[Vince]

One of the things I use the pasting of numbers from Excel for is progress for valuations as I already have a spreadsheet with all of the stages on it.

I start by taking a site layout and removing many of the layers so I have something that is uncluttered as possible.

I then add the stages as close to the plots as I can get them. This is then printed on A3 so I can use my weatherproof clipboard as I walk around site.

This way I don’t have to refer to a ticksheet and then a layout as I walk around site. On one site I have four phases and two trades on each phase so things can get a bit complicated!

When I get back to the office completing the valuation on Excel takes just a few minutes.

[Vince]

I think Troy has said that this is something to do with the actual text – possibly two layers overlapping or something like that?

I have actually given up using Sets as this happens far too often with the drawings I use. I haven’t got the time to manually adjust so many when there are hundreds involved.

As a shortcut I’ve got a spreadsheet which goes through my folders and collates all the drawings & rebsions based on their file names.

However I would much prefer it if Sets could be made to work a bit better in this regard.

[Vince]

Profile capabilities in 2018 are not exactly the same as those in 2020?

[Vince]

I have started using the new layer configuration setting a lot more for engineering layouts. Declutter a drawing so that when you go out on site you can follow the info a lot more easily e.g. I don’t need to see fence lines / types when I’m interested in the drainage however being able to keep the retaining walls on there is helpful.

[Vince]

Thanks David – I definitely have a look at that next time!

[Vince]

Thanks Troy.

What about if you don’t want the client to have the option to unflatten the mark-ups if they have Bluebeam?

I think we have one client who has given our drawings to a rival company at tender stage so I’m trying to make sure that if this happens they can’t get the individual details.

[Vince]

Thanks David!

This is one of those rare instances where I think it is quicker to just use the spreadsheet to measure rather than a combination of Bluebeam and Excel.

When I did the measures for the house in the video that was real time i.e. it literally took 3 or 4 minutes to input all of the measures for both the Brickwork and the Scaffolding. From that I have all of the breakdowns automatically generated. This is because a lot of the measures are generated from just a couple of dimensions at DPC level. I personally can’t mark-up that fast on Bluebeam.

I have done a few more videos going into a bit more detail and showing how quick it is to make adjustments for alternative elevations – this is because you don’t have to start your measures all over again.

HOWEVER, hopefully I will have something else very soon that will satisfy the Bluebeamer in you!!!

I’ve been trying out something new which I have almost finished – just need to have a chat with Troy hopefully later this week.

[Vince]

Hi David. Trying something new here so if you get a chance can you have a look at the following and let me know what you think???? https://youtu.be/K1NcK8kQEQQ

[Vince]

Hi David.

I have another spreadsheet specifically for brickwork & scaffolding take-offs – I will try to work out how to post an example on here. No Bluebeam used in the actual measuring but it is extremely fast and still just as accurate.

[Vince]

Hi David

Unfortunately I am the IT team 😱!

Revu > Preferences > Admin > Backup is where I went – it creates a Zip file which appears to save the .bpx and .btx files but I just wondered if this would miss anything like formulas in custom columns, etc.?

[Vince]

Not if I want to get drawings to the guys on-site within the next year or so!

[Vince]

Hi David. I have tried using Sets but unfortunately I just haven’t been able to get it to work for me and have given up on that.

Basically, I am unable to get Bluebeam to label up all of the drawings properly because there appears to be no consistency in the placing of title blocks, rev no’s, etc and that is even when it is the same Engineer or Architect has produced the drawings. Throw into the mix specialists, structural engineers, civil engineers, architects, etc and everything just becomes a complete mess.

Hopefully Bluebeam will fine tune things at their end to sort some of these issues out.

In the meantime I have developed a spreadsheet which uses Power Query to produce a drawing register. Basically, I keep all of the drawings in dated sub-folders as the revisions come through. Power Query produces the register based on the contents of all the files. The file name is then hyperlinked so if I want to open a drawing then all I have to do is click on the name. Hope that makes sense!

With regards the printers – I don’t think it would be wise to complicate things any further for them! 😆

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[Vince]

By the looks of it I have just overloaded it with too many table merges and appends. So it is back to writing some old fashioned formulas for some of the spreadsheet and some more basic Power Query stuff for the rest.

[Vince]

Although I think I may have just overloaded Power Query with something as it is taking way too long to refresh!

[Vince]

Macros are very good but Power Query takes things to a whole new level!