Thank you. But I think the qs-tools are still standing out when it comes to taking off. They allow taking off quantities from autocad to excel automatically and the two can work together in all directions. This makes the work so easy and accurate
Thanks for the presentation. I would like to inquire; If one drawing gets deleted, are the quantities as well automatically deleted in the linked excel sheet?
Bluebeam extreme is no longer an option, as they have changed their billing structure. Which plan is required to perform this on the new bluebeam platform? is it "Core" or "Complete"
Hi Matt, under the new structure, Complete would be comparable to eXtreme. If you would like to purchase Bluebeam, feel free to contact us - sales@zentekconsultants.net or 866-824-4459. We'd be happy to assist you.
How could this be accomplished for structural steel takeoff which has a plethora of material sizes of varying lengths and needs to be grouped by like material description, sorted by length longest to shortest? Each takeoff object (record) has lets say 10 variables. As I understand this, the Markup List is connected to Excel. How is the real question I am searching for. I have built a template that works by exporting from BB, however I want to eliminate that process by linking with Excel. Quantity Link is a one cell setup that falls way short of the solution I am looking to accomplish. I cannot summarize materials in linear footage due to size and material length availability. Each piece of material is an individual record.
Rather than a long explanation, because you’re right: it’s a complicated process, I’m going to tell you to take a look at our ZenEstimate Steel tools. We’ve gone thru all that complexity and built a set of tools that sounds like a perfect fit for what you’re asking about. zentekconsultants.net/zenestimate-tools/
Great video. Is it possible to use the Bluebeam to Excel link for other markups besides takeoffs? For example, if I have an excel spreadsheet of schedule dates, and I want those dates to automatically link and update as markups on the PDF, is this possible?
Hi James, your presentation is awesome. Looking at the original Markups List, I can see that the volume is only calculated for the Wood Laminate flooring but not for the Carpet Type flooring. I have made a few custom columns but they always calculate the column for all subjects. How do I tell Bluebeam to only calculate the custom column for specific subjects? Thank you.
Hi Flavio. There’s an option, when creating drop down lists that lets you apply choices to specific subjects only but for general results, like area/volume, etc. I use the built-in “Measurements” column which will display only the correct units for that type of object. HTH
It sounds like you're seeing leftover items printed from AutoCAD. They need to be deleted or re-labeled, then you can sort/filter on Label or Subject for the results you want. You could also just use the Filter tool to turn off the AutoCAD items.
@@ZenTekConsultants thank you and once I do that can I move my items in a specific order I want before exporting to excel ? Also how do I delete that autocad section completely?
@dee1251 Sure, you can click on the top of each column to sort item by any column and in alpha/numeric order. You can also do that when printing to the CSV. If you need some help doing that, I’d recommend our Bluebeam for Beginners course. We cover those topics in detail. HTH
Hi Jason. Those are custom toolbars, that install as part of our ZenTek Revu Tools. There are different sets of tools/symbols for sitework, Interior/exterior, structural, etc. Take a look at our website to see more details on them - www.zentekconsultants.net/zentek-revu-tools-overview
Thanks Kostas! With the current release, you can only link basic values (length, area, etc.) but you can filter by custom columns as long as they’re numeric based. Hopefully this is something Bluebeam adds in the next release, I could make great use of it myself!
@@ZenTekConsultants Thank you for the fast reply! The custom columns I added are numeric based (Selected Type : Number) still I see only the link basic values.
@@FadomasYT That’s correct - your first selection will be only the base items (linear/area/volume, etc.) The second box will let you use custom columns to “filter” i.e. choose the length of all beams that have a custom “beam length” of 12.00, etc. You can’t choose the custom columns as the top level control choice.
@@ZenTekConsultants thanks again, what I'm trying to do is to add two types of forms in revu. - For form1 I added a custom "number" column with a standard value of 1. - For form2 I added a custom "number" column with a standard value of 2. I want to export these values to the excel file, but I only see the primary options (length, area, volume etc.). I see no secondary options / drop down menu. Is there any way to "fool" revu so I can export 1 or 2 depending on the form?
@@FadomasYT I'm afraid not, Revu will only dynamically link to a "measurements" item like length/area, etc. It's a limitation of the program I hope they fix in the future myself!
I’m afraid you can’t. The Quantity Link functionality is only available in the Bluebeam eXtreme version. Good news is, you can reach out to sales@zentekconsultants.net and we can help you with that upgrade!
Do we have to do the QUANTITY LINK every time for every take-off and for every new measurement? Or is there a way to have templates set up where we can just open the PDF and the excel file, and just start doing markups? (without having to define every quantity link?)
What you want to do is create a “Master” PDF that holds all your pre-defined tools (tool sets are the key here - not using standard Revu markup/takeoff items) and then link that PDf to your “Master” Excel sheet. When you start a new job, copy the Excel sheet to that project, then right-click on any cell and change the “Source Files” to the PDFs for the new job and start adding tools from your tool sets. They’ll automatically populate the Excel workbook.
