Wide-Format & Bluebeam Revu Blog

Guest article by Christian Erickson of Qnect - Connection Engineering and Design Software

“This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.”

~ President John F. Kennedy May 25, 1961

That was a big goal. We know the outcome. Goal reached.

Another big goal in the building and construction was recently announced. Specifically in the structural steel sector - a growing and important part of any project.

Chances are if you work in construction, you have probably at least heard of Bluebeam Revu. Although it is quickly becoming an industry standard, there are plenty of people who just don’t know what it is or what it does.

Essentially, Bluebeam Revu is a software application that allows users to markup, takeoff, organize, and collaborate with PDF files like never before. Here's how. 

The latest version of Bluebeam® Revu®, version 2019 has been released and AEC users have a lot to smile about. On the surface, you may not think much has changed, but under the hood, Revu 2019 is completely rebuilt.

The result is the fastest and most convenience version of Bluebeam ever. Check out the improvements.

The Designjet 1700dr is HP’s latest wide-format printer iteration targeting CAD and GIS workgroups. As per the product’s nomenclature, the “dr” refers to a dual roll model.

Die-hard fans of HP will look at this unit with blind admiration. However, There is more than meets the eye when it comes to it.

Your old plotter has served you well for years. But, how much is that old technology holding you back? Probably more than you think. 

Companies generally are pretty good about keeping their IT assets up to date. But surprisingly, this is usually constrained to server, workstation and software assets.

As technology in the construction industry advances, access to digital files, both in the office and the field, is becoming paramount. After all, this type of functionality promotes better communication across all partner channels. Keeping everyone on the same page makes jobs run more smoothly and earns companies more money.

When it comes to researching technology, in Google We Trust! 

Buyers today generally start their research on the web, and for good reason. There is a lot of content available for them to explore. 

So, in an effort to save you a chunk of time, we are providing a comparison between the well-known HP Designjet T730 and the new, popular Canon TM 300.

Be sure to update to the latest version of Bluebeam Revu. v.2018.6. 

See below for release notes. 

Construction documents are full of data, today more than ever. Often contractors or other project partners need to quickly search a set of plans to identify specific, important information.

Unfortunately, manually reviewing a set of printed plans is laborious, tedious, and invites mistakes. Luckily, there is a faster and more accurate way - the Search Tool in Blubeam Revu. For those who use it, Bluebeam's Search Tool is a game-changer for working with construction plans.

Duty Cycle -- It's a term that is normally related to office copiers or desktop printers. It usually refers to the maximum number of pages that a particular printer can produce in a month.

So, it is common to see a number like 20,000 or 60,000 when looking at those specs.

But, how does the term “duty cycle” relate to wide format printers?

When construction projects approach completion, a Punch List is one of the final activities that must be conducted.

Essentially, this is a list of repairs and incomplete work items remaining at the end of a project that must be finished by specialty contractors to address and fix, before the project is completed, plan submittals are completed, and the project is handed over to the building owner.

According to the Business Directory, this is the definition of a Punch List:

A listing of items requiring immediate attention before finalizing a construction project. It is a document listing work that does not conform to contract specifications, usually attached to the certificate of substantial completion. The contractor must correct the punch list work before receiving payment.

The topics of a punch list can be wide-ranging. For example, door adjustments, flooring issues, electrical problems, and damaged wood trim are all potential items in a punch list.

For decades, this has happened via a manual paper/pen process that is slow, tedious, and marred with potential communication problems.

Luckily, now, software applications, like Bluebeam Revu, provide a way to quickly and easily complete a punch list and keep every stakeholder up to speed, in real time.

Architectural design is something that is constantly evolving. One ever-changing aspect, that has completely redefined the design-build process, is BIM software (Building Information Modeling).

This is achieved through a variety of different software applications, all of which promote the absence of paper.

But, there are still plenty of opportunities where companies need to print construction plans - and color is absolutely crucial when printing 3D images from BIM. 

Why Canon PRO 4000 & 2000 Photo Printers Exceed Expectations

Leave it to Canon to raise the bar when it comes to producing new ultra-high quality wide-format printers.

And the new breed doesn’t disappoint. In fact, the new Canon PRO Series is turning heads with a multitude of new technologies that are completely different from anything else in the competitive field.

Although designed for professional photography and other digital artwork, there are plenty of situations where one of these photo printers would fit nicely.

See 9 reasons why the Canon PRO 2000, 4000, and 6000 printers will exceed your expectations.

Top Requirements for Map Plotters for Printing GIS Maps & Images

In 1597 Sir Francis Bacon declared that "knowledge is power."  Back then, the known world was a lot smaller, and he was only armed with a handful of books.

Today, anyone with an internet connection can get a mountain of knowledge, with a single mouse click.

This is easily showcased by the amazing amount of geographical information instantly available through Google Maps or Google Earth.

Both of these applications operate as web-based conglomerations of data sourced from both data and images, sourced from satellite imagery, aerial photography, and GIS. 

But, if you need a way to actually print this data in the form of GIS maps, aerials, or images, you need a printer that is fully capable of handling the task. 

Poster printing used to be a privilege reserved exclusively for high-end commercial print shops. Sure, they do good work, but it is expensive - especially if you are printing signs, book covers or posters on a regular basis.

But, changes in technology have not only made poster creation much easier, it has made it more accessible to everyone.

Today, if you can click a mouse, you can print some amazing posters with Canon equipment and software. See how.