In Bluebeam Revu 20 they have added the hexagon shape for both text boxes and callouts. This is a new feature but has a quirky result when you want to make a Bluebeam Hexagon adding leader lines.

Bluebeam Tip: When Adding Leader Lines to a Hexagon Text Box or Callout

Firstly, you can only have leader lines on 4 sides, not six. Secondly, the leader lines may appear as beginning inside the hexagon, rather than attached to the edges and outside of the hexagon. Leaving the leader lines appear as starting inside looks odd and should be corrected. To neaten this up, you’ll need to drag the handle of the leader line bend to outside the hexagon. Do not confuse this with the handle of the text box as that won’t help you. You’ll end up need to correct multiple leader lines that you already had fixed.

The video below explains clearly which handle you need to grab to make the Hexagon shaped tool with one or more leader lines connect properly in Bluebeam Revu 20. You may also add multiple leader lines to a single side. Note: The hexagon shape was not available in previous release levels of Bluebeam Revu.

Why Use a Hexagon on a Drawing?

I’ve seen the hexagon shape used occasionally on plan sets to address the sheet and detail number being referenced. The hexagon is more often used as a revision symbol or flag note on a dimension or feature. In older drawing in particular the hexagon designates an Engineering Change Notice or Engineering Change Order per ANSI Standards. If you’ve seen the hexagon shape used and can share sample images, please send those images to me and I’ll add them (with your kudos attached) to this post. Let’s help others in the AEC industry!

Have questions or still need help? Visit our Bluebeam Tips & Tricks on LinkedIn or reach out to carol@hagenbusiness.com. We’re here to help with all things Bluebeam. Ask us about the Bluebeam Bot (a chatbot) to help you learn Bluebeam Revu faster, onboard new employees and use voice commands to accomplish more hands-free.

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Conquer the digital skills gap and get your work done faster in Bluebeam Revu with Live, Instructor-Led Bluebeam Revu web training. The Hagen Business Systems Inc. October Bluebeam training schedule is jam-packed with opportunities to learn Revu 2018. 

Effective Training Techniques

Using the Learning Pyramid we guarantee success and lesson retention.  All classes are live instruction, so students receive immediate feedback.  Your homework assignment is always to teach others and consequently reinforce your learning. It’s these traits that makes our web training effective and as a result students know the materials.  Our Bluebeam Revu web training is designed for adult learning, and most importantly you.

Training comes with Annual Maintenance

Above all, if you are a current customer of Hagen Business Systems Inc., with an active annual maintenance subscription purchased through our firm, all these Bluebeam Revu web training classes are free (Email cheryl@hagenbusiness.com to RSVP and she’ll send qualifying customers the link to join the webinar). RSVPs are due 3 days prior to each class. No exceptions!

Bluebeam Revu Web Training Schedule (by Topic):

Likewise, we offer Bluebeam Revu training onsite in your facilities. Whether you have 5 or 500 employees to train, we do that too, nationwide. It’s more effective and certainly can be tailored to your team’s specific needs. Call for pricing. We discount for multi-day and recurring visits. Plan ahead. As a result of our success 3-4 week lead time is not unusual.

Looking for other Bluebeam topics? Let us know so we can add them to next month’s schedule or arrange for a one-on-one session with you.

Read a few testimonials and our recent article about Training Smarter as seen in Construction Today magazine and hear how a Bluebeam Revu onsite training class can positively impact your team.

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Bluebeam Training with Certified Instructor, Cheryl Kay

With Bluebeam training  your team will accomplish more in less time.   Learn the Basics, Estimating, Tips & Tricks to Boost Productivity and more with Live, Instructor-Led Bluebeam web training. If you hate watching (and rewatching) videos, this web training is for you.

Bluebeam Training Effectiveness

Because Hagen Business knows effectiveness is best measured by lesson retention, our students learn best by doing with examples and exercises. We also encourage students to share their knowledge with co-workers immediately. Why? So lesson retention increases to 90%.

