Bluebeam Revu Reviews

I can't say enough good things about this software using it in the construction industry. I have used multiple different PDF editors but nothing comes close to as how good BlueBeam is. There is not much of a learning curve and you can learn the basics very quickly. It goes about as advanced as you would need and can do almost anything.

Marking up blueprints is straightforward and easy to do. There are multiple different callout shapes and easily input the tag on it. You can have a favorite toolset on a window for the most frequently used items such as your stamp, signature, check mark, etc... Once you collaborate the blueprint you can measure dimensions, surface, and volume.

Bluebeam integrates into most other software such as browsers, Microsoft Excel, and word. It has a quick button in these programs to easily convert it into a PDF inside of Bluebeam. If it does not have integration with the software you can print something and use Bluebeam as a printer to convert it into a PDF inside Bluebeam. You can even set spaces and do punch lists as well.

Everyone I work with loves with the product and nobody has a bad thing to say about it.

The only complaint I have been able to come up with but I'm sure it is user error is that my customized toolbar keeps reverting back to the default. I have locked the toolbar and messed with it but randomly every now goes back. I am unsure why this happens and is pretty frustrating when it does. Other than this no complaints.

Bluebeam works perfectly with drafting and producing drawings through Civil 3D. It's quick and convenient to use for engineering drawings. One particularly great feature, is the ability to calibrate your own scale and measure quantities to scale. It is a great tool for producing markups and redlines on PDFs to share with the team. Before the pandemic, we occasionally did the markups and comments by hand, now it's exclusively all through PDF markups.

When they have yearly program version updates, they tend to change the UI around so it takes some time to relearn the Bluebeam features. For the polyline feature, it's annoying having to press enter to finalize the command and save the line drawn (especially if it's not a close polygon). I use this tool daily and it's extremely annoying when I lose my line! I would love it if they made it so a right-click during the command saves and exits so I can complete the entire command with my mouse.

All the pros of this software are irrelevant because of how bad the support staff is.

Customer support is the worst I have ever dealt with. I bought bluebeam because the explained all of the great things you can do connecting to your employees through their I pad and I phone apps. After looking into it we were excited and bought the program. After the program was purchased they explained to be that I can't use the I phone app unless I purchase the $150 maintenance plan. Felt like I got suckered in but also figured I am new to the program and the added help couldn't hurt. 3 months in and I have one of our foremans I pad that will not connect to Blue beam. I call tech support and they inform that they cannot help be over the phone and that I need to email them. After explaining to them that I have 20 employees sitting on a job site with no plans and nothing to do they inform me again that all they can do is have me email me the problem because tech support over the phone doesn't cover the i pad and the i phone apps. Keep in mind I had to have the tech support in order to use the I phone app??? It has been an hour and a half and I just had to send all of our employees home with no work. I will be leaving bluebeam and moving our company to procore.

One of Bluebeam Revu's noteworthy features, in my experience as a user, is its customisable user interface. It's amazing that I'm able to design a workspace that is suited to my own requirements and tastes, complete with unique toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and markups and stamps that are uniquely mine.As a design professional, the software's markup and collaboration tools have changed the game by enabling me to annotate and comment on PDF projects in real time. We can all simultaneously work on the same document, which has been useful when working with project teams. The markup tools have been quite helpful, such as text boxes, callouts, highlighters, and others.

As a user of Bluebeam Revu, I've found that the software can be both a blessing and a curse. While it has many strengths, such as its customizable user interface and extensive markup and collaboration tools, some potential downsides to the user experience should be considered.One of the main cons of using Bluebeam Revu is that it can have a steep learning curve. When I started using the software, I found it overwhelming and challenging to understand all the features and capabilities. Learning how to use the software effectively took me some time, especially since I was not accustomed to working with PDF documents or collaboration tools. However, with practice and persistence, I overcame these initial hurdles.It's worth noting that the learning curve may be less steep for users who have experience working with PDF documents or other collaboration tools. However, it may take some time for those new to these types of software to get up to speed.

Primarily one might feel it's just another PDF reviewer and editor similar to Adobe Acrobat Pro, but this is more catered towards engineering jobs. It's easy to make markups on the drawings, with specific options like revision clouds, grid lines among other things. One can also make some specific markups and save them in their tool box. One neat feature is the ability to compare two documents by overlaying them on top of each other. This is especially helpful to check if their were any changes in different revisions of the drawings which can be easily missed by a normal human review.

Since it's so much loaded with features, sometimes it becomes difficult to find exactly what you needed to do. It is in such times that I miss the simplicity of Adobe Acrobat Pro, where the User Interface is clean. But then again Adobe is catered towards a general document review whereas Bluebeam Revu caters engineering firms. I would like to see an option to turn on and off the detailed User Interface to get a more simplistic Adobe like interface as required.