All of these can be done using Auto CAD. That's why I'm always lazy at learning these special takeoff software because I've been doing these using Auto CAD and Excel for years. Probably estimators who use Bluebeam, Planswift and other special takeoff software have not mastered Auto CAD.
@@blueeedota Wrong. I still do it even without a CAD file. I convert it first to dwg. If it's a scanned pdf, I convert it to jpeg, then attach the jpeg to AutoCAD as a raster image.
@@rudyramones9003 I've been using AutoCAD for 3 years in quantity takeoff, and it's not just as systematic as revu. You'll never understand it until you learn it.
CAD includes a plug-in for your AutoCAD based systems for plotting advanced PDF’s from your CAD system. The eXtreme version includes everything from Standard & CAD, plus batch processing, PDF form creation, data linking and advanced estimating tools.
Hi Mike, It depends on how the Form was built. Any version of Revu should let you fill in an open form, but eXtreme is needed to build one. If you’re finding that you can’t fill in a form, it’s usually one of two things: 1. There are no actual form fields on the file, just boxes and lines . 2. The fields have been set as “read-only” so that you’re not allowed to enter anything into them .
One helpful thing with eXtreme, is that if you run into instance #1, there’ an “AutoCreate” tool that will put form fields in place for you. Hope that helps!
If you run the Bluebeam Administrator (a separate program that gets installed with Revu) you can enable the MS Office plugins from there. Just make sure Bluebeam is closed before you do.
Hi, we sell, train and provide services for Bluebeam Revu in the US. Please check our website to see what we offer. www.zentekconsultants.net. Thank you.
A LITTLE HINT - STAE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO THAT THESE FEASTURES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN BLUEBEAM EXTREME - I WASTED 23 minutes watching this thinking it was for Std. BLuebeam.
Thank you. But I think the qs-tools are still standing out when it comes to taking off. They allow taking off quantities from autocad to excel automatically and the two can work together in all directions. This makes the work so easy and accurate
DO you have a video on customizing tool chests?
Thanks for the presentation. I would like to inquire; If one drawing gets deleted, are the quantities as well automatically deleted in the linked excel sheet?
Yes, when you REMOVE the a linked file from the Excel Workbook, the values from that file are automatically removed as well.
I dont have the option to create link, only to search folders, any advice?
Bluebeam extreme is no longer an option, as they have changed their billing structure. Which plan is required to perform this on the new bluebeam platform? is it "Core" or "Complete"
Hi Matt, under the new structure, Complete would be comparable to eXtreme. If you would like to purchase Bluebeam, feel free to contact us - sales@zentekconsultants.net or 866-824-4459. We'd be happy to assist you.
How could this be accomplished for structural steel takeoff which has a plethora of material sizes of varying lengths and needs to be grouped by like material description, sorted by length longest to shortest? Each takeoff object (record) has lets say 10 variables. As I understand this, the Markup List is connected to Excel. How is the real question I am searching for. I have built a template that works by exporting from BB, however I want to eliminate that process by linking with Excel. Quantity Link is a one cell setup that falls way short of the solution I am looking to accomplish. I cannot summarize materials in linear footage due to size and material length availability. Each piece of material is an individual record.
Rather than a long explanation, because you’re right: it’s a complicated process, I’m going to tell you to take a look at our ZenEstimate Steel tools. We’ve gone thru all that complexity and built a set of tools that sounds like a perfect fit for what you’re asking about. zentekconsultants.net/zenestimate-tools/
Great video. Is it possible to use the Bluebeam to Excel link for other markups besides takeoffs? For example, if I have an excel spreadsheet of schedule dates, and I want those dates to automatically link and update as markups on the PDF, is this possible?
Unfortunately, no. At this point it strictly connects to measurement items, like length/area/volume, etc.)
@@ZenTekConsultants Understood, thought so but figured I would ask. thank you so much for the quick response.
Hi James, your presentation is awesome. Looking at the original Markups List, I can see that the volume is only calculated for the Wood Laminate flooring but not for the Carpet Type flooring. I have made a few custom columns but they always calculate the column for all subjects. How do I tell Bluebeam to only calculate the custom column for specific subjects? Thank you.
Hi Flavio. There’s an option, when creating drop down lists that lets you apply choices to specific subjects only but for general results, like area/volume, etc. I use the built-in “Measurements” column which will display only the correct units for that type of object. HTH
how do i filter out so it only shows my take of not hundreds of "AutoCAD SHX Text" ?
It sounds like you're seeing leftover items printed from AutoCAD. They need to be deleted or re-labeled, then you can sort/filter on Label or Subject for the results you want. You could also just use the Filter tool to turn off the AutoCAD items.
@@ZenTekConsultants thank you and once I do that can I move my items in a specific order I want before exporting to excel ? Also how do I delete that autocad section completely?
