Bluebeam Integration Overview

This Bluebeam to Tekla PowerFab Integration is designed to reduce the effort of estimating when using Bluebeam and Tekla PowerFab together.

In order to accomplish this, we are providing a set of Bluebeam custom columns. Using these columns while performing the take-off in Bluebeam allows a CSV formatted summary to import directly into a Tekla PowerFab estimating Job.

Requirements

Tekla PowerFab
Bluebeam Revu

Files

Tekla PowerFab Custom Columns.xml
All Tekla PowerFab Custom Columns.xml

Setting Up

Import one of the XML files linked above:

1. In Bluebeam Revu, open Markups at the bottom of the screen.

2. In the Markups List dropdown list, select Columns > Manage Columns...

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3. Go to the Custom Column tab and click Import...

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4. Find the XML file, and select Open.

Bluebeam verifies that you want to apply the columns in this file to the current PDF.

5. Go tothe Display Order tab and select the Label, Quantity, Length, AlternateLength, Comments, Finish, Grade, and Labor Code columns to be displayed.

The display order is not important. It's also fine to select additional visible columns. (In this example, we have optional fields Category and Sub-Category also selected).

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Before using the Integration, make sure your scale is properly set for your document.

Using the Integration

To populate these columns, use the Measure tool in the PDF document.

1. In Measurements, type a section size in Label.

In this example, we've used "W10x12".

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2. Use the length tool or perimeter tool to measure each part that matches the label.

As each part's measurement is marked, Bluebeam populates the built-in columns.

3. Edit any of the columns that aren't automatically populated by double-clicking and entering text.

Having data in these columns is optional.

Alternate Length accepts a dimension, like Bluebeam's Comments field.

Use it to override the value in the comments field as the length for that piece. Because Bluebeam's Length field has no information on units, Tekla PowerFab reads the comments field to determine the length of each part.

It is not necessary to put values in the Grade and Labor Code fields. When these are left blank, Tekla PowerFab will use the default for the shape on the section size in the Label field.

4. Edit the Quantity column by double-clicking and entering a new number.

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Export the Summary from Bluebeam

1. To transfer this information to Tekla PowerFab, choose Summary then CSV Summary in Bluebeam.

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2. Choose the pages and columns to export. 

Make sure Include Column Headers is checked

3. Click OK.

Import to Tekla PowerFab

See also Import files to the Estimating module in the Tekla PowerFab Product Guide.

1. In Tekla PowerFab, choose File > Import, and select Estimating > Bluebeam.

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2. Use the Browse button to find the file Bluebeam exported.

3. Click Import.

The file is imported as an estimating Job, and unrecognized parts will be reported.

4. Check and update the Import Field Map. Make sure that the field on the left (Import File Field) maps to the correct Tekla PowerFab Field (on the right).

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Expanding the Integration

Tekla PowerFab can accept many more fields in an imported file.

To see the fields available in Tekla PowerFab for importing an estimate, open the input settings in Tekla PowerFab in  Maintenance > Estimating > Edit Input Fields.

To populate these from Bluebeam, in Bluebeam's custom columns, import the All Tekla PowerFab Custom Columns.xml file.

Note: Do not add a field named Comment. Bluebeam has a built-in field named Comments which is necessary for determining the units of the Length field. Tekla PowerFab gets confused as to which one to put in the Comment field, and ignores one. However, Tekla PowerFab won't always make the correct choice of which one to ignore, which may result in incorrect lengths.