Immediate Feedback Loop

Because adult learners prefer immediate feedback, each session may extend up to 30 minutes for questions. Most importantly, please attend our Free Fridays “Ask Us Anything Bluebeam” for additional follow-up. We’re here to help.

Cheryl Kay, a Bluebeam Certified Instructor, will lead these classes. Each 1-hour web class is “Extremely” affordable at just $35 per person.

If you are a current customer of Hagen Business Systems Inc., with an active annual maintenance subscription, all these classes are free (please reserve your spot via email).  RSVPs are due 3 days prior to each class. No exceptions!

Bluebeam Revu Web Training Schedule: (click the Class name for details and to RSVP)

Note: All classes are taught using Bluebeam Revu 2018.6 or higher.  We hope you can join us!

Call (602) 570-7289 to schedule Bluebeam Revu 2017 or on-site training for your team on advanced topics. We train and travel nationwide!

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Hyperlinks for RFIs

To link to a reference document like an RFI, instead of using the hyperlink, use Edit Action. To do this, right click on the markup you made while the yellow handles are showing (typically a box with the RFI number in it) then choose Edit Action. Edit Action makes the hyperlink moves with the markup. A Standard hyperlink assigns the position on the sheet in Bluebeam Revu which creates orphaned links.

Visible Hyperlinks

To make a hyperlink stay visible all the time, check the Visible option on its Properties tab. Define a Color and a Line Width and Style to set a box around it. (I personally like the light blue with dashed lines around it to set off the hyperlink from highlights of the same color. You may want to then click Set as Default). This is an option in Batch Link as well so you can create them uniformly.

Hyperlink to Drawing Details

To create hyperlinks to a specific detail on a drawing sheet, first open the Links Tab, and Add a Place using the Snapshot View for each detail on the sheet. Be careful to name the Place uniformly (i.e. 9. Stair Detail, 8. Elevator Detail, etc.). Then use Text Search to locate each detail reference throughout the document (detail 8 on sheeet A302) where you can check all then select hyperlink checked so it links all occurrences at once. This also makes it easy to replace a detail when changes are made. Note: Batch Link will only link to the correct sheet, not the specific detail on a page.

Hyperlinks in Studio Projects

When linking between PDFs in a Studio Project, open both files and be sure to check out the file the hyperlink is being created in. You don’t have to check out the file being linked to, but you do need to at least open it.

Hyperlink Tips in Bluebeam Revu – Best Practices

When linking between PDFs, use Jump To instead of Open. When selecting the PDF from the Jump To dropdown menu, only PDFs that are currently open in Revu will be available.
When sharing PDFs outside your organization, remember to Flatten your documents so the Hyperlinks work in other PDF programs. It’s hard to believe there are still people in in the AEC industry who don’t use Bluebeam Revu.
What other Hyperlink Tips in Bluebeam Revu would you add? Give us your feedback in the comments so everyone benefits!
Know someone that isn’t using Bluebeam Revu? Please share this 30 day free Bluebeam Extreme trial download link with them.
More articles you may find useful:

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Recommnendations When Creating Signature Fields

Making Room for your Bluebeam Signature if it isn’t already there

If you need to Sign a document and there’s no field already there for your signature, just add it using Tools /Signature/Sign Document.

Here’s How to place Digital Signatures in Bluebeam Revu 2018:

The last tip is how to delete a digital signature field. They’re stubborn because every time you click on them, they ask you to sign! Here’s the trick: Press ESC to make sure you’re not in any other commands. Next choose Tools/Form/Digital Signature. The digital signatures will “light up”. Now right click and choose “x Delete Signature’

For more about Digital Signatures, please refer to our previous 3 blog posts.

Bluebeam Signatures: Getting Started #1
Bluebeam Digital Signatures Creation (Part 2)
Verifying Digital Signatures in Bluebeam Revu (Part 3)

Need Bluebeam support, training, upgrades after 5pm PST Monday thru Friday (We;re available til 7p PST) or Saturday morning (7a-Noon PST)? Call Carol at 602-570-7289.

