[Troy DeGroot]

This is awesome @Doug McLean

I’m curious if you used the polylength tool to trace the path of the radious, this would give you the length. Then take that length with the regular length tool and add the stair pitch. This should calulate the new length, then add the depth to get the wall area.

Pretty straight forward it you read that six times. 🤣

[Troy DeGroot]

Feel free to post a link to the video @Vince

It would be a great assest to the community.

[Troy DeGroot]

The line weights are a reflextion of the pixels which are unfortunetly not going to scale as we wish they would. Just another example where Bluebeam is frustratingly close to being a drafting tool. But not quite there.

With most markups we have remember we can collect an accurate measurement, but have the visual be a close representation.

Great question @robgib0

[Troy DeGroot]

Great post @lizlarsen

I do see some pushback from some users, typically because it’s a little more advanced to set up (but easy after the 3rd time). I am and will remain a HUGE advocate for using sets. My only complaint is that I wish they called it a “Binder” instead of a “Set”. It was a set before we exported all the sheets and pulled them back together again!

The biggest benefit I see for teams switching to Binders is that everyone is looking at the exact same set of drawings and it’s always current. Typically when a user runs into a “read-only” file, they create their own copy on their desktop. pretty soon there are six copies out there and a revision comes through and not everyone knows. Slip Sheet is one of my favorite tools in Revu because of the value it provides and how easy it is to run.

When I was working for a structural engineer, our folder structure was always, Drawings > Discipline > Date or issue

This makes it easy to map to a folder of updated drawings. Only one person needs to manage the updates also because everyone else has the .bex file pinned for the life of the project. This folder structure is also important so if the drawing folder is moved all the sub-folders stay relative with hyperlinks.

As a best practice, you might slip sheet updates, and create a brand new Binder for an Issued Set.

As for Binders in Studio, I build the drawing folder structure in the Studio Project along with the .bex file and encourage all my users to work from there. In the rare chance two users need to look at the same sheet, you can push that sheet to a Session. Once you’re finished collaborating return it to the Project. Pushing to a Session checks out the document from the Project until you check it back in when you finish the Session.

Whew, did I cover everything?

In summary, I hate “Sets”, but I love “Binders”🤣

[Troy DeGroot]

I stand by my suggestion of creating a custom column called “Responsibility” or “Vendor” and building a choice menu with the different vendor disciplines. Best if you can make the vendors general in case you’re using a different metal fab shop for individual projects. In other words, make “Metal Fab” the choice rather than “Homers Welders”. This way you can filter/sort all your bid materials by the vendor.

I’m not sure how this column impacts your export to Power Query, I’ll leave that to your smart guys.

[Troy DeGroot]

Right!

You know what they say, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” 🤣

Really all you can do is keep doing your best, work with integrity, and above all keep serving people. Success will chase you down.

[Troy DeGroot]

True @ChrisRiley, that could overwrite things you don’t want overwritten.

Can we script a “Save As” I wonder? I’d be Ok with that.

[Troy DeGroot]

Right, I built a script that would import that sheet with the layers, delete the layers page, then import the custom column file. All in one button.

[Troy DeGroot]

Scripts, sorry. 😜

[Troy DeGroot]

When you’re in the new drawing, go to the custom column window and export your custom column file. Save it someplace handy. Anytime you need to load them you can go to the same window and import the file before you upload to the session.

@lizlarsen will like this, you can also build a custom button with JavaScript to quickly load columns and layers in a blink of an eye.

I do like the idea of Projects rather then Session because you have the ability to utlize a folder structure. Sets is up for debate in the community, but I like them. Your idea for an RFI category is fantastic, I’d like to see that one played out.

[Troy DeGroot]

Yes grabbing the new link path to the Studio Project is a great way. Similar to what others spoke about, a digital dashboard is just a visual representation of a folder structure and it can perform exactly like a website. The trick and I think this is your solution, is to build out the folder structure and links to documents within that structure. Then upload the entire folder structure so the paths remain relative and still work.

Many times I’ll create a template folder structure so that I have a starting point for the next project. This may or may not include a Digital Dashboard (it’s not required)

[Troy DeGroot]

I love a good structural joke! 🤣🤣😂

[Troy DeGroot]

I have the entire year covered, all being presenters from XCON. 🎉

[Troy DeGroot]

Filter the list and update them all at once. I know, it’s the memory part that’s the struggle, not the how-to. 🤣

[Troy DeGroot]

I think between the four of us in our family we probably have over 2,000 pictures and I have pages of notes I need to make sense of. What an incredible trip, I can’t wait to compile everything in a sharable way. Maybe a “Read if you Care” blog post unrelated to Bluebeam.