Best Of
💡 Share Your Bluebeam Tips & Tricks!
Hello Bluebeam community!
Welcome to the Bluebeam Community, a platform designed for Bluebeamers worldwide to build connections, stay updated, and contribute insight.
This forum can help with collaborations, sharing workflows, and promoting best practices. We’d love to have you share your experiences with Bluebeam and the effective practices you’ve implemented.
To kick things off, we’re introducing our very first badge reward! Follow the instructions below to earn one of your first badges, along with points! For detailed information about our Bluebeam Community Points & Rewards Program, Badges, and Points, please visit the Community Hub forum and review the Welcome Guide FAQs.
To earn your Tipster badge:
- Create a post in the Peer Support forum.
- Add any type of media to support your tip within the post.
- This can be a simple image, video, or link showing what your tip does.
- Provide any details, such as example steps on how a new Bluebeam user might use your tip.
- After you've created your post, come back to this post and create a comment with a link to the post you created.
Once you've commented here with a link, you’ll be rewarded with your badge!
To kick things off, here’s an example:
TIP: Pin a tool/toolset to a toolbar
Pinning is a great way to make your frequently-used actions more accessible. Here’s how:
Pin a tool to a toolbar:
- Navigate to the tool
- Click Pin to the right of the tool
- Select which toolbar to add it to
Pin a toolset to a toolbar:
- Navigate to the tool set in the Tool Chest
- Click the tool set gear wheel
- Click Pin
- Select what toolbar to add it to
We can’t wait to see all the tips, workflows, and best practices the community shares!
Marco M
Re: Using Layers?
I use Layers heavily for takeoffs. I assign layers by the trade for which the takeoff would be assigned to.
For example, when I perform my Structural takeoffs, I have my layers split up between Concrete, Structural Steel, Misc Metals, Masonry, etc., and assign the takeoffs to each designated trade as my takeoffs continue. That way I can hide each layer and have a blank slate when I begin taking off my next trade.
Each layer can also be reflected as a selected column within the markups list. That way when you extract your takeoffs as a csv file, you can sort, by layer, within Excel. Saving you time when you perform your calculations and add these quantities to your estimate template. Also, you can use the 'filter list' to only show a specific layer and quickly locate your takeoff/markup within the bid documents.
Re: Edit Tool Chest Layout
When you click on 'Manage Tool Chest', select one of the existing Tool Chests and click 'Modify'.
From here, you can edit the name for each tool chest. You can also select the red "X" to delete the tool chest that are no longer used.
As far as the columns continuing to narrow, I do not have an answer for that. I agree with @Brent that the comments column should be removed or at least moved to the right of Label.
Re: Using Layers?
I use them to organize information for the project, my markups, pathways and notes. Heck I use them for change comparisons in areas.
Re: Offset button in measurement
Bluebeam doesn't have an offset feature unfortunately.
However, if you want to draw offset guidelines to measure to, there is a way which works with even the most complicated of shapes.
This uses custom line styles. Have a look at this to see how it is done https://youtu.be/e7n9FeKfzpw
Re: Quantity Link
Hi, I would suggest that if you are looking to get the maximum out of your markups then you start looking at using Power Query in Excel instead of Quantity Link.
This way you get to use all of the data from the mark-up list instead of just a summary of each tool. Ultimately meaning that you can minimise your markups whilst maximising the output data.
Re: Using Layers?
I use layers in my training to show designers how they can see the differences in revisions. I prefer to use Layers to do this instead of the Compare tool which often times highlights differences that are not there.
For example, a drawing had ceiling tile change in size from revision 1 to revision 2. I add the two drawings, pick red for revision 1 (stop) and green for revision 2 (go). Where the drawings match it is black and the changes are way more obvious. I hope that helps :)
Re: Using Layers?
I'm using layers on 'busy' drawings to be able to turn markups on and off.
For example, on a brickwork & scaffolding take-off there will be a lot of features measured which overlap others - a dpc tray at the FFL could be exactly where the blocking lift to the scaffold is measured so one markup can obscure the other.
Using layers enables you to put all of the markups on the same drawing but still see the details when you need to.
Identify which PDFs have BB markups in a folder?
Is there a way to identify which PDF files have a BB markup in a folder?
I have approx 200 drawings in one folder to assess, some need to be 'Backcad' & upreved, most dont.
Cheers