General Questions

What are the differences between Revu Standard, CAD and eXtreme^®?

With Revu^® Standard, you have access to a complete set of markup, editing and collaboration features, as well as plugins for Microsoft^® Office and the Bluebeam^® PDF printer for easy PDF creation.

Revu CAD includes everything in Standard, plus additional plugins for creating PDFs from AutoCAD^®, Revit^®, Navisworks^® Manage, Navisworks Simulate, SketchUp^® Pro and SolidWorks^®. You can also create 3D PDFs from AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks and SketchUp Pro.

Revu eXtreme includes everything in CAD and Standard, plus advanced features such as scripting, automatic form creation, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Batch Link®, Batch Slip Sheet, Batch Sign & Seal, linking real-time data from measurement markups to Excel^® worksheets and more.

You can compare all three editions of Bluebeam Revu here.

Can I transfer Revu from one computer to another?

Yes. For more information about transferring your license of Revu to another computer, please read this Support article.

What operating system does Revu run on?

All editions of Revu run on Windows^®.

What do I do if my hard drive crashes and I need to reinstall Revu?

Please contact the Bluebeam Support team for assistance and include your Revu serial number along with a brief description of the problem.

Does Revu support PDF forms?

Yes, Bluebeam Revu supports creating, viewing and filling AcroForm form documents. Revu also has full support for viewing and filling static XFA forms, and Dynamic XFA functionality continues to be updated as part of our ongoing development efforts.

With automatic form creation in Revu eXtreme, you can create forms from scanned or digital documents. Then, Revu will automatically detect fields such as signatures, date and checkboxes.

How can I learn more about Revu training programs?

Bluebeam offers a variety of training options, from self-guided online training courses to instructor-led customized training sessions. All our training offerings help you or your entire organization master Revu in no time. For more information, visit our Training page.

My clients do not have Revu. If I send them a file, will they be able to view my markups in another PDF viewer?

Yes. Bluebeam Revu follows the PDF standard, which allows markups made in Revu to be visible in other PDF viewers. However, the only way to use the unique markup features of Revu is by opening the PDF in Revu. Your clients who do not have Revu have two options: They can download Revu and use the free View Mode; OR, if they are iPad^® users, they can download the Bluebeam Vu app from the iOS store. Both options allow users to view PDFs and participate in Studio Sessions.

Where did Bluebeam Vu go? Is View Mode similar to Bluebeam Vu?

With the release of Revu 2018, the functionality of our free viewer, Vu, is now available via the View Mode built into Revu. View Mode allows project collaborators to view PDFs and access Studio Sessions and Studio Projects, even if they don’t own a license of Revu. To use this functionality, download a free trial of Revu. When the trial expires, you can continue to use View Mode indefinitely.

With the release of View Mode within Revu, Vu will no longer be maintained and updated as a separate product. Vu 2017 and earlier versions are still available on our Downloads and Updates page.

Is Revu localized in other languages?

Revu is localized in English (UK), Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean and Japanese.

How to Purchase Revu

Do I need to purchase a subscription?

Bluebeam Revu is available to purchase on a Perpetual License or as an Open License with an annual subscription. Check out our pricing page for more details.

Can I use a trial version of Revu prior to purchase?

Yes! Bluebeam offers a free 30-day trial of Revu eXtreme, our robust solution for power users, which you can download here.

Does Bluebeam offer any educational discounts?

Bluebeam offers educational discounts on Revu to current students and educators from accredited campuses and universities. Bluebeam also supports school and university campus labs by providing free licenses of Revu eXtreme.

Visit our Bluebeam Academic page for more information.

How do I buy an older version of Revu?

You may only purchase the latest version online. If you need to purchase an older version, please email us at sales@bluebeam.com or call us at 866-496-2140 Opt. 1. You may also purchase older versions of Revu through an authorized reseller.

How to Upgrade Revu

What is a minor upgrade?

We release minor upgrades to Revu when we make small enhancements to the latest version of the software. For example, if you purchased a Revu 2019 license, you can upgrade to version 2019.1.20 or any other version 2019.x release at no additional cost. Check for updates by going to Help > Check for Updates in Revu 2019 or Revu 20 by visiting our Support page.

