✴️ Feature Highlight: Creating Viewports

Angela Aff

This week, we're highlighting how to use Viewports in Bluebeam Revu to take accurate measurements across multiple scales! 

But what happens when a single drawing contains areas with different scales? That's where Viewports come in. 

Viewports let you define specific zones of a drawing that use a different scale than the overall page scale. You can set up multiple viewports on the same sheet, even using different units or measurement systems, so your takeoffs stay precise no matter how complex the plan is. 

➡️Here’s how to create a Viewport: 

1. Open the desired PDF. 
2. Go to Window > Panels > Measurements (or press ALT+U). 
3. Click Add Viewport in the Viewports section. 
4. Click and drag a rectangle around the area you want to scale. 
5. Enter a label for the viewport. 
6. Set the viewport scale using one of three methods: 
7. Choose a preset scale 
8. Enter a custom scale 
9. Calibrate directly to the drawing for maximum accuracy 
10. (Optional) Enable Separate Y Scale if X and Y scales differ. 
11. Select your desired measurement precision. 
12. Save the scale as a preset if you want to reuse it later. 
13. Click Apply. 

✨Helpful tips: 

• When measurements are placed on a PDF that has viewports, they are automatically highlighted and their associated scales are shown.  
• Watch out for unnamed viewports — they can impact measurement accuracy. 
• Easily rename, rescale, or delete viewports directly from the Viewports list. 
• When the viewport has separate X and Y scales, a scale list for each will be shown. 

Using Viewports is a powerful way to ensure your measurements stay accurate — even on the most complex, multi-scale drawings. 

🗃️Resources: 

• Viewports   
• Measurement Tools 
• Measurements Panel 
• Takeoffs and Measuring 
• Setting Page Scales 
    

👇️Share with us your thoughts on using Viewports in Revu: 

• Do you or your team work with drawings that include multiple scales? 
• Are you typically using preset scales or calibrating for accuracy? 
• How could Viewports improve your takeoff and estimating workflows in the future? 

Vince French

I'm using Viewports on a regular basis.

Some 'details' drawings include sections, etc. at different scales (1:10, 1:20, 1:25, etc.) so adding a Viewport (or several) is so handy in this situation.

I also create master drawings for drainage layouts, etc. (say 6no A1 drawings stitched together) and to this I'll also add snapshots of details for things such as headwalls, manhole chambers, etc. so all of the relevant info is on one page.

With regards scales, I'll always set out by trying to use the preset scales but then check a known dimension to ensure the accuracy. If it isn't accurate, then I'll calibrate.