert Details from the Pirros in Revit panel
With Pirros in Revit, you can find Details and bring them into your model without leaving Revit:
Click the Pirros button on the Pirros tab to open the panel, then open the Browse tab and choose Details.
Search, filter or sort to find the Detail. Click a result to preview it.
Click + Insert on the result (list view) or in its preview, or drag the result into your model. To insert several at once, check them in list view and click the + Insert button in the selection bar. If a sheet is the active view when you drag a single Detail in, the Detail is also placed on that sheet where you drop it.
If something is already in your project, the panel shows Some items already exist in this project. For each Detail choose Skip (the default), Replace existing or Keep both, then click Apply.
A progress message at the bottom of the panel shows each item as it comes in. Click Cancel to stop after the current item. A green message confirms when the insert is finished.
Details the panel can't insert are greyed out; hover over one to see why. If an insert fails, see Insert not working: details, stashes, families. For the full panel workflow, including Families and stashes, see Get Details and Families into Your Revit Project.
Download Details as PDF
To export a detail as a PDF for markups or sharing (no Revit needed):
Find the detail on the Details page and click on it
Click Download PDF
A Detail card with the Download PDF button visible. Click it to generate and open the PDF in your browser.
You can also download from the full Detail view:
The full Detail page with the Download PDF button in the action bar. Click it to export this Detail as a PDF document.
The PDF includes detail metadata in the footer:
A downloaded PDF showing the Detail image with metadata in the footer — Detail name, Project, sheet number, and other fields configured by your Admin.
Customize the PDF footer in Settings → Display → PDF Footer Layout:
The PDF Footer Layout Settings page where Admins choose which metadata fields appear in the PDF footer.
What Happens Next
Downloaded Details appear in your Revit Project Browser, under --PIRROS IMPORTS-- when Pirros sorts them there (see Step 2). You can place them on Sheets, edit them, and use them in your Project. The Pirros ID parameter is embedded in each view — this is how Pirros tracks the connection between your local copy and the cloud version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does "Insert" mean?
A: On the Pirros website, the button reads Insert when Pirros sees your Revit connected (Live Link on) with a model open. Insert sends the Details straight to that Revit: Pirros in Revit imports them automatically, and the classic plugin opens its Download Items window. When Revit isn't connected, the button reads Stage for Download instead. That queues the Details on the Pirros server until you download them in Revit: with Download → Download in the classic plugin, or + Download under Staged for download in Pirros in Revit. In the Pirros in Revit panel, + Insert brings an item straight into your model.
Q: What happened to "Use Local Families" and "Import Duplicate Families"?
A: Those choices are no longer offered. Instead, Prevent duplicate families (on by default) makes a downloaded Detail reuse a Family with the same name that your Project already has, instead of loading another copy. Because the Detail then uses your Project's Families, it may look slightly different. In the classic plugin it's a checkbox at the bottom of the Download Items window; if you don't see it, your classic plugin version always reuses your Project's Families. In Pirros in Revit it's a switch on the Settings tab. Families you download on their own are handled type by type instead. See Avoid and Fix Duplicate Families.
Q: Will downloaded Details match my current Revit version?
A: Yes. Pirros automatically upgrades Details to match the Revit version you have open. No manual conversion is needed. Details that are only available in a newer Revit version than the one you have open can't be brought in: Pirros in Revit greys them out with the message "Needs Revit … or newer", and the classic plugin leaves them out of the Download Items list.
Q: Can I download Details without the Revit plugin?
A: You can download PDFs from the website without the Plugin. For Revit .rvt files, the Plugin is required. You can also export stash contents as a ZIP of .rvt files from the Stashes page.
Q: I staged Details but nothing appears when I click Download in Revit.
A: Verify you're logged into the same Pirros account in both the website and the Plugin. Check your internet connection. If nothing is staged for your account, the classic plugin shows Nothing to download, and Pirros in Revit shows Nothing is staged for download. Stage a stash or item on Pirros first, then try again. If the issue persists, sign in to the plugin again. In the classic plugin, click Settings → Login; this replaces your saved sign-in (the classic plugin has no log-out command). In Pirros in Revit, click Sign out on the Settings tab (this signs out every Revit you have open), then sign in again in the panel.