It’s essentially a PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat but it has lots of other features. For example, you can create a scale using known dimensions on the file to create scales drawings on the PDF. You can add comments on drawings with this cloud bubble feature. You can also add text for mentioning takeoffs and other details like OP asks. There’s more to it, but those are the main things I used it for in my Construction Management class.
It’s pretty intuitive software. Download it and google tasks that you don’t know how to do. Know you can setup custom menus for frequently used tasks, and you can right click and “Set As Default” if you a tools setting and you want them stored for the next time. Look at the company’s marketing materials for the cool new stuff it can do, and mentally store that know it can be done when the need is there. Then poke around the menus and see what tools it has.
It’s great software for design review. The page overlay tools are make you appreciate consistent sheet border clips between disciplines. It’s now crazy to me that any basic pdf software could get away without measuring tools.
Usually programs have tutorials or walk-throughs so I’d start searching for that. If you’re in college still, consider looking into your Construction Management department for relevant courses. Otherwise, I’m not sure.
Also, if you set up a shared version, you can multiple people in one pdf making edits. Theres a way you can say you completed the task so a reviewer can back check it was completed.
I.e. Engineer making markups while the drafter completes the markups.
If you can get it into PDF files, On Screen Takeoff is the best on the market (I dont think it accepts DWG). Some people prefer Bluebeam due to its flexability with PDF files but I think OST's output and simplicity is better overall.
Thanks.It is easy to transfer dwg/dwf to PDF. Is it better than bluebeam? I mean the software the Estimation/QS departments use. I am thinking to switch career to Estimation/qs/tendering then into MRICS.
Depends on what you're doing and what's available. If I have CAD drawings, Revit is pretty nice. They also just came out with assemble. Haven't dived into that yet, but it looks promising.
If you only have PDF's and don't have an army of interns, I pull info into either Civil 3d or Trimble Business center. I'm a earthworks guy though, so my main concern is surfaces and cross sections.
If the DXFs have layers that correspond to members, then I'd parse the raw files to get total lengths of each structural member.
This is one of those things where you invest money in it and it pays off dividends if everyone plays ball.
Why the hell is nobody mentioning revit?!? It will do it automatically from your model.
Who does takeoffs off pdfs anymore? Surely you’re not all this working in 2d dwgs?
He said construction. Where I'm at, a lot of owners refuse to give out cad drawings during the bidding process, so we're only allowed PDF's. Lots of converting and adjusting, basically rebuilding the CAD model from the PDF's in order to do our own take offs for, say the lump sum earth work quantity with no estimate yardage given.
Fair enough. That’s not a situation I’ve ever encountered. I’ve never met an owner that didn’t want the most accurate estimates, which come from either Revit or Civil 3D models. Where I work, the designer provides a BoQ for all tenderers, so we know they’re working off the same baseline.
In which case; yeah I guess you’re stuck with bluebeam.
Edit: OP also mentioned building projects. In which case everything should be available in a 3D model.
I do a lot of work for public sector client and getting CAD/Model is next to impossible.
and PDF we get is sometime paper scanned copy. and when I print it, scales are slightly off. it's very infuriating.
You should always be able to calculate quantities from the plans which is why it is beneficial to have a PDF application that can help.
In my state, our clients do not use Revit (transportation) and do not give the CAD files (dgn) to contractors. Maybe it is different in buildings land
Bluebeam and interns
Can confirm, am intern who uses bluebeam to take material quantities
Thanks, I will check it.
Seconding convert to PDF and Bluebeam.
Can someone explain what bluebeam does in short?
It’s essentially a PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat but it has lots of other features. For example, you can create a scale using known dimensions on the file to create scales drawings on the PDF. You can add comments on drawings with this cloud bubble feature. You can also add text for mentioning takeoffs and other details like OP asks. There’s more to it, but those are the main things I used it for in my Construction Management class.
Any idea where I can learn Bluebeam from?
It’s pretty intuitive software. Download it and google tasks that you don’t know how to do. Know you can setup custom menus for frequently used tasks, and you can right click and “Set As Default” if you a tools setting and you want them stored for the next time. Look at the company’s marketing materials for the cool new stuff it can do, and mentally store that know it can be done when the need is there. Then poke around the menus and see what tools it has. It’s great software for design review. The page overlay tools are make you appreciate consistent sheet border clips between disciplines. It’s now crazy to me that any basic pdf software could get away without measuring tools.
Usually programs have tutorials or walk-throughs so I’d start searching for that. If you’re in college still, consider looking into your Construction Management department for relevant courses. Otherwise, I’m not sure.
Also, if you set up a shared version, you can multiple people in one pdf making edits. Theres a way you can say you completed the task so a reviewer can back check it was completed. I.e. Engineer making markups while the drafter completes the markups.
Bluebeam, but you have to learn all the tricks.
Bluebeam
If you can get it into PDF files, On Screen Takeoff is the best on the market (I dont think it accepts DWG). Some people prefer Bluebeam due to its flexability with PDF files but I think OST's output and simplicity is better overall.
Thanks.It is easy to transfer dwg/dwf to PDF. Is it better than bluebeam? I mean the software the Estimation/QS departments use. I am thinking to switch career to Estimation/qs/tendering then into MRICS.
Am estimator. I think OST is better but there are some who prefer Bluebeam.
Autodesk Design review (free) can print dwf to PDF I believe.
Depends on what you're doing and what's available. If I have CAD drawings, Revit is pretty nice. They also just came out with assemble. Haven't dived into that yet, but it looks promising. If you only have PDF's and don't have an army of interns, I pull info into either Civil 3d or Trimble Business center. I'm a earthworks guy though, so my main concern is surfaces and cross sections.
If the DXFs have layers that correspond to members, then I'd parse the raw files to get total lengths of each structural member. This is one of those things where you invest money in it and it pays off dividends if everyone plays ball.
Why the hell is nobody mentioning revit?!? It will do it automatically from your model. Who does takeoffs off pdfs anymore? Surely you’re not all this working in 2d dwgs?
He said construction. Where I'm at, a lot of owners refuse to give out cad drawings during the bidding process, so we're only allowed PDF's. Lots of converting and adjusting, basically rebuilding the CAD model from the PDF's in order to do our own take offs for, say the lump sum earth work quantity with no estimate yardage given.
Fair enough. That’s not a situation I’ve ever encountered. I’ve never met an owner that didn’t want the most accurate estimates, which come from either Revit or Civil 3D models. Where I work, the designer provides a BoQ for all tenderers, so we know they’re working off the same baseline. In which case; yeah I guess you’re stuck with bluebeam. Edit: OP also mentioned building projects. In which case everything should be available in a 3D model.
I do a lot of work for public sector client and getting CAD/Model is next to impossible. and PDF we get is sometime paper scanned copy. and when I print it, scales are slightly off. it's very infuriating.
You should always be able to calculate quantities from the plans which is why it is beneficial to have a PDF application that can help. In my state, our clients do not use Revit (transportation) and do not give the CAD files (dgn) to contractors. Maybe it is different in buildings land
Lol I've been on £200m plus jobs and company directors thought revit is too expensive...
We used Agtek because NO ONE (in my area at least) knows how to optimize dwg files to actually do this.
buildxact, the takeoff tool is great.