Dynamic Fill is a powerful tool that allows you to make quick, precise selections on a drawing. Measurements, Markups, and Spaces can then be efficiently applied to the selections, making it much easier to perform takeoffs. Dynamic Fill is especially useful when working with irregularly shaped regions on a drawing, as it allows you to make a perfect selection with just one click.  

This article will demonstrate how to use Dynamic Fill in Bluebeam Revu 20. The following examples are taken from 64x Bluebeam Revu 20 eXtreme edition, but the functionality is available in all versions of Bluebeam Revu.

Dynamic Fill can be found under Tools > Measure. The tool is also accessible via the Measure toolbar, the Measurement panel, or the keyboard shortcut J.

Using Dynamic Fill

 Dynamic Fill works by allowing you to quickly “paint” enclosed spaces to make a selection. Dynamic Fill will detect content layers of drawings, and will automatically select enclosed spaces, which can make measuring irregular rooms much easier. All Dynamic Fill functions and settings can be accessed via the floating toolbar that will appear upon selecting the tool.

To make a selection with Dynamic Fill, you will first want to find an enclosed space on the PDF. When working with spaces that are already enclosed, all you need to do is select Fill from the Dynamic Fill toolbar. Click and hold the mouse within the region and the tool will automatically “paint” the enclosed space to create a precise selection.

Dynamic Fill can be used on non-enclosed regions as well by adding a temporary boundary. Once the region is fully enclosed, either by the drawing or by added boundaries, the Fill tool can once again be used to make a selection.

To add a boundary, select Add Boundary and choose points on the drawing. Once all points have been selected, double click to finalize the boundary.

Once a selection has been made, different measurement and markup options can be selected from the Dynamic Fill toolbar. There are options to create a Space, place a Polygon markup, or apply a Polylength, Perimeter, or Volume measurement. You can select one, or multiple, options to apply to the selection. Once the desired options have been selected, click Apply.

The chosen measurements and markups will appear within the selected area. 

Clearing Dynamic Fill

There may be times that you need to clear a fill or boundary if it doesn’t work for the selection you need. To delete a fill or boundary, select the Clear Dynamic Fill option from the Dynamic Fill toolbar. The dropdown menu will allow you to clear the fill, the boundaries, or both at once.

Dynamic Fill Settings

Dynamic Fill preferences can be adjusted using the Dynamic Fill Settings button on the toolbar. Any change in settings will be temporary – when the Dynamic Fill toolbar is closed, the settings will reset to the default options. It’s generally a good idea to adjust the settings before using Dynamic Fill.

The following options can be set using Dynamic Fill Settings:

• Boundary Size: Determines the size of the cursor when adding boundary lines.
   
• Boundary Color: Adjusts the color of the temporary boundary lines.

• Fill Size: Determines the cursor size when filling a shape
  

• Fill Color: Adjusts the color of the fill when making a selection.
  

• Fill Speed: Determines the speed at which the fill spreads.

• Edge Sensitivity: Determines the sensitivity when detecting lines within the content layer of the PDF. If the fill continues to spread outside of enclosed spaces, increasing the Edge Sensitivity might help the tool more accurately detect boundaries.

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Lauren Hecker is a Bluebeam Certified Instructor and teaches Onsite Bluebeam Certified Courses, virtual Bluebeam Basics and Advanced courses, and custom onsite or virtual courses. To see her next open enrollment course, please visit our calendar. To schedule an onsite or custom course, please contact us!