So what are your preferred methods?
Do print draw scan? Use an outside program? Do them in the drafting software? Pen? Mouse? Stylus?
I have doing a lot of drafting redlines in blue beam and its painful. I can't help but want to print draw and scan this stuff. I also can't get away from a cad mindset of zooming and focusing on details rather then big picture ect. I can't feel like I have given a set a proper review when I have only looked at it on the screen much less explain what I want drawn quicker then for myself to just open revit and do it myself.
Wood Guy
May 23, 16 9:17 am
I need to see prints and mark them up by hand. I miss too many things if I try to work paperless, unfortunately. One of my structural engineers uses Bluebeam and likes it, but we are having issues right now with some of his markups not showing properly in Adobe.
senjohnblutarsky
May 23, 16 10:09 am
Paper.
Just paper.
We have clients that do things in Acrobat and send to us. But otherwise, everything is paper, or described in an email.
Everyday Intern
May 23, 16 12:08 pm
I hate reviewing in Acrobat, and while it works ok for me, I avoid using Bluebeam as much as possible too. That is becoming harder and harder to do though as it is becoming more and more ubiquitous.
I started using Autodesk's Design Review a while back, and liked the simplicity of it much more than bluebeam. It is free too. However, I suspect that Autodesk is going to drop it soon. They haven't released an updated version since 2013 or something like that.
The issue for me, on any software platform, is switching between sheets within a set. I want to be able to flip 20 pages ahead to find a detail and then go back to the original sheet easily. I also want to see both on my screen at the same time, but I haven't yet found a way to make this work as easily as it does with a physical set. Digital markups tend to work too linearly. The workflow needs to be more fluid.
That said, all my reviews are digital at this point. If I can't get a point across easily with the software ... I have a roll of trace next to my desk.
One thing I think digital redlines have over paper is when you can bring up a list of just the redlines and click through them one by one and it will take you to that page. It saves trying to hunt on each sheet looking for a little red mark. Also makes it less likely that a redline will be missed if you can categorize each markup as complete, etc. as you go (think yellow highlighter on paper).
JonathanLivingston
May 23, 16 1:22 pm
yeah there are some really good things about redlines particularly in bluebeam. Particularly tracking what has been completed and having a team collaboratively pick up redlines. I just can;t get used to drawing in bluebeam, I feel like by the time I figure out what I want drawn and redline it on a pdf I might as well have done it myself in revit. Maybe it will get faster as I get better.
x intern
May 24, 16 1:39 pm
I wondered if a large touch screen with a stylus would work for this as well as your set for use during CA. Seems like the biggest issue is screen size and having to use keyboard/mouse. You can get close to 30" for around 500$ if it worked you would get payback in two projects for what it costs to print sets.
Everyday Intern
May 24, 16 1:47 pm
I believe my firm looked into something like a touch screen and stylus before I started working here. I believe the issue then was along the lines of the review programs treating hand written/hand drawn notes as raster images rather than vector lines. The result was really large file sizes by the time you were done reviewing a set. Too large to be really manageable.
Not sure if that would still be the case today.
JonathanLivingston
May 24, 16 1:48 pm
Yeah I'm wondering the same thing. I have found some large touch screens that would allow me to do at least full sheet at half size. I wonder what it would be like to have one embedded in a desk and to use a stylus.
gruen
May 24, 16 3:24 pm
I mark up in acrobat. I have 2 custom stamps-a green check mark that I use when I've checked something and am happy w it. A red question mark for the problems. Then I use the other mark up tools to note issues. This system works well for consultant coordination.
So what are your preferred methods? Do print draw scan? Use an outside program? Do them in the drafting software? Pen? Mouse? Stylus? I have doing a lot of drafting redlines in blue beam and its painful. I can't help but want to print draw and scan this stuff. I also can't get away from a cad mindset of zooming and focusing on details rather then big picture ect. I can't feel like I have given a set a proper review when I have only looked at it on the screen much less explain what I want drawn quicker then for myself to just open revit and do it myself.
I need to see prints and mark them up by hand. I miss too many things if I try to work paperless, unfortunately. One of my structural engineers uses Bluebeam and likes it, but we are having issues right now with some of his markups not showing properly in Adobe.
Paper.
Just paper.
We have clients that do things in Acrobat and send to us. But otherwise, everything is paper, or described in an email.
I hate reviewing in Acrobat, and while it works ok for me, I avoid using Bluebeam as much as possible too. That is becoming harder and harder to do though as it is becoming more and more ubiquitous.
I started using Autodesk's Design Review a while back, and liked the simplicity of it much more than bluebeam. It is free too. However, I suspect that Autodesk is going to drop it soon. They haven't released an updated version since 2013 or something like that.
The issue for me, on any software platform, is switching between sheets within a set. I want to be able to flip 20 pages ahead to find a detail and then go back to the original sheet easily. I also want to see both on my screen at the same time, but I haven't yet found a way to make this work as easily as it does with a physical set. Digital markups tend to work too linearly. The workflow needs to be more fluid.
That said, all my reviews are digital at this point. If I can't get a point across easily with the software ... I have a roll of trace next to my desk.
One thing I think digital redlines have over paper is when you can bring up a list of just the redlines and click through them one by one and it will take you to that page. It saves trying to hunt on each sheet looking for a little red mark. Also makes it less likely that a redline will be missed if you can categorize each markup as complete, etc. as you go (think yellow highlighter on paper).
yeah there are some really good things about redlines particularly in bluebeam. Particularly tracking what has been completed and having a team collaboratively pick up redlines. I just can;t get used to drawing in bluebeam, I feel like by the time I figure out what I want drawn and redline it on a pdf I might as well have done it myself in revit. Maybe it will get faster as I get better.
I wondered if a large touch screen with a stylus would work for this as well as your set for use during CA. Seems like the biggest issue is screen size and having to use keyboard/mouse. You can get close to 30" for around 500$ if it worked you would get payback in two projects for what it costs to print sets.
I believe my firm looked into something like a touch screen and stylus before I started working here. I believe the issue then was along the lines of the review programs treating hand written/hand drawn notes as raster images rather than vector lines. The result was really large file sizes by the time you were done reviewing a set. Too large to be really manageable.
Not sure if that would still be the case today.
Yeah I'm wondering the same thing. I have found some large touch screens that would allow me to do at least full sheet at half size. I wonder what it would be like to have one embedded in a desk and to use a stylus.
I mark up in acrobat. I have 2 custom stamps-a green check mark that I use when I've checked something and am happy w it. A red question mark for the problems. Then I use the other mark up tools to note issues. This system works well for consultant coordination.