Multiple Instances (Self-share)

Josh.Dickie

What's up ya'll?

I am trying to find an efficient method to run multiple Bluebeam instances on one project file so that one instance (on one screen) is my active takeoff/markups and the other instance (second screen) live updates those markups. Does such a thing exist?

I am an electrical estimator and work on a variety of projects from commercial to healthcare to industrial projects so I am always tagging up various disciplines' drawings (architectural, structural, civil, instrumentation). I rely heavily on a custom column "additional comments" where I will utilize naming systems to quickly search those areas in my markups list and bounce around to capture takeoff.

Currently I save my active takeoff files per date, 2025126_File Name, 20250127_File Name, 20250128_File Name, etc, and I will open the previous days file on my second instance. This helps reflect what markups have been done, but leaves me bouncing around my active takeoff file to markup changes. Depending on the sheet (one-line diagrams), I may just markup yesterdays file and replace that page into my active document.

Our team does not use Bluebeam studio but I just created a project to make an attempt at running two instances to reflect live updates to the file. I have only attended a basic Bluebeam Live Training on Studio, so maybe I am missing something. But I don't believe I am seeing live updates because I've essentially just opened a read-only copy of the studio session because I am logged in with the same credentials on both instances.

Anyways, I figured this may be the best place to get some feedback. If you made it this far, I appreciate you and look forward to some hopeful solutions.

Luke Shiras

If I understand this correctly, you are looking at one file opened on two different instances of Bluebeam, correct?

You want to measure things in one copy and mark them up in another copy? Or do you want the markups from one copy to automatically apply to both copies?

This is the Sessions instructions I created for my office which may help get you started. You can also use Split Screen to look at different pages from the same file and stretch you Bluebeam window across both monitors.

https://support.bluebeam.com/en-us/revu/how-to/split-sync-and-unsplit-views.html

https://community.bluebeam.com/bluebeam-community/discussion/4465/how-to-studio-sessions

Josh.Dickie

Hey, Luke. I appreciate the response and you sharing this information with me!

You are correct. My goal is to have one file opened on two instances of Bluebeam whether this is with Studio or just the pdf viewer. I want to markup one instance and see those changes reflected on the other instance. It would be great to have this flow both ways if that's possible. Typically I will have one site plan open to capture conduit runs and then markup the riser/one-line diagram on another copy of the file. At the end of the day, I will copy the entire sheet or just the markups, and transfer over to my active takeoff set.

One issue with this is that if I modify my toolboxes at all, I have to save my toolboxes and profile changes on the first instance I opened and make sure I close that window last, or my changes will be lost. This is probably a different conversation.

Luke Shiras

I think working with one file throughout the project on a single instance with the Split Window option is your best approach. You can use the "Markup Status" to assign them to the various disciplines/subs/etc or look into using "Layers" which are quite popular. Sorry, Layers is not my area.

Josh.Dickie

Understood. I was using that method for awhile. I just don't enjoy using a split screen for takeoff, or dragging the split drawing onto my other screen so that I can enlarge it to a full screen. The reason being is that I often forget to click the drawing first before cycling pages or applying takeoff, ha-ha.

We've implemented custom toolboxes for our team with predetermined layers to correspond with various disciplines such as distribution, lighting, branch, power, access control, fire alarm, telecom, etc.

Bluebeam is one powerful monster!

I appreciate your feedback.

Luke Shiras

I often forget to click the drawing first before cycling pages or applying takeoff

Don't we all.

angelflores

i wish the page navigation would move with the "new tab" so we don't have to "remember" to click on page for "cycling". This was standard on Adobe, new tab and all the markups/page turn/etc came with it.