There is no PDF program out there to my knowledge that comes anywhere close to this program when it comes to the construction industry. We have been using this program for 6 years now, and the advancements the developers have made have been fantastic. All of our estimators and project managers have at least Bluebeam Revu, some have Extreme. The text recognition for creating page labels/bookmarks is fantastic (has improved greatly over time). The Sets feature is top notch as well, particularly for keeping up with jobs that have numerous revised drawing sets. The takeoff module is quite powerful, although we do not really take advantage of it's full potential as we already had an on-screen takeoff program.

I honestly have not been a huge fan of the new look in the 2018 version, but that's probably just because I was used to the old look after years of use. Some of our users are overwhelmed with all of the options, buttons, and menus, but that's really just the nature of the beast with a program with so many tools.

Every day I am learning about a new feature that makes life even easier in the industry. Love their takoff capabilities, measuring, stamps, and just the general fact that I can view PDFs and manipulate them. I have had VERY few complaints over the many years I have used this software.

Like all softwares, there are glitches. One bummer is the lack of integration on android phones. There was also an issue with integrating the software with an apple update; this was resolved fairly quickly though.

There are so many PDf readers and editors available on the market with restricted features, and Bluebeam covers almost each and every feature. Its user friendly for editing ad commenting on PDF & almost can get accurate values for measuring the distances. Text recognizing mechanism (OCR) almost accurate for every scenario. The inbuilt converter helps us to convert our PDFs to other formats hassle-free.

I really dont have any cons regarding Bluebeam revu. It's a fantastic and complete tool for all your pdf needs. It's worth the money.

Manage pretty much any PDF Document. Customizable and user friendly interface.

This program has so many functions I know I am missing out on key and crucial aspects of it. The customer service is a bit non-existent but they will respond to emails. I think that the cost effectiveness if you learn things yourself is great, but asking for $250 for classes at the top end and $100 for classes at the low end is a bit steep.

Going through and drafting reports is a very clean process and with practice, it can be extremely efficient and streamlined. I've mainly used Bluebeam for basic drafting, and all of the construction details I've had to mock up have been easy to create. I moved over from Autocad and the switch was pretty easy to make as Bluebeam has been pretty intuitive for me. My laptop also appears to run Bluebeam better than Autocad, but that could be somewhat subjective.

There isn't as much of a support network (reviews, forum based support/troubleshooting) around Bluebeam like there is Autocad, but the userbase for Autocad is much larger, so some discrepancy is to be expected.

Bluebeam is so versatile. I can create and/or modify all my RFI's, shop drawings, and detail clarifications from various professional sources - all in one package. I'm surprised at how often I find new ways to make use of the standard tools included with the software.

Bluebeam does have some issues reading some fonts. Not sure what the deal is, but some pdfs show up looking like a crude binary system.

The robust features of Bluebeam make this essential software for engineering companies. Mark up and organize drawings, compare versions of documents, OCR capabilities, and online collaboration are just some of the many features.

Sometimes the icons are not as intuitive to me as they should be. Would be nice if Bluebeam would incorporate the Ribbon format that many other programs use.

Tool sets make mark up easy. Bluebeam Revu is the best for viewing and manipulating pdf's.

Sometimes customization is a little cumbersome. The process to make custom symbols and color them can be confusing.
I do not like the way the audit trail for markups does not stay on the sheet you are working on. Continually have to navigate back the part of the audit trail for that sheet.
Combining documents sometimes does not work. Adobe Acrobat is better for basic combining.

The product is easy to use and at one point very reliable.

There is no in-depth troubleshooting Legacy support.

The most important part of this software was the complete ease of use. With no experience with estimating software, I was able to jump right in and get to work without any training, videos or someone else to teach me the basics. The original layout and key icons made everything simple but necessary.

The first major issue I incurred was learning how to compile all of the data at the finish of gathering the take off( sq ft measurements) this portion of the software was slightly less user friendly when it came to compiling the lists of rooms/areas with the details .eventually after some months of use I began to become familiar with the steps of the software sorting the sq feet and labeling the areas

This software handles any and all PDF tasks for us. It also can be used for photo/file manipulation. The collaboration feature allows for real time multi-user edits which has proven useful for remote workers

I dislike the fact that the software is now only offered as a subscription purchase. We have historically bought standalone licenses. We would get 2-4 years out of the license before bluebeam quit supporting it or required us to upgrade. Now we spend even more money for each seat and we get to pay it every year. I guess they took a page out of the Autodesk playbook.