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Bluebeam Revu: Bluebeam Digital Signatures Creation

All digital signatures are electronic, but not all electronic signatures are digital. Bluebeam digital signatures creation is easy and you can then use them to sign any PDF!  For companies on a budget that need an occasional signature this is for you. You already own Bluebeam so why not use their digital signatures feature.

There are three different types of Bluebeam digital signatures creation choices. If you work for a larger organization, your IT team may already have a system for the creation of digital IDs. If that’s the case, you’ll use the ID you already have. You can also create a Digital ID in the Windows certificate store or create a digital id using the PCKS#12 format.

Creating Your Digital Certificate

Let’s walk you through the steps to make a digital signature. We’ll use the image you made of your electronic signature in our previous blog post.

Now that you have your digital ID created, watch for our next blog post on how to send your digital ID to other, so your signature can be verified outside your firm. This is important for legal contracts as they are likely to need verification. This is especially true if the only document you execute is a digital one. Trust but verify!

The post Bluebeam Digital Signatures Creation (Part 2) appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

There are three ways to create the appearance of your signature, depending on what results you prefer:

1. Type your signature in using the Text Tool. To do that, select Tools/Markup/Text Tool, and I’ll type your name.  You can change the color, size, and font to look however you like.
2. Use the Pen tool. Select Tools/Markup/Pen, and just write your signature. If you’re using your mouse it’s not going to look very good, but if you have a touchscreen or a tablet and pen input device, you’ll get great results this way.
3. Simply sign your name on a piece of blank paper, then either scan that paper or take a picture of it with your cell phone and email it to yourself.

Each process is described in the video below, along with other useful information about Bluebeam signatures! Watch how electronic and digital Bluebeam signatures can help improve your workflow!

Creating Electronic Bluebeam Signatures

(This wass created in Revu 2018. If you have Revu 2017 or earlier the process is the same, however, signatures are found under Document | Signatures)

Now that you have an electronic signature, you’ll want to watch the next video in our Bluebeam signatures series:
(Part 2 coming soon)

Click here to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss a post!

For more information on markups in Revu, Read these:
Bluebeam Revu Auto Size MarkUps

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Bluebeam Revu markups become Archicad individual markup entries

How do you make redlining PDFs and BIM collaborative?

The Bluebeam Reviewer Tool in ARCHICAD 21 introduces a simple palette which contains the commands that are most commonly used during the review process. With the reviewer, the Bluebeam Revu Markup entries become accurately positioned individual ARCHICAD markup entries based upon the original drawings. This completely eliminates the need to manually enter all PDF redlining into BIM and will significantly speeds up the RFI and RFC process by supporting round-trip workflows. Yes, create a PDF from ARCHICAD, add your redlining in Bluebeam Revu and bring the markups back into ARCHICAD 21’s design model. If you want to streamline your redlining processes, this is a game-changer. To coin a phrase, it’s Revu Voilà!

To see it working watch this video:

For more details on the steps to using the Bluebeam Connection including the recommended workflow and how to publish views or import markups to ARCHICAD, refer to this help document

#RevuVoilà

For more reading on Markups and PDFS these articles may also be of interest:
Construction Plan and 3D Model Markups will Never Be the Same
Bluebeam Revu Auto Size MarkUps

What do you get with your Bluebeam Annual Maintenance Subscription when you work with Hagen Business Systems? You’ll be surprised and it’s made us the world’s largest Bluebeam Gold partner. Ask us about our exclusive value added benefits when working with us in our live chat.

The post Redlining PDFs: Bluebeam Revu and BIM appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Bluebeam Revu 2017 has introduced a new estimating innovation, Dynamic Fill, for calculating areas and perimeters to accelerate estimating takeoff. It eliminates the time estimators spend clicking around oddly shaped rooms to account for numerous corners, curves, and arcs. Estimating Takeoff is about to be revolutionized.  I’m sure the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE) will be delighted. I like to call it estimating take-off on steroids! Let’s see it in action:

Now that you’ve seen it in action, there are 4 questions I’m often asked about Dynamic Fill.

It seems slow, can you speed it up?

