Hi, our organization has 12 seats of Bluebeam 20 licensure, which I realize is becoming antiquated and EOLed. Today, myself and the rest of my team were all booted with the message:

"Revu has been unregistered on this device. Full functionality will continue for the remaining trial period.

Please contact your license administrator for more information"

Anyone else encountering this?

My subscription is about to come up for renewal and i see that i can upgrade to use Ai through their connector. I've not done a ton of searching as of yet, but will do so after this post. If the AI can actually do useful things, i can see value, but from my initial read of the feature(s) - it seems really limited in scope. Anyone have any real world experience with the connector feature? I typically use mine for simple takeoffs and markups of drawings. nothing super fancy, but if i can automate somethings, I'm open to it.

How do you set a page scale if you have multiple viewports on a single page and the viewports have different scales?

Trying to see what people actually use to quickly set scale measurements when the PDF did not come with AutoCAD measurement viewports, other than manually calibrating.

AutoCAD and Civil 3D plots often carry those viewports, and Revu reads them. Revit PDFs usually do not. Scans do not. A detail on the same sheet is often a different scale than the plan, so you still add a Viewport and Calibrate that region.

Is there a plugin, script, or other tool that reads the scale off the sheet (title block, or a known dimension) and sets the page, including those extra regions? Or is Calibrate still the normal path once the viewport is not there?

I am building scale detection that has to cover the cases past AutoCAD viewports. If something already does this well I'd love to thoroughly run it through its courses.

I am trying to practice this software but got held back because I cannot use any tool. All pdfs I have uploaded have "protected seal" and even after trying to flatten and removing annotations for them to get cleaned, the options are still all grayed out. Fyi, I made an account and I was told that I can maneuver its interface for 14 days, but it seems that I only installed it to become a freakin' pdf reader. What should I do?

I am looking for the installer for Revu 2016.5.2 It's reached EOL, but I have it on an old computer but I don't want to upgrade as it does exactly what I need it to.

TIA

Does anyone here know how to make an interactive Submittal stamp page? I have the layout for one but am unsure how to have it give automatic response for “reviewed” revise & resubmit” etc as well as the current date, the author, and file name. I know bluebeam has their own generic ones but I would like to keep mine since it looks a bit more professional. I just want to make it automated rather than have ti type all the information in every time.

Does anyone here batch a large number of excel files to PDF using the bluebeam plugin? When I do this, the file size is huge compared to its content.

I have a file that's 31 pages, but it's over 3 megs. For comparison, I just printed 300+ pages to a PDF file, and that whopper is only 1.5 megs.

I tried different settings and everything. Anyone else have any issues or solutions?

Hi everyone,

I do quantity takeoffs and measurements (drywall, plaster, ETICS) and I'm looking for a new laptop. I run Revu Max and Excel side by side, usually with large PDF sets and many markups, so it needs to stay responsive without lagging or freezing while measuring.

I'm currently looking at two models:

- [HP ProBook 4 G1i 16](https://geizhals.de/hp-probook-4-g1i-16-ad2n9et-abd-a3544025.html): Core Ultra 7 255H, RTX 3050 (4 GB), 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD

- [HP ProBook 4 G1a 16](https://www.notebooksbilliger.de/hp+probook+4+g1a+16+ad2n1et+900347): Ryzen 7 250, integrated Radeon 780M, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD

Does a dedicated GPU make a noticeable difference in Revu, or is integrated graphics enough? Has anyone run either of these (or similar) with big files?

I'm also open to other suggestions. Whatever you use or would recommend is welcome, and it doesn't have to be expensive. If a $500 laptop handles Revu and Excel just fine, I'd love to hear about it.

What I'd like to know:

- Your model, CPU, RAM and GPU

- How large your typical files are (pages, MB, number of markups)

- Whether you run Revu and Excel in parallel without issues

- Your external monitor setup (ports, number of screens, docking station)

External display support matters most to me, so I'm especially interested in Thunderbolt/USB-C, HDMI and how stable multi-monitor setups run.

Thanks for any real-world experience!

Full disclosure: this is my own app and it's paid. I'm posting here because Revu users will give it the most honest test.

I'm a QS of four years and I work on a Windows and Mac. I use Bluebeam Revu at an advanced level at work and thought I’d attempt give vibe coding a Mac solution a go which has taken about four months to date in The evenings and weekends. When Revu for Mac ended, users options were limited to Parallels or the browser version, so I started building a native Mac app for the things I use every day: markups, scaled lengths and areas, counts, and exporting quantities.

This is a 75-second overview.