What is a major upgrade?

We periodically release a major upgrade to Revu with significant enhancements and features. An example would be the upgrade from Revu 2019 to Revu 20. You can purchase a major version upgrade through our web store, email sales@bluebeam.com or call 626-788-4100 Opt. 1. Users with active Maintenance do not need to purchase major upgrades, as they’ll receive them free of charge. If you have active Maintenance and would like to upgrade, visit our Upgrade Page.

What if I upgrade AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks or SolidWorks and do not have the latest version of Revu?

If you upgrade to the latest version of AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks Simulate, Navisworks Manage and/or SolidWorks but do not have the latest version of Bluebeam Revu, you can still create PDF files using the Bluebeam PDF printer. For full access to the AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks and/or SolidWorks plugin, an upgrade of Bluebeam Revu may be required. View our complete Software Requirement Chart to check if your design software is compatible with your version of Revu.

How do I upgrade my current Revu edition to a different one?

This would be considered a crossgrade. We offer crossgrades when customers want to upgrade between editions (e.g., Standard 20 to eXtreme 20). In order to qualify for a crossgrade, the existing license must have active Maintenance. If the license is an older version or does not have active Maintenance, the customer must purchase an upgrade (e.g., Standard 2018 without Maintenance to eXtreme 20). For more information please contact sales@bluebeam.com.

Compatibility and Integrations

Does Bluebeam Revu integrate with any Document Management System (DMS)?

Bluebeam Revu offers direct integration with SharePoint^® and ProjectWise^® for seamless access to files stored in these document management systems. Revu also includes Studio Projects for file storage.

Can Revu run in a Citrix environment?

Bluebeam Revu is certified Citrix^® Ready^® for XenApp 6.5-7.6 and XenDesktop 7-7.6. To stay compliant with our EULA (End User License Agreement), you must purchase as many seats as there are Revu users in your organization.

Note that Windows Server 2008 R2 and above are supported under Citrix environments. For more information, visit our Support page.

General Questions

What is Studio?

Built into Bluebeam Revu, Studio enables powerful document management and real-time collaboration.

Studio Projects give you a single centralized location to store documents—even entire building projects—in the cloud. And Studio Sessions let project teams review, mark up and update the same files at the same time.

What are Studio Sessions?

Sessions enable document-based online real-time collaboration. They are accessible through the Revu interface. Only the host needs a Revu license to initiate a Studio Session, and all invited attendees can participate in the Session through Revu or Revu for iPad. If collaborators do not have a license of Revu, they can use Revu in View Mode or Vu for iPad.

What are Studio Projects?

Studio Projects enable streamlined document management by allowing you to store and manage your project files, including PDFs and other file types, in one place through the Revu interface. Teams can work with Project files regardless of internet access—simply sync files locally from a Project before going offline and re-sync any updates once you reconnect.

Collaborators who do not own a license of Revu can access the files using Revu in View Mode or Vu for iPad. Or, you can send them password-protected Share Links, which allow them to download a local copy of the files.

What type of permissions are available in Studio?

Studio—which includes options for organizations to have more administrative control over their Sessions and Projects—offers varying levels of permissions, from limiting the level of collaboration for internal users to managing participants outside of the organization. Learn more here.

Do I need to own Revu to access Studio?

You can access Studio and unlock the industry-standard markup tools in Revu without owning a license of the software. Download a trial of Revu to use in View Mode, or download the free Vu app for iPad.

Studio Session and Projects Comparison

Studio Prime

What is Studio Prime?

Studio Prime is a subscription that gives companies additional administrative and user management control over their Studio Projects and Sessions. Administrators can access Studio activity reports through the online Studio Prime Portal, as well as Folder Automations functionality and the Bluebeam Studio API for external application integrations.

Do I need to own Revu to use Studio Prime?

Yes, you need to own a seat of Revu to leverage the full benefits of Studio Prime. Studio Prime gives you access to user management capabilities, such as the ability to manage all members within their Studio Prime account, manage access to Studio Sessions and Projects content, as well as business insights from reports, through the Studio Prime Portal.

What are the different types of users within Studio Prime?

