Pirros Families is the add-on that brings your firm's loadable RFA library into Pirros — searchable, versioned, and downloadable directly into Revit alongside your details.
Add-on: Families is enabled per firm. If you don't see the Families tab in your Pirros navigation, an admin can turn it on under Settings → Add-ons.
What Pirros Families Does
Pirros Families works the same way Pirros Details does, but for loadable Revit families (.rfa files) instead of detail views:
Centralizes your RFA library — every approved family lives in one place, with thumbnails, tags, and search.
Versions every family — when a family is updated, the previous version is preserved so older projects keep working.
Downloads directly into Revit — pick the types you need and pull them into your active model through the Pirros plugin.
Associates families with details — see which details depend on which families, and vice versa.
Typical vs Project Families
Like details, families come in two flavors:
Typical Families — vetted standards your admin has promoted to the firm-wide library. These are the families your team should reach for first.
Project Families — families that came in attached to a project model you uploaded. Useful for reference, but not necessarily firm standards.
How It Fits Into Your Workflow
A typical Families workflow:
Search the Families page by category (Doors, Casework, Windows, etc.), tags, or family name.
Open the family to see its types, version history, and associated details.
Select the types you need and click Stage for Download.
In Revit, click Download in the Pirros plugin — the families load directly into your project.
Who Manages the Library
Admins upload, tag, promote, and retire families. Members search, download, and flag — but can't modify the library directly. To request a new family or report a problem, members can flag an existing family with a note or open a request.
Where to Go Next
For end users: Start with Understanding the Families Page for a walkthrough of browsing and searching.
For admins: Start with Uploading RFA Files to the Families Module to build up your library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need Pirros Details to use Pirros Families?
A: They're sister add-ons but can be enabled independently. Most firms use both because details and families reference each other on projects.
Q: What file formats are supported?
A: Loadable Revit families (.rfa). Families can be uploaded individually or extracted automatically from .rvt project models you've already uploaded.
Q: Can I download just one type from a family with many types?
A: Yes. On the family's full page, select only the types you want before staging for download.
Q: How do I know if my firm has Families enabled?
A: If you see a Families tab in the top navigation of Pirros, it's enabled. If not, ask your admin to turn it on under Settings → Add-ons.