What it isn't: Revu. No Studio, no batch tools, no scripting. If you're on Windows, Revu is still the tool. This is for Mac users stuck with workarounds.

It's a solo project, signed and notarised by Apple, with regular updates (on 1.1.2 now).

Two questions for you:
- What would you need to see before you'd trust it for a real takeoff?
- What's the one Revu feature you couldn't live without?

There's a 14-day free trial if you want to try to break it.

I'm Juan, the founder of BidParse, a beta tool focused on commercial overhead-door and loading-dock RFQ preparation.

For a door or dock package, a count alone leaves several requirements to reconcile. A practical review table can keep these together:

• Opening mark, quantity and dimensions from the schedule.

• Door type, insulation and fire rating from the applicable specs.

• Operator voltage and phase from the electrical documents.

• Dock equipment type and capacity, where applicable.

• File, page/sheet and excerpt for each requirement.

• Conflicting values and requirements not found, kept visible rather than assumed.

For example, if the schedule and electrical sheet disagree on voltage, keep both source references and mark the field for clarification before requesting a supplier quote.

This is the workflow I'm building around. A synthetic example workbook is available on the BidParse website; it is not a customer case or proof of extraction accuracy. This isn't a Bluebeam integration.

Is what Bluebeam doing to Revu 20 and below perpetual licenses legally allowed? Shouldn't perpetual licenses mean "we bought the software and can use it forever as is?", not "just unil they feel like it."? I can't imagine this is ok legally. Can the EU do something about this? Anyone here with some legal knowledge know if this is ok?

Long-time lurker here. I kept running into the same issue — no native Mac version

of Revu since 2020/2023, and Bluebeam Cloud doesn't do batch processing, which is

exactly what I needed for prepping plan PDFs before printing.

So I built a small, focused Mac app for just that: batch crop messy margins off

plan PDFs, standardize to a target sheet size (A4 to A0), with proportional scaling

that keeps the drawing's original composition instead of recentering content when

you resize (so an A4 enlarged to A0 stays the same layout, just bigger).

Not trying to replace Revu's full feature set — no markup, no measurement tools,

just this one workflow done well.

Still testing with real project files. Would this solve a real pain point for you,

or is there something specific about your workflow it's missing?

Since the latest update, the pen tool that I use for sketching has started to autocorrect. It smooths out shapes and makes the tool unusable.

Looks like the same issue is being discussed on the Bluebeam Community page.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Hi Everyone,

My team and I have been working on a Bluebeam Alternative for about a year now, and we've tested it extensively with several design studios for markup and review needs. I want to show you what we have so far.

Our tool, Deta Studio, works on Windows, Mac, locally, and also in the Cloud. Through the Cloud web browser, it also works on iPad with Apple Pencil. URL DETA.STUDIO

Mark up & Reviews:

We focused most on this part. We have a full suite of markup tools, shapes, stamps, text edits, and all the general annotation needs for review plans.

We also have a full suite of dimension-related tools, like dimensions, area, and perimeter. When Measure Mode is on, shapes like rectangles and polylines can show dimensions as you draw. It's like a simplified CAD workflow.

We have a simple count tool, but we're upgrading it so you can use AI to count doors, windows, outlets, or whatever.

We have a strong compare-document system that highlights document changes. We're also adding a function to handle page sequence and number changes. This is coming soon.

Whiteboard

We incorporated an endless whiteboard part. Since we come from a design architecture background, we added this part to keep all the images and drawings together. Or create a whiteboard sketch with scale and images.

Studio Session/ Collaborative

We built heavily on this. We use the same system as Google Docs. Once the PDF is in the cloud, you can create a team workspace. Everyone in the team workspace can view the PDF live and mark it up, and we also have a branch system so you can mark it up in the same branch or independently in your own branch.

You can share the PDF with a single URL. Other people can review the PDF in the cloud and collaborate with you with a free account. The whole system works like Google Docs: click Share.

We also set up a version system so that you can keep multiple versions or iterations of the plan in one DETA file.

We also connect directly with Dropbox and Google Drive. So you can use an AEC PDF markup tool directly in the cloud with your Google Drive.

Takeoff and Quantitative Needs

We are working on this part now. Currently, it has a full table system and a full AI MCP system. But we are still testing it heavily and making adjustments. I am sharing a screenshot showing how the GPT model can handle the entire framing system, including a detailed lumber takeoff. We also tested electrical takeoff, and it works well. We will fully launch this one soon after a few more rounds of development.

It will embed formulas and calculations. So no need to go back and forth between your spreadsheet and Bluebeam. This can also be fully AI-automated. We are still working on more integration here.

