BB Revu session - Markup External Link to Excel Sheet

Andy Cho

In the Bluebeam session:

Is there a way to place markups on drawings, such as smart text boxes, that retains an external link to an Excel sheet so that the text of the box dynamically changes based on changes made in the Excel sheet.

Also, I want to know if there is any other option if that is not the option.

Thank you,

Dhanush Kodi Raj

That's a great question, and I can definitely see why it would be useful especially for schedules, quantities, or revision notes that are managed in Excel.

From what I know, Bluebeam Revu does not currently have a way to create a live link between a markup text box and an Excel file. This means that if you update the information in Excel, the text in the PDF will not update automatically.

A common workaround is to use the Markups List with custom columns. You can export the data to Excel, make your changes, and then import it back into Bluebeam when needed. It is not a live connection, but it helps keep the information organized and up to date.

If you need automatic or real-time updates, you would likely need a custom automation solution using tools such as Power Automate, VBA, or a Bluebeam API integration. In this setup, Excel acts as the main source of information, and the PDF can be updated whenever the Excel data changes.

I think this would be an excellent feature for Bluebeam to add in the future. Having smart markups that stay linked to Excel could save a lot of time for quantity surveyors, estimators, and project teams.

I'd also be interested to know if anyone in the community has found a good workaround or created their own custom solution for this.