Bluebeam Revu iPad

by Greg Corke

PDF markup does not have to cost a bomb. Bluebeam’s new cut down version of Revu is a great way to redline CAD docs wherever you go.

In just a few years, the iPad has become Libraries of custom markups can be one of the most influential technologies shared with other users, by exporting and in the AEC market. iTunes has become importing a ‘BTX’ file. This makes it easy to a hotbed for apps that enable viewing, push out corporate standards to multiple editing and collaborating with CAD data. users. There is full compatibility here

Autodesk and Bentley are leading the between the Windows and iPad versions. pack, but there are also several smaller firms Marking up with a finger is quite a natugetting in on the action. There is not an ‘app ral process, though at times, our first genfor everything’ AEC quite yet, eration iPad was quite slugbut the iPad looks certain to gish. We recommend using a play an increasingly important Bluebeam second or third-gen iPad for role in the AEC sector in the Revu iPad best results. coming years. The portability In addition to standard of the device is perfect for on- Price £6.99 markups, it is possible to drop site work and most of the apps ■ bluebeam.com images into the PDF. These can are free or very low cost. be selected from the iPad’s

Drawing markup is the lat- photo library or taken directly est AEC process to get the iPad treatment. with the built-in camera. This is great way Bluebeam has developed a cut down version of communicating site issues, such as a of its AEC-focussed Windows PDF markup clash. It does not even have to be a physical and collaboration tool, Bluebeam Revu. object — a quick hand drawn sketch is The Revu iPad interface a proposed amendment. At first glance the interface of Revu iPad is a sometimes the easiest way to communicate little bewildering — a collection of icons, Working with PDF files with the markup tools hidden away on the In developing Revu iPad, Bluebeam has righthand side of the display. Once you acknowledged that users do not always have become familiar though it is actually quite access to 3G or WiFi, so files can be retrieved intuitive. The icons are a little on the small online or offline. side, but this helps maximise the viewable There are a number of ways to get PDFs area for drawings on the iPad’s modest 9.7- into the app — via email, dropbox, box, inch screen. An iPad stylus can help those WebDAV or iTunes. From the iPad’s email whose fingers are less than elegant. client, simply tap and hold, then ‘open

There is a whole suite of redlining tools, with’ Revu iPad. Dropbox or box accounts from clouds and callouts, to text notes and can be registered with the app so files that lines. All of these tools are fully customisable are stored in the cloud can be accessed by colour, fill, opacity, line type and font. directly through the Revu iPad interface. Meta-data can also be added for more Like most iPad apps, Revu iPad can only detailed comments. Editing a markup is open one file at a time, but handy tabs at the easy. Simply ‘tap and hold’ to bring up its top of the drawing window make it easy to context menu, then change any of the attri- switch between recently opened documents. butes. Redlines can also be copy/pasted and Files can also be assigned to custom catecustom styles saved in a tool chest. gories, such as by project, so it is easy to bring order to the long list of locally cached files displayed in the ‘file access’ tab.

Revu iPad can also integrate with Bluebeam Studio so multiple users can collaborate in real time on the same PDF via the cloud. Each client caches the file locally and as redlines are added, they automatically update on all devices in real time. There is a chat facility to aid communication between all parties and the system stores a log of each collaborative session.

Collaborative sessions can be invoked from both the Windows and iPad apps. Simply upload the file to Bluebeam Studio and invite participants by email. Tracking markups Every time a markup is made, it records the author, date, time, status and any comments. All of this information can be accessed in the ‘markup list’, which pulls up from the bottom of the screen. Markups can be ordered and filtered by category. Tap a markup in the list and it jumps to its location in the drawing. Tap a markup in the document and it highlights it in the list. Conclusion Bluebeam Revu iPad is a great little tool for redlining PDFs. Running on the iPad it is highly portable, so great for site work, and at £6.99 it is an absolute steal.

The app does have its limitations — there are no measurement tools, digital signatures or support for 3D PDFs. There is also no way to insert, delete or reorder multi-page PDFs.

But the beauty of Revu iPad goes beyond its core viewing and redlining capabilities. It is just one part of a whole ecosystem of PDF creation, markup and editing tools. When used in conjunction with Bluebeam Studio it becomes a powerful real time collaboration tool.

Knowledge, power

BIMReview Information evolution StruM.I.S BIMProject sets new standards in project controls, supply management Stru evolutionand construction planning. evolution

BIMProject StruM.I.S Supplier BIMProject controls projects to deliver on time, in budget and at reduced risk to stakeholders. It complements the traditional processes with high value Stru Supply content management StruM.I.S Estimating evolution evolutioncontent in a real-time collaborative environment, using model based and data processing that integrates design to purchasing, suppliers and construction teams. evolution BIMProject evolution www.acecadsoftware.com ( 01332 545 800 BIMRAceCad software evolution Business benefits

eCad

Tracked data and BIM model information exchange.

