[Chris Riley]

Being a Structural and Miscellaneous Steel Detailer my work flow is as follows:

1. A set of Structural Design Documents, Architectural Design Documents, MEP Design Documents batch linked all in a Bluebeam Project and then added to a Session.

2. Everyone that needs to work on the project (project manager, detailers, checkers, connection engineers, etc.) gets an invite to the Session. Ideally, everyone’s markups would be assigned to their layer which would be created prior to placing the documents on the session. Obviously this takes everybody playing on the same team (herding cats!!), be nice if a persons Bluebeam Studio Display Name was added as their markups Layer by default.

3. Revised design documents show up, affected sets get pulled down at a pre-assigned time and slip sheet new drawings, migrating all markups to the newer drawings.

4. All questions/RFIs get asked thru markups on these sets of drawings on a ‘Project Management’ layer (using statuses to show if they are open/re-submitted/closed). RFIs are created using a PDF form and since we can’t link or use Legends in sessions, then using the ‘File Attachment’ placing it near the markup designating the RFI is the next best thing. Be nice to have an RFI Summary Legend (Customers sometimes ask for these) on the title drawing, maybe I can figure something out.

5. Since I use SDS2/AllPlan for modeling, connection design, detailing, CNC, etc. I have the following work flow with Tool Bags: Project Setup/Model Input (this consist of markups that designate things likes a) Top and Bottom of column elevations, b) Top and Bottom connection types, c) Special considerations, i.e. Steel Grades, etc., d) connection loads on beams and bracing left and right ends, e) Field Work section notations, etc.

6. Have ideas for model checking and 2D QC punch list work flows and we have been somewhat successful at prying physical paper away from the industry and now they are hooked on electronic paper using the old physical paper work flows (frustrating).

The goal in items 1 thru 5 is a single source of truth in real time, hopefully I will get to see it in my lifetime, but it needs to happen soon 62 in December. 😀