Keep your Pirros library up to date by syncing changes from Revit. This article explains what syncing does, how it works, and how to avoid common issues like duplicates or lost change history.
What Syncing Does
When you edit a detail or family in Revit and then sync, Pirros compares what changed and updates the stored version. Syncing covers:
Detail content — any graphical change to a view (line work, annotations, dimensions)
Parameters — sheet number, sheet name, detail number, and custom parameters tracked by Pirros
Sheets — the sheet a detail lives on, including its name and number
Syncing does not happen automatically. You choose when to sync using the Pirros Revit plugin.
How to Sync
Open the Revit model that contains your changes.
Open the Pirros plugin panel in Revit.
Navigate to the Recently Changed Views section. This section lists every view where Pirros has detected a difference between Revit and the stored version.
Select the details you want to sync.
Enter a change message describing what changed (e.g., "Updated flashing detail per 2026 spec").
Click Sync.
Tip: Sync both the detail view and its parent sheet at the same time, using the same change message. This keeps your change history clean and avoids version mismatches.
What "Recently Changed Views" Actually Shows
The Recently Changed Views section in the plugin shows all out-of-sync items — not only views you changed recently. A view appears here any time Pirros detects a difference between the Revit file and the stored version.
This means global model changes can cause many items to appear at once. For example:
Updating a family used across multiple details marks every detail that references that family as out of sync.
Changing a sheet number marks all details on that sheet as out of sync, because the sheet number parameter on each detail has changed.
Reassigning a model to a different project in the project settings causes Pirros to treat all details as new uploads under the new project.
If you see a large number of items in Recently Changed Views after a model-wide change, this is expected behavior — not an error.
Common Pitfalls
Duplicate details
Syncing can create duplicates if:
The model's project assignment changes. Pirros uploads new copies of every detail under the new project.
Multiple people sync the same detail from different local copies of the model without coordinating.
If you see duplicates, check whether the project assignment changed or whether another team member already synced.
Sheet renames not showing on cards
When you rename a sheet in Revit and sync, the updated name appears when you open the detail in Pirros — but the card view on the browse page may still show the old name until the detail is re-indexed. Open the detail to confirm the rename applied correctly.
Lost change history
If a detail is duplicated (see above), the new copy starts with a fresh change history. The original detail retains its history but is no longer the "active" version. To avoid this, do not change project assignments on models that have already been synced.
Sync Strategies
There is no single correct sync schedule. Choose the approach that fits your team's workflow:
Always-on syncing — Sync every time you make a change. Best for small teams working on a few active projects. Downside: frequent sync notifications via email.
Scheduled syncing — Sync on a set cadence (weekly, monthly, or quarterly) as part of a QA review. Best for firms that treat Pirros as a curated library rather than a live mirror.
Selective syncing — Only sync details that are relevant to current projects. Best for large firms with many models where syncing everything would be noisy.
Document your chosen strategy internally so all team members follow the same approach.
Best Practices
Sync detail and sheet together with the same change message to keep history aligned.
Check Recently Changed Views after major model updates (family swaps, sheet renumbering, project reassignments) to catch unexpected out-of-sync items.
Use descriptive change messages. "Updated" tells you nothing in six months. "Revised waterproofing layer per structural RFI-042" tells the whole story.
Coordinate syncing on shared models. If multiple people work on the same Revit model, agree on who syncs and when to avoid duplicates.
Do not change project assignments on synced models unless you intend to re-upload all details under the new project.
FAQ
Q: Does syncing happen automatically?
A: No. You must manually sync from the Pirros Revit plugin. Pirros detects changes but waits for you to initiate the sync.
Q: Why do I see hundreds of items in Recently Changed Views after updating one family?
A: A family change affects every detail that uses that family. Pirros flags all of them as out of sync. This is expected. Review the list, select the ones you want to update, and sync them.
Q: Will syncing overwrite someone else's changes in Pirros?
A: Syncing pushes your Revit version to Pirros. If someone else synced a different version of the same detail, your sync replaces theirs. Coordinate with your team to avoid overwriting each other's work.
Q: What happens if I sync a detail but not its sheet?
A: The detail updates in Pirros, but the sheet metadata (name, number) may be out of date. Always sync both together for consistency.
Q: Can I undo a sync?
A: There is no undo button. However, Pirros keeps version history. Contact your admin or Pirros support to restore a previous version if needed.