Controlled RFQ/ITT issue, and receipt across multiple contractors.

Early understanding of the cost and impact of change.

Real time supply chain status information across multiple suppliers.

Collaborative and transparent project lifecycle management, in a simple user friendly environment.

Data rich deliverable for ongoing asset lifecycle management.

Very low outlay with rapid ROI.

HP’s free cloud service enables users to share files on multiple devices and print to any web-ready Designjet printer.

by Greg Corke

Review ePrint & Share

HP ePrint & Share can be accessed through a web browser, or a Windows, iPhone/iPad or Android app

PDFs have become ubiquitous in the AEC sector. They are compact, easy to share and can be viewed by anyone — on multiple devices. What is more, they make re-printing drawings easy. There is no need to worry about layers, line weights, fonts and missing reference files — the PDF has all the print settings embedded inside.

Despite the increase of digital workflows, architectural and engineering drawings continue to be printed in huge numbers. Large format inkjet printing has pretty much been nailed as a process — sharp lines, rich colours and fast output — but there is still much that can be done to streamline print workflows.

HP’s ePrint & Share takes a fresh look at the way large format drawings are shared and printed. The cloud-based system supports a number of file formats including PLT, HP-GL/2, JPG and TIFF, but the major focus is on PDF.

Registration is free and users are given 5GB of cloud storage. Documents can be accessed from a range of devices and printed out on any web-connected HP Designjet printer. ePrint & Share is not a full-blown web-based document management tool, but that is part of its attraction. It is simple to use, easy to print from and, most importantly, does not cost a bean.

Access can be through a web browser, or a Windows, iPhone/iPad or Android app. The system can print directly to one of three HP Designjets: the T790 and T1300 ePrinters and the T2300 MFP, which also includes a scanner.

With the printers being connected to the Internet users do not need to be on the same network, or worry about having the right drivers. The printer could be next door, on a construction site office or in another country — it does not matter.

Adding a printer is easy. Simply get the Designjet’s unique code from its touchscreen and register it with an ePrint & Share account. Printing from Windows The Windows app serves a number of purposes. It installs a desktop application, through which documents can be printed or shared. It also enables documents to be printed directly from Windows Explorer — simply right click on a file, then select a printer from the ePrint & Share menu.

The software will also detect any AutoCAD installations (2007-2012) and automatically install a plug-in, which is accessible from AutoCAD’s pull down file menu. This enables PDFs to be created at the same time a drawing is printed, a process that usually has to be done in serial. Furthermore, PDFs can be automatically sent to the cloud, ready for sharing or printing. Direct printing from AutoCAD WS, the cloud-based CAD editor, is also supported. Sharing files ePrint & Share is not only about printing. In fact the system could be used just to share files with project members. Simply highlight one or more files to create a ‘share event’, add a description and then type in the email addresses of the recipient(s). The system then sends an email that includes two links: one to download the file, the other to create an ePrint & Share account if the recipient does not already have one.

Download links are unique to each account so it is not possible for recipients to share files that have not been authorised by the owner. The system keeps track of who has viewed or printed each file and only the owner of a particular ‘share event’ can delete it from the system. Only files that are ‘owned’ by the account holder eat into the 5GB of storage space.

Files can also be shared through a web browser or via the mobile apps. On the iPhone/iPad simply open a ‘share event’, type in an email address or add users from the phone’s address book. When viewing drawings on the iPhone/iPad, all the usual multi-touch gestures are supported, such as pinch-to-zoom and drag to pan. While we have not tested the Android version, we would expect similar functionality.

The iPhone/iPad app can also be used to print documents remotely. This could be from home, on the way to a meeting, or in the middle of a muddy site, where large format drawings can be printed out ready and waiting at the site office. The app can also be used to print PDFs that have been sent via email — simply open the doc, click ‘open in’ ePrint & Share and select the web-enabled printer. Direct from the printer Shared documents can also be accessed from the Designjet printer using the touchscreen. Users can pan and zoom around a drawing prior to committing to print.

With a built in scanner, the Designjet T2300 MFP also supports redlining workflows. Simply print out the drawing, mark it up, scan it in, and load it up to the cloud. Back at the design office, the CAD operator can be instantly notified by email, then make the necessary changes and issue a brand new PDF. Conclusion ePrint & Share is a great tool for sharing documents with a distributed team. It is simple to use, accessible on many platforms and best of all it is free. There are many other great cloud services for sharing data — DropBox is a favourite at AEC Magazine and easier to use — but ePrint & Share can give email notifications when new docs are available and the owner can see who has viewed files. But the real strength of ePrint & Share is that it is closely tied into printing.

Working with HP’s web connected printers, users can print from literally anywhere, as long as they have an Internet connection. This removes the headache of having to join local networks and download print drivers and also offers ultimate flexibility on mobile devices when out in the field. All-in-all, a neat little tool.