How to perform punch in Bluebeam Cloud

Applies to:

Bluebeam Cloud — Web
Bluebeam Cloud — iOS

In addition to marking up documents via app/browser in Bluebeam Cloud, you can also perform punch and punch reporting out in the field. This article covers various ways you can set up a customized punch workflow as well as built-in features that allow you to complete the entire punch process in our web/mobile solution.

Prepare for punch

Before performing punch in Bluebeam Cloud, you can prepare your drawings and custom markups in Revu to streamline the process.

Create spaces in Revu

If you designate and label areas of your drawing using Spaces in Revu, this meta data will be available when you upload the drawing to Bluebeam Cloud.

If you have an active Core or Complete subscription plan, you can export Revit Rooms as Revu Spaces using the Bluebeam plugin in Revit.

After placing a punch in Bluebeam Cloud, the required Location field autofills as the corresponding space that was created in Revu. This helps standardize the location of punches placed by multiple collaborators, keeping the punch process organized.

When you upload a drawing with Revu Spaces to Bluebeam Cloud, the spaces will appear highlighted.

To further streamline the punch process for your team, you can also add a Revu Space for general notes.

For more information, visit Preparing your drawings for Bluebeam Cloud.

Import custom punch key symbols

In Bluebeam Cloud, a punch appears as a red dot by default when placed on a drawing. However, you can import custom punch key symbols into your Bluebeam Cloud Tool Chest if you want to see issues or disciplines at a glance. To do this:

Go to our Revu Custom Libraries page.
Select Tool Sets.
Go to the Construction tab. Here, you’ll see punch symbols for general and specialty contractors.
Select the punch category you need. This will download a .zip folder containing the punch symbols.
Before uploading the punch symbols, unzip the containing folder by locating it in your File Explorer, right-clicking it, and selecting Extract All.
Sign into Bluebeam Cloud.
Select or create a project.
Open a published PDF in Drawings or upload one.
After opening the drawing, select the Tool Chest.
You must have an active Bluebeam Plan (i.e., Basics, Core, or Complete) and Member/Admin permissions to access the Markup Editor in Bluebeam Cloud.
Select to Create or Upload Tool Set.
Select Upload and choose the punch tool set folder you previously downloaded and unzipped.

After uploading them, the custom punch keys will appear at the bottom of your Tool Chest in Bluebeam Cloud.

Punch key plan in Bluebeam Cloud

When you place a custom punch key on a drawing, its meaning and description appear in Comments and Shapes upon selection.

Punch key descriptions in Bluebeam Cloud

If you already have punch keys saved as custom markups in your Revu Tool Chest, you can send your tool sets to Bluebeam Cloud. For more information, visit this article.

Create punch items in Bluebeam Cloud

Aside from available customizations, you can complete the entire punch process in Bluebeam Cloud from start to finish. Each punch item contains the following fields for communicating with project stakeholders:

Location (required)
Description
Priority
Due Date
Assignee
You can only assign a punch item to someone who has been invited to your Bluebeam Cloud project. If applicable, you can also assign punch items to teams.
Scope of Work
Discipline

Additionally, you can add photos to your punch items to provide further context.

To place punch items, open a published PDF in the Drawings tab. Then, select the punch icon at the bottom of the markups toolbar.

Through the app, you can work in Bluebeam Cloud and perform punch without an internet connection. However, if multiple users are working on the same drawing offline, only the most recent update(s) will upload when back online.

Punch summary and reports

After completing a punch walkthrough in Bluebeam Cloud, you can view a summary of all punch items in your project. To do this:

Go to the project Dashboard and select Punch in the left sidebar. Here, you can edit individual or multiple punches, filter punch items, and export punches for reports.

Edit punch items

If you need to edit a punch item, select it from the punch summary. To select multiple punch items, press Ctrl while selecting subsequent punches.

Customize punch columns

In the Punch tab, you can also edit the columns of your punch summary. To customize which columns display, select the list icon in the right sidebar.

You can customize Disciplines and Scope of Work further in the project settings.

To resize a column, highlight it and hover over the lines that appear. Click and drag the divider to adjust the width.

If needed, you can also reorder your punch columns. To move a column, select it and click and drag to the left or right.

Filter punch items

To filter your punch items by specific fields (Priority, Location, or etc.), select the funnel icon in the right sidebar.

Delete punch items

After completing a punch walkthrough, you can delete extraneous punches if needed. To delete an individual punch, select the punch item and click/tap Delete in the Item dialog. Then, confirm.

You can delete more than one punch at a time by multi-selecting punch items with Ctrl and selecting Delete in the dialog.

Punch reporting

To create a report from your punch summary, select Generate Report next to the search field. Then, choose if you’d prefer a PDF or Excel file for your punch report.

You must have an active Core or Complete subscription plan to generate punch reports.

When you generate a PDF report, you’ll receive an email once it’s ready. Excel files will immediately download.

For more information about field tools available in Bluebeam Cloud, check out Get Started in Bluebeam Cloud.

Bluebeam Cloud

How-To

Getting Started

With Bluebeam Cloud, you can complete project workflows in the field. Learn about the punch process for our app/browser solution.

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