Revu uses AI to eliminate the need for manual comparisons and overlays.
In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, accuracy and efficiency have often been hard to balance with productivity, especially when it comes to CAD drawings. Thanks to its focus on developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, Bluebeam’s recent release of Revu 21 comes with AI-based Auto Align, making accuracy, efficiency and productivity more easily attainable.
Regardless of the project, comparing drawings remains a vital part of any construction project. Changes happen frequently, creating a host of tasks, such as organizing the drawings, ensuring correct versions and tracking modifications. Thanks to digital innovators, the days of manually looking over drawings with rulers and highlighters became a thing of the past.
Prominent Bluebeam Revu features include Compare Documents and Overlay Pages. Compare Documents streamlines the process of highlighting the differences between documents through content analysis, which then provides a report of any discrepancies. The use of a color-coded system minimizes the manual time spent identifying changes. Overlay Pages provides a way to superimpose PDF versions of a document, which shows the differences via visual representation.
Although these tools have propelled revision processes forward, they still required manually aligning three points for every revision. This process was still tedious and opened the door for errors, as well as took several minutes to complete. Auto Align, which uses AI, changes that. According to Bluebeam, Auto Align allows users to determine differences in pages and documents in approximately 15 seconds—80 percent faster than previous methods. Considering the company noted Compare Documents and Overlay Pages are used more than 5 million times annually, this new development has the potential to vastly speed up projects while ensuring accuracy. Users simply click on the Auto Align tool, and AI completes the rest of the task.
Revu 21 has another AI boost, thanks to the search feature that adds Preferences. It works to minimize the impact on workflows by allowing users to locate options and features easily. Another feature that eliminates potential errors from manual input or wasted time is Automatic Title Block Recognition. Once a drawing is imported into Bluebeam Cloud, it automatically extracts and saves key information that may be needed throughout a project’s lifecycle.
Along with incorporating AI into Revu, Bluebeam created a collaborative workspace in Bluebeam Cloud, called Bluebeam Labs. Users in the AEC industry can sign up to work closely with Bluebeam to further innovate with AI, such as the first project that involved positioning 2D drawings in a 3D environment.
Although AI has the spotlight, Revu 21 also has some non-AI updates. Bluebeam Anywhere allows users to access Revu on up to five devices with one ID, making it easy to make markups on the go. A new Multiply feature enables quicker scaling of essential elements, while Markups List enhances communication by displaying custom measurement captions. Users can find more information on the latest fixes in Revu 21 here.