A Studio Prime subscription makes it easier to collaborate with outside vendors and project partners, giving your organization more control over each Studio participant. There are two types of users within Studio Prime: Members and Collaborators.

• MEMBERS
  Members are users who are invited to join your Prime account. They could be employees, joint venture partners or anyone who needs to become a managed user.

• COLLABORATORS
  Collaborators are external users that Members invite to attend managed Projects and Sessions. Collaborators could be superintendents, subcontractors or anyone who needs access to a Studio Project or Session within the Studio Prime account. Prime Administrators can control Collaborators' access to Members' managed Projects and Sessions.

When invited to the Studio Prime account, Members give Administrators the ability to manage their Studio account and associated Projects and Sessions. Collaborators, on the other hand, maintain control over their personal Studio account when joining or leaving a Project or Session within the Prime account.

How does an Administrator access the Studio Prime Portal to manage users and generate reports?

Administrators can access their Studio Prime account through the online Studio Prime Portal at studio.bluebeam.com.

What is the Studio API?

The Studio API lets Studio Prime subscribers create applications to manage their Studio Projects and Sessions. These applications can leverage Studio in a number of ways, including:

• Studio Projects and Sessions: Add and create.
• Project folders: Add or delete Project folders and manage folder permissions.
• Studio files: Add, update, download, and delete Project and Session files, and restore file revisions.
• Studio users: Invite or add users to Projects and Sessions, and manage user permissions.
• Studio permissions: Manage Project and Session permissions.
• Session activity: Get a report on all Session activity and create chat messages in a Session.
• Studio jobs: Execute file-processing jobs on Project files.

What is Folder Automations?

Folder Automations is a feature in Studio Projects that allows Studio Prime subscribers to streamline repetitive PDF-based workflows across a large number of users. Subscribers can automatically perform a set of predefined actions to files in a Project folder, including:

• Converting files
• Delete pages
• Export form data
• Export markups
• Extract pages
• Flatten
• Add headers and footers
• Import custom columns
• Insert blank pages
• Insert pages
• Process colors
• Reduce file size
• Repair page content
• Reverse pages
• Rotate pages
• Stamp
• Unflatten markups
• Create PDF/A report
• Save as PDF/A

What are the available file conversions supported by Studio Prime’s Folder Automations?

• DWG to PDF
• Word to PDF
• Excel to PDF
• Image (JPEG, TIFF, etc.) to PDF
• PostScript to PDF

General Questions

Can I still use my license of Revu for Mac?

While there will be no new development of additional features, you can continue to use your existing license of Revu for Mac. For more information on support options please see our support article.

The End User License Agreement for Revu for Mac is available here.

Can I install Revu on a Mac using Parallels or other virtual machine tools?

While it's possible to run Revu for Windows on a Mac via Boot Camp or Parallels, there are potential variables that may cause compatibility issues. Because of this, we can't troubleshoot or resolve user issues in these environments.

Licensing Options

What licensing options do you offer?

We offer three licensing options: Perpetual, Open, and Enterprise. To find out which one is right for you, check out our Revu Licensing Guide. For detailed information on how to register, manage and troubleshoot your Revu license, check out our Revu Administration Guide.

Bluebeam Gateway

What is the Bluebeam Gateway?

The Bluebeam Gateway is an online administrative portal available for licenses with active Maintenance. Gateway admins (also called license admins) can make changes to their Bluebeam accounts, add or remove Drawings Uploaders, manage other Gateway admins, and more. Check out our Gateway User Guide for more information.

What is a Bluebeam ID (BBID)?

Bluebeam ID is the login that allows you to seamlessly access multiple Bluebeam applications, including Bluebeam Gateway, Bluebeam Studio and Bluebeam Drawings^*. If you already have a Studio account, you can use the same email address and password for your Bluebeam ID. If you don’t use Studio, you can use the email address associated with your existing Gateway account to create a Bluebeam ID.

*Drawings is optimized using the United States National CAD Standard® (NCS).

General Questions

Bluebeam University

Does Bluebeam offer any self-guided training?

For users interested in self-guided training coursework, Bluebeam offers Bluebeam University where you can get an in-depth, comprehensive education of typical Revu workflows at a pace that fits your schedule.

For more information, visit the Bluebeam University page.