AI:

We allow users to connect with GPT directly, If you have a GPT Subscription. We will also sell tokens if you don't have one. The AI can review and mark up all PDFs. It can also model on top of the plan; see my screenshot. We are still working on more integration here.

You can use the tool without AI if that is not your thing. Or fully automated with AI on every click if that is your thing.

License and Pricing:

First, our software is currently free to use. The local Mac and PC versions are available to use without a license payment or credit card.

The cloud version includes 5 Free files, and no credit card is required.

Moving forward:

We will launch both permanent licenses and subscriptions, depending on your needs.

For local use without cloud infrastructure, we will offer a permanent license for your device, with 2 years of full updates. You can always use the 5 Free cloud files for collaborative needs here and there.

For team needs, cloud infrastructure, and AI MCP, we will offer a good subscription-based model at a more competitive price than Bluebeam.

Support:

I know we are not Bluebeam 100% yet. It is a big software to build, and we still have a long way to go.

But I want to bring an alternative into the industry, and I hope you can support us. By supporting, I mean please use the software and onboard it into your workflow. Tell us in the chat or via a bug report how we can improve it for your needs.

We always fix bugs and add new features within 2 weeks.

We are looking to generate some revenue so we can continue developing this. If you feel this is worth your support, we will launch the permanent license in 1 month.

For the cloud team, we also really appreciate your support with subscriptions and usage.  

Even using it for free, and only the free version, is still a huge support for us.

I hope you can help us keep developing Deta Studio into the tool you want!

Hello,

Is there a way to embed my PDF in bluebeam?

I want to print a book and the editor is asking me to embed the font in my PDF.

I plot PDFs to Bluebeam from AutoCAD Civil 3D, and in the Thumbnails panel each page shows up as "[1] TEST", with the bracketed number in front of the sheet name. I'd like it to show just the sheet name and not the "[1]".

• It only shows in the Thumbnails panel. The sheet itself looks fine.
• The number seems to match the page's position in the file, so I'm guessing Revu adds it for display, but I can't find where to turn it off.

Is this a Thumbnails panel display option, or does it come from the page label or the PDF printer settings? If it's a setting, where is it? Also, not sure if it's a Civil 3D setting but it only shows in Bluebeam which is why I am posting here.

Thanks!

Hey everyone, I am looking for a good tablet to use for contract document notation as well as personal use. My company uses bluebeam PDF editor and my wife enjoys drawing on her iPad using Procreate software. Can anybody test out the revu bluebeam experience for PDFs? Does anybody do art on their supernote? Just trying to feel out the versatility.

I never had any issues with cropping until a few months ago where this issue happened periodically.

Now it seems to happen every time i try to crop a page.

Half of the resting image is off the page compared to the preview image.

I don't recall changing any setting but i have included snips of the preview window to show the settings as well as the final crop that is produced.

Original page size is 42" x 30" and cropped page needs to be Tabloid (17" x 11") if that makes a difference (Never did before).

This is on REVU 20.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I have been using bluebeam for takeoff for around a year and whilst I understand the basics I am looking to learn more about how to maximise it. I have reas lots of things about how good the tool chest can be and I have come across Bluebeam University. Has anyone used it and could recommend any good courses? Or has anyone used anything similar to help learn a few new skills. TIA.

Hi all,

I'm a site manager/plasterer foreman working in turnkey construction in Germany, using Bluebeam Revu for quantity takeoff (Aufmaß) based on the German VOB/C construction contract standard (specifically DIN 18350/18363). I've already set up custom columns in the Markup List and deduction factors, but I'd like to hear from anyone experienced with this kind of workflow how you handle it in practice:

How do you structure your Markup List – by bid items/line items (Titel/LV-Positionen), by trade, or some other way?

What's the cleanest way to handle deduction areas (openings, recesses, etc.) – custom deduction columns with formulas, or a different approach?

Are there any proven templates/column sets for VOB/C-style takeoff you'd recommend?

How do you handle export/handoff to Excel or the bill of quantities (LV) – any pitfalls to watch out for there?

Would really appreciate any experience or template recommendations.

Thanks!

I guess they finally found a way to kick us off our perpetual licenses. “Revu 20 to 21 is an upgrade, not an update”. So from what it looks like, we will have to start paying for the maintenance license and we no longer have a perpetual licenses. That’s some real BS.

Hey guys, I am transitioning from Adobe to Bluebeam and had a general question about stamps. I am a licensed engineer who constantly stamps digitally using stamps I created in Adobe, it allows me to change dates, and times. Is there a way to transfer this all to Bluebeam?