Yes. You can adjust the speed using the Dynamic Fill Preferences found in Revu Settings | Preferences. This allows you to adjust the fill speed, edge sensitivity, boundary size and more.

Can I use Dynamic Fill on Raster or Scanned plans?

Yes. Dynamic fill will work with Raster and Vector quality documents. Depending upon your document quality you may find yourself adjusting the Dynamic Fill settings.

Can I close off the areas before I fill?

Yes. You may create boundaries before or after the fill (if you missed a boundary or forgot to set them first).  Adding boundaries can also create Spaces at the same time.

Where is Dynamic Fill?  I don’t see it in Bluebeam Revu

Dynamic Fill is a new feature only available in Revu 2017.  It is available in 3 editions of Bluebeam Revu (Standard, CAD and Extreme) and Open Licensing. Click on Measure from the menu (at the top) and you’ll see it between Cutout and Count. If it’s not there, check to see what version of Revu you have (Help|About). If you’re on Revu 2016 or below, you can follow these instructions on How to Upgrade to Bluebeam Revu 2017.

Have more questions? Just ask, I’m here to help.

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The most common question I’ve been asked since March 7, 2017 is “How do I upgrade to Bluebeam Revu 2017?” Every Bluebeam customer is interested in getting the new software update. Bluebeam issues new serial numbers for each major release.  This makes the upgrade a multi-step process.

Enterprise and Perpetual Licenses

If you own Enterprise licenses or Perpetual Licenses and subscribe to annual maintenance, you can upgrade for free. Here’s how to upgrade to Bluebeam Revu 2017 in 3 easy steps:

1. Locate your Bluebeam Revu 2016 License certificate which contains your Serial number, product key and the email contact Bluebeam has on file.  If you have more than one edition (Revu Standard, Revu CAD and Revu Extreme) you’ll need to have them all.  It would have been emailed from registration@bluebeamops.com when you purchased your licenses and subscribed or renewed your annual maintenance.  If you cannot locate your license certificates, you can email Bluebeam at  upgrade@bluebeam.com  or contact your Bluebeam reseller.
2. Request new Serial Numbers be issued for Revu 2017 by going to the Bluebeam Upgrade Page and typing in your information from step 1. You’ll receive an email of your new license certificate which will have a new serial number and product key that you will use during the installation to register Revu 2017. Once you have them in hand, proceed to step 3
3. Download the Revu 2017 software from Bluebeam’s Downloads and Upgrades Page, and follow the installation instructions. Be careful to make sure you download the same edition and version number that’s listed in the licensing email you received in step 2.  Once the download has finished, close all open programs, and then double-click on the installer. If you want to know what prompts will occur during installation, click here for detailed instructions for installing Revu 2017 onto your computer.  Late in the installation process, you will be prompted to enter your new 2017 serial number and product key to register your license.

The majority of Hagen Business System clients own Perpetual Bluebeam Revu licenses, where you bought the licenses and perhaps subscribe to annual maintenance. My larger clients also have Enterprise licensing (the serial number starts with 98) to manage their Revu licenses.

Open Licenses and Enterprise Licenses

If you have Open licenses (that’s an annual subscription for users to share an open license) you can access the new Serial numbers from the Bluebeam Gateway.

Not Eligible for the Update?

If you don’t subscribe to annual maintenance and want to get Revu 2017 today, you can request a 30-day free trial or purchase an upgrade by Emailing me. We’ll provide a 10% discount off Bluebeam direct pricing for telling us you read this blog post.

Have Upgrade questions?

Additional information and answers to many common upgrade questions can be found on the FAQ page.

FYI- You do not have to uninstall the previous version or unregister the license if you are going to install Revu 2017 on the same computer.  It will ask if you want to maintain the existing license or replace it during the installation.

Be aware if you choose to Maintain the existing license, you will have a second set of Bluebeam Plug-ins appear on your Ribbon in Microsoft Office, Outlook, AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks, SketchUp Pro and Solidworks.  It is therefore recommended you choose the default to Replace the existing license during installation.

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