How-to guide

How to bring Bluebeam markups into Takeoff Studio

Name: How to bring Bluebeam markups into Takeoff Studio
Uploaded: 2026-10-30
Duration: 26 s
Description: How to bring Bluebeam Revu markups and their scale into free takeoff software: open the marked-up PDF and import the markups as measurements.

Someone has marked up a drawing in Bluebeam Revu and sent you the PDF. You don't need Bluebeam to use their measurements: Takeoff Studio, which is free on Windows, reads the markups saved in the PDF and turns them into measurements you can total, edit and add to. Your drawing never leaves your PC.

4 stepsFreeVideo 26 seconds

Step by step

Open the marked-up PDF

Start Takeoff Studio and choose Load PDF, or drag the PDF onto the window. You'll see Bluebeam's markups on the drawing straight away - at this point they're still just part of the PDF.

Import the markups

Open the PDF tab and choose Import Markups from PDF (it's also in the command palette, Ctrl+K). Lengths and lines become lengths, polylines become polylines, polygons and rectangles become areas, circles stay circles, counts stay counts, and text boxes and sticky notes become notes. On this plan, 9 markups came in: 5 room areas, a polyline, a length, a count of 5 doors and a note.

Use the scale from the markups

If the markups carry a scale and the page isn't calibrated yet, Takeoff Studio offers to use it. Say yes and the imported measurements show real quantities. You can still Calibrate (R) from a dimension on the drawing at any time.

Check the totals and carry on

Each markup keeps its label or subject as its name, and its colour. They're tagged PDF import, so you can find them in the Markups list. Their quantities are added to the Totals, and you can edit them or measure more alongside them.

Tips

The markups have to be saved in the PDF as markups. If the PDF was flattened, they're part of the drawing and can't be read as measurements.
Arrows, highlights and stamps are left out - they don't measure anything.
Running the import again skips markups you've already imported, so it's safe to run twice.
Bluebeam's own drawing of the markups stays visible in the PDF underneath. To compare the two, hide the PDF import tag in the Markups tab's layers.
Check one imported length against a printed dimension to make sure the scale is right.

Frequently asked questions

Is importing Bluebeam markups free?

Yes. Opening PDFs, importing markups, calibrating, every measuring tool and the live totals are free, with no account. Takeoff Studio Pro (£24.99 a month or £199.99 a year, first month free) adds auto-count, costed schedules, Excel, CSV and PDF exports and Send to BOQ.

Do I need Bluebeam installed?

No. Takeoff Studio reads the markups straight from the PDF file.

Does it work with markups from other PDF tools?

Yes, if they save standard PDF markups - most PDF markup tools do. Scale is read where the tool saves it with the markups, as Bluebeam does.

Are my drawings uploaded anywhere?

No. Takeoff Studio is a Windows app and works offline - the PDF and your measurements stay on your PC.