@dee1251 Sure, you can click on the top of each column to sort item by any column and in alpha/numeric order. You can also do that when printing to the CSV. If you need some help doing that, I’d recommend our Bluebeam for Beginners course. We cover those topics in detail. HTH
How did you get those little buttons with the Tub/Shower, a crane, door, Esel, toilet, and window????????????
Hi Jason. Those are custom toolbars, that install as part of our ZenTek Revu Tools. There are different sets of tools/symbols for sitework, Interior/exterior, structural, etc. Take a look at our website to see more details on them - www.zentekconsultants.net/zentek-revu-tools-overview
Hi James, great video!!! Do you know if it's possible to insert to excel a custom column?
Thanks Kostas! With the current release, you can only link basic values (length, area, etc.) but you can filter by custom columns as long as they’re numeric based. Hopefully this is something Bluebeam adds in the next release, I could make great use of it myself!
@@ZenTekConsultants Thank you for the fast reply! The custom columns I added are numeric based (Selected Type : Number) still I see only the link basic values.
@@FadomasYT That’s correct - your first selection will be only the base items (linear/area/volume, etc.) The second box will let you use custom columns to “filter” i.e. choose the length of all beams that have a custom “beam length” of 12.00, etc. You can’t choose the custom columns as the top level control choice.
@@ZenTekConsultants thanks again, what I'm trying to do is to add two types of forms in revu.
- For form1 I added a custom "number" column with a standard value of 1.
- For form2 I added a custom "number" column with a standard value of 2.
I want to export these values to the excel file, but I only see the primary options (length, area, volume etc.).
I see no secondary options / drop down menu.
Is there any way to "fool" revu so I can export 1 or 2 depending on the form?
@@FadomasYT I'm afraid not, Revu will only dynamically link to a "measurements" item like length/area, etc. It's a limitation of the program I hope they fix in the future myself!
How do I extract quantities if I only have Bluebeam Standard version ?
I’m afraid you can’t. The Quantity Link functionality is only available in the Bluebeam eXtreme version. Good news is, you can reach out to sales@zentekconsultants.net and we can help you with that upgrade!
Do we have to do the QUANTITY LINK every time for every take-off and for every new measurement? Or is there a way to have templates set up where we can just open the PDF and the excel file, and just start doing markups? (without having to define every quantity link?)
What you want to do is create a “Master” PDF that holds all your pre-defined tools (tool sets are the key here - not using standard Revu markup/takeoff items) and then link that PDf to your “Master” Excel sheet. When you start a new job, copy the Excel sheet to that project, then right-click on any cell and change the “Source Files” to the PDFs for the new job and start adding tools from your tool sets. They’ll automatically populate the Excel workbook.
All of these can be done using Auto CAD. That's why I'm always lazy at learning these special takeoff software because I've been doing these using Auto CAD and Excel for years. Probably estimators who use Bluebeam, Planswift and other special takeoff software have not mastered Auto CAD.
Only applicable if you have DWG files all the time. PDF is a more common file.
@@blueeedota Wrong. I still do it even without a CAD file. I convert it first to dwg. If it's a scanned pdf, I convert it to jpeg, then attach the jpeg to AutoCAD as a raster image.
@@rudyramones9003 I've been using AutoCAD for 3 years in quantity takeoff, and it's not just as systematic as revu. You'll never understand it until you learn it.
@@blueeedota I've been using AutoCAD for 18 years. It means you have not yet mastered AutoCAD.
@@rudyramones9003 just a question, can you link your autocad quantities in excel?
What is the difference between Blubeam CAD and Extreme?
CAD includes a plug-in for your AutoCAD based systems for plotting advanced PDF’s from your CAD system. The eXtreme version includes everything from Standard & CAD, plus batch processing, PDF form creation, data linking and advanced estimating tools.
Why can I not use the fillable forms on some pdfs, but then it works on others. Revu not extreme
Hi Mike,
It depends on how the Form was built. Any version of Revu should let you fill in an open form, but eXtreme is needed to build one. If you’re finding that you can’t fill in a form, it’s usually one of two things:
1. There are no actual form fields on the file, just boxes and lines
.
2. The fields have been set as “read-only” so that you’re not allowed to enter anything into them
.
One helpful thing with eXtreme, is that if you run into instance #1, there’ an “AutoCreate” tool that will put form fields in place for you.
Hope that helps!
Cant get the quantity link in Excel, and I have the Extreme version :-)
If you run the Bluebeam Administrator (a separate program that gets installed with Revu) you can enable the MS Office plugins from there. Just make sure Bluebeam is closed before you do.
That was so good. But I'm so late. lol
Do you works on Bluebeam Revu?
Hi, we sell, train and provide services for Bluebeam Revu in the US. Please check our website to see what we offer. www.zentekconsultants.net. Thank you.
A LITTLE HINT - STAE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO THAT THESE FEASTURES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN BLUEBEAM EXTREME - I WASTED 23 minutes watching this thinking it was for Std. BLuebeam.
It _is stated_ in the description and at 1:30 in the video as working with Revu eXtreme 2017. It would be nice in the Standard.