8 Tips for Better Use of Bluebeam

No, it’s not just a pdf editor. Know what your software can do, and use it to the fullest extent. You made an investment into Bluebeam Revu Standard or CAD or eXtreme; now invest into learning about its features. You will reap real dividends in the form of increased productivity and time savings. Here are just a few tips for saving time and effort when working with your project drawings in Bluebeam Revu:

1. Embed Photos (all 3 versions)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, save the words. When you’re on the jobsite and something doesn’t look quite right, a photo can tell a compelling story. Then you can embed that photo into the drawing easily with the Capture Markup tool. You can also add a comment with the photo so your message is double-clear.

2. Create a Markup Summary Report (all 3 versions)

All the comments that you attach to your jobsite photos can be listed in an easily created summary report. With Revu, hyperlink each comment back to the appropriate page and photo to save time and paper cuts. Click on the comment in the spreadsheet-like summary report, and it instantly takes you to the correct page. You can also sort, filter, create drop-downs and perform calculations.

3. Customize (all 3 versions)

The entire Bluebeam interface and all the profiles can be customized to only display the tools you use, and you can set the toolbars to streamline your individual use. Right click on an icon to pin it to the top, side or wherever you want it. Export profiles and toolboxes, then share them with the team. You can also use the Bluebeam Tool Chest to save custom markup tools you use regularly – which can be just a hop, skip and a jump toward setting standards for others in your team.

4. Get Free Training (all 3 versions)

For quick familiarization with Revu, take advantage of the built-in Tutorials. Bluebeam also has on-demand webinars presented by Bluebeam technical professionals available at: https://support.bluebeam.com/recorded-webinars/ . Titles include Getting Started, Collaborative Review, Takeoffs & Estimates, Document Control, Studio and more. For shorter sets of focused learning, try the feature-based training videos at   https://support.bluebeam.com/training-videos/#40interface .

5. Compare Documents (all 3 versions)

Don’t strain your eyes trying to figure out what changed from one drawing version to another. Use Revu’s Overlay or Compare tools. Compare will show changed content in clouds – just like the old, old days. The Overlay command color codes the changed information.

6. Search (Standard and CAD)

If you’ve ever done a manual materials count (another one from the old, old days), you’ll really appreciate Search. As just one example, you can search for a particular symbol that represents a connection and quickly do a quantity take-off. You can also search for text. In eXtreme there are even specific search features that leverage optical character recognition (OCR).

7. Batch Hyperlink (eXtreme)

Automatically navigate through your drawing set by creating page labels under thumbnails. Then call out your page labels in hyperlinks in your section details. Revu can create 600 hyperlinks in two minutes. Now, you can zip through your drawings.

8. Keyboard Shortcuts (all 3 versions)

Instead of scrolling to a Revu tool or command and clicking on it, you can use predefined keyboard shortcuts. For the power user with specific needs, Revu 2018 allows you to create custom keyboard shortcuts for anything you will use on a regular basis.

Knowing what Bluebeam Revu can do for you will streamline your work and make your work day a whole new experience. You’ll discover it’s a WHOLE LOT MORE than a pdf editor. For three different training options, check out the Applied Software training page at https://www.asti.com/training/ .