Bluebeam Studio is an integrated cloud-based solution that allows for powerful document management and real-time collaboration. There are two parts to the Studio platform: Studio Sessions, which focuses on real-time PDF collaboration, and Studio Projects, which offers anytime/anywhere access to any document type through the cloud.

Bluebeam Studio (which includes both Sessions and Projects) is included free with every license of Revu you purchase, and there is no additional charge for any of the functionality it contains. Using Bluebeam Studio, you can manage your projects digitally from start to finish, anywhere, at any time.

This article will go through the basics of accessing Bluebeam Studio, creating a Studio account, and working with Studio Sessions and Studio Projects.

The following examples were done using the 64x Bluebeam Revu 2019 eXtreme edition, but Bluebeam Studio is available in every version of Bluebeam Revu.

LOGGING INTO BLUEBEAM STUDIO

You can access Bluebeam Studio via the Studio panel icon in Bluebeam Revu. Select Sign In, and you have the option to either log in to or create a Studio account. You can create a Studio account for free using the Create Account tab. Once created, you’ll be able to log in to Bluebeam Studio and will have access to both Studio Sessions and Studio Projects.

Studio Sessions vs Studio Projects

Studio Sessions and Studio Projects differ quite a bit from one another. Studio Sessions is made for real-time PDF collaboration, and Studio Projects is a document management system that lets you store documents in the cloud. Before going over the workflows of both versions, you may want to first compare the platform parameters of each.

Creating a Session or a Project

Both Sessions and Projects will be docked up at the top of the Studio panel when opened. Both types of Studio provide an Add button, which can be used to either Create or Join a Session or Project. To join a Session or Project, you will need to have a Studio ID which can be provided by the creators of the Project or Session. 

Selecting New Session or New Project will let you create your own Session/Project, which you can use to invite collaborators to join via email invite or Studio ID.

Studio Sessions

Studio Sessions is a collaboration solution that focuses on the integrity of the document and the authors of its markups. In a Session, you can comment on a PDF in real time with project partners regardless of location. All attendees can be active and working in a PDF concurrently, and all markups placed on the document can be seen in real time. Any activity made in the Session will be tracked in the Record, including when users join/leave, documents are added, or markups are edited.

A benefit to working in Studio Sessions is that the integrity of markup authorship stays secure – in a Session, only the creator of a markup will be able to edit it. You can be sure that your markups and edits will stay unchanged, even when working with various project partners at once. 

Working with Studio Sessions allows you to ensure that all project partners are able to communicate and collaborate concurrently. Once completed, all of the activity that occurred in the project (including who joined, when markups were placed, and any chat messages sent) can be exported to a report, that can be used as meeting notes for a collaboration Session or to provide additional accountability on your projects.

Studio Projects

Studio Projects is a document management system that provides access to an unlimited amount of online storage where project team members can upload and access any file about which they need to collaborate. From the Studio Project home, you can upload individual files, full folders, or create blank folders, allowing you to not only host documents of any type but also keep them organized for your exact needs.

As a Project owner, you can also restrict user access through a variety of user, project, and folder permissions – letting you know that sensitive information will stay secure when hosted in the Studio Project cloud.

Studio Projects allows attendees to collaborate on document edits via a check out and check in process. Project files can only be edited once they are checked out, and edits can only be viewed by project partners once the file has been checked back in. This can help ensure that you’re able to markup documents without interruption from other project partners. Studio will use the check out and check in events to manage a history of revisions for each document in a Studio Project, and allows you to both view and reopen revision histories of documents if needed.

For a more in depth guide on how to use every feature of both Studio Sessions and Studio Projects, consider signing up for our Bluebeam Revu Essentials course, which focuses heavily on Bluebeam Studio with instructor-led demonstrations and hands-on activities. Find the next Bluebeam Revu Essentials course on our events page: https://www.taradigm.com/events/

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please use the comment section on the bottom of this page, and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog to get more Bluebeam tips & tricks directly in your inbox!

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!