Bluebeam has a lot of buttons and features out-of-the-box. The default layout is intuitive. Quickly and easily add text, highlights, shapes, callouts, and lines to PDFs. The buttons for rotating the page are readily available. Taking snapshots/copies, cropping, and other editing functions are easy. Bluebeam has measurement tools so you can easily get dimensions off of plans. There are tons of keyboard shortcuts and "toolboxes" that allow you to perform repetitive tasks quickly. Customize stamps to create signatures or other repetitive text like "Reviewed By..." or dynamic shop drawing stamps (like "Make Corrections Noted"). Flatten tool allow you to lock your edits into place. Security features are also available.

Bluebeam also allows you to merge/staple multiple sheets together and further manipulate pages within a document.

Bluebeam provides a lot of functionality, but depending on your needs you may be able to use something cheaper and less functional. You should weigh your need for a tool like this. The "Staple" function for combining files within a Windows Explorer window/menu could be a little simpler. It currently brings up a dialogue box that is overly complicated and not intuitive. Other software like Adobe Acrobat allow you to do this much easier with only a few mouse clicks.

Markup tools, Editing, Color Highlighting, Clouds

Having to scale drawings to get dimensions

Bluebeam is one of the best PDF management programs, particularly in the realm of construction projects, as it allows us to highlight the details of plans and allocate measurements accurately, allowing us to take measurements directly and also calculate areas and sizes directly from PDF files, even if it is a manual drawing. The ability to alter texts is fantastic, and I also enjoy that new elements, symbols, and even pagination can be added with relative ease. It's simple to add a digital signature, which is useful for keeping tabs on who approved and received credit for files that were shared across teams.

Once you get past the initial learning curve, using Bluebeam is simple, but the high annual subscription costs mean that we can't afford to include all of our members.

There are so many pros about this program. My favorite tools would be the calibration tool for verifying and editing architectural plans, the stamp and markup tools for approving and commenting on official documents, and the comparison tool for overlaying revised documents to see design changes. I love that Bluebeam Revu is simple yet sophisticated.

One con is that whenever I lose network connection, my stamp folder loses the path to my stamp folder. It would be helpful if there was a way to save the default stamp folder so when I regain connection it will automatically connect. Another issue is with flattening. It would be nice if there was a password or something users could share with a team in order for everyone in the team to have access to flattening and unflattening. Perhaps there could be a way to choose whether to only have the user who flattened be able to unlock it or to give access to teams.

Good price, easy to use. I had been using this software for almost two years, and when it was time for me to buy a PDF editor and after testing a couple, I had no doubt to go for this.

It seems a bit slower to start than acrobat but that didnt stop me from buying it

Being able to rename page labels automatically, set architectural scale for each sheet for accurate measurements, being able to batch hyperlink my shop drawings before I send to clients. Very stable, I can't remember having any crashes.

Licensing scheme is twenty years out of date. In 2023 I should be able to use my license on my desktop and laptop or home computer without purchasing an additional license or mess around with authorizing and de-authorizing my license. Allow 2 or 3 machines to be activated on one license or go to a log in scheme like Autodesk uses now. The strict licensing only irritates your honest customers, most companies figured this out a long time ago.

What is there not to like about Bluebeam? I first started using it when I got in the construction industry in June 2016 and I have never used a PDF editing software that is as user friendly as Bluebeam. There is countless things you can use it for and more than anything, it is the editing options and capabilities that this program has what makes it simply unique. Being able to create a session and invite members to join is quite a unique feature too; I am glad my company uses it for basically everything!

This isn't a negative comment, as I truly don't have anything bad to say about it, but if anything I would say that I would like to have a bit more training on how to use the software as it updates from one version to the other; I wish there was either trainings or instructional videos that would show the users how it is that a new version of Bluebeam compares to the older one.

With that said above, it is by far, the best PDF viewer/editor there is out there!

Easy to measure lines and areas. Easy to count items. The ability to organize the items into groups and layers is key to the functionality. Layers are able to be turned on and off. Ability to change size and color of various items is also key.

Not many Cons. Every once in a while the file size will slow the process down. But other than that, nor Cons.

It is easy, powerful, and allows you to be the master of all documentation. PDF to word conversion, drawings tools, measurement tools, scaled take-offs, etc. etc. Very powerful.
The creation, modification, and use of the Stamps is another great tool for the contractor. We use Bluebeam to review, mark, and submit 100% of our shop drawings. We then have to digitally stamp each page and being able to change the date and comments in the stamp so quickly is awesome.
It integrates well with PROCORE which is an excellent Management Software.
The license is transferable between devices so that I can carry my SINGLE license from my work laptop to my home computer very easily by logging in on my license number.

Cost could be a factor...although I don't pay the bill at my company so I don't have the answer to the license requirements and costs.