Bluebeam Revu 2018 Untaps Productivity Through Revolutionary Interface

Bluebeam Revu 2018 is now available and features a new interface, responsive properties toolbar and various shortcuts and enhancements designed to maximise productivity and efficiency.

This latest version of Bluebeam’s PDF collaboration solution – an industry standard PDF collaborator specifically developed for the AEC sector – adds extra functionality and streamlines the interface to make worflows more efficient, according to Bluebeam CEO Jon Elliott.

“Revu 2018’s new interface shortens paths, increases screen real estate, reduces clicks and uses dynamic toolbars to keep the focus exactly where it belongs, on getting the job done,” he explained in a statement announcing the launch of the new version.

Used by more than 1.2m design and construction professionals worldwide, Bluebeam Revu provides a paperless AEC workflow solution by using PDFs to share critical project information such as metadata, hyperlinks, bookmarks, images, attachments and 3D data downstream.

As it’s based on an open-source format, Revu is able to seamlessly integrate into existing project environments and provide improved access to critical project information, enabling the conversion of common file formats such as MS Office and CAD drawings into PDF. In essence it helps you manage credit, edit and collaborate on projects while maintaining control and consistency across the project’s document lifecycle.

This new version features a new properties toolbar which intuitively presents the tools you need based on your input, and a number of improvements to make it easier to access and read files – including better-designed panel views that keep out of your way until needed. The focus is on streamlining collaboration, with greater efficiency achieved by the ability to access files across multiple Studio Projects simultaneously utilising a dash-board style interface, which features thumbnail views and greater visibility for common actions.

Customizable keyboard shortcuts have been included to reduce clicks and thereby speed up workflows, while newly integrated video tutorials, pre-loaded toolsets and sample files will make it easier for users to get up to speed with the latest features.

Bluebeam Revu 2018 is available in Standard, eXtreme and CAD editions. Standard includes the basic features such as 2D and 3D markup and measurement tools, while the eXtreme version – customised for architects and engineers – adds automatic form creation, OCR and batch signing. The CAD edition aimed at architects, engineers and general CAD users also includes smart plug-ins facilitating the creation of 2D and 3D PDFs from popular AEC software file formats including those of AutoCAD and Revit.

The improvements in this year’s version are predominantly based around display and data access functionality – likely in response to the increasing usage of such software on mobile platforms. Blubeam Revu for iPad, a relatively recent addition to the range, is a far more practical and useful tool than you might expect if you’ve yet to try it. While iPad/tablet apps are often a ‘lite’ version of the PC original, there are some features of Revu for iPad which are arguably more user-friendly – such as redlining a drawing, which may be easier for an architect to do on an iPad screen using an Apple Pencil than sitting at a PC holding a mouse.

As mobile platforms seem set to become as ubiquitous in our work as they already are in our social lives, we’re likely to see further modifications to display functionality, as the gap between sit-down and mobile workstations continues to narrow.

In the meantime, this latest version of Bluebeam Revu is likely to exceed your current expectations in maximising workflow collaboration efficiency. To see for yourself, you can download a free 30 day trial of Blubeam Revu 2018 Standard, eXtreme or CAD – whichever best suits your needs.