Bluebeam Tip: Compare Documents workflow for accurate revision checks in Bluebeam Revu

Today’s tip focuses on Compare Documents for fast, reliable revision checks in Bluebeam Revu.

When to use it:

• Use Compare Documents to generate markup-based change callouts you can filter, quantify, and report.
• Use Overlay Pages for a color-coded visual overlay (great for presentations). Running both provides clarity and accountability.

Setup for accurate results:

• Normalize first: rotate pages correctly, ensure matching page sizes, and apply consistent page labels.
• Go to Document > Compare Documents. Select your Base and Revised files, then choose page range and page matching by index or label.
• Alignment matters: for vector PDFs, Auto Align usually works. For scans, choose Align Points and pick the same 3 stable points on both pages (e.g., grid intersections).
• Options to enable:
  • Ignore markups (compare content only).
  • Place results on a dedicated layer (easy to toggle).
  • Set clear colors for Added/Removed to improve readability.

Review efficiently:

• Open the Markups List and filter by Subject (e.g., “Difference”) or by Layer to isolate changes.
• Use Status to tag each change (Reviewed, Approved, Needs RFI) and add comments in the Comments column.
• Export a Markup Summary (PDF or CSV) for stakeholders, or push the file to a Studio Session for collaborative review.

Troubleshooting:

• Misalignment on scans: re-run with Align Points and zoom in when placing points.
• Too many “false positives”: hide non-essential layers before comparing, or temporarily flatten hatch-heavy content.
• Title blocks changing every revision? Duplicate the PDFs and crop out the title block before comparing to reduce noise.

Pro workflow:

• Validate with Compare Documents, present with Overlay Pages, then Slip Sheet the approved revisions into your set.
• For licensing, upgrades, or training, connect with NOVEDGE or explore Bluebeam solutions at NOVEDGE’s Bluebeam page.

You can find all the Bluebeam products on the NOVEDGE web site at this page.