How to recreate a PDF to fix file-specific issues

Applies to:

  • Revu 21
  • Revu 20
  • Revu 2019
  • Revu 2018

Jump to other versions:

Problem

You are having the following issues with a specific file or group of files:

  • An error message appears reading: “Object reference not set to an instance of an object.”
  • Certain markups/tools don’t work in a specific PDF.

Cause

One of your files, or group of files, may be corrupted. Common causes of file corruption include:

  • PDF conversion. Certain PDF converters produce low-quality PDFs.
  • Uploading or saving a PDF. File corruption can occur when another system process interrupts the saving or uploading of a PDF.

Solution

Recreating a PDF serves as a general solution for fixing file-specific corruption issues. It generates a new PDF around the original content while clearing the file of most instances of corruption. You will then be able to re-import your markups onto a new PDF.

To recreate a PDF:

  1. First, export any markups on the original PDF by going to the Markups List > Markups > Export Markups (Ctrl+F2).
    Be sure to save the export in a location/folder that is easy to access when you re-import the markups on a new PDF.
  2. Then make a copy of the affected PDF(s).
  3. Open the copy in Revu.
  4. Delete any markups on the PDF (if present). To delete your markups:
    1. Open the Markups List  (Alt+L).
    2. Select a markup from the  Markups List, then press Ctrl+A to select all markups.
    3. Press Delete on your keyboard to clear all markups from the PDF.
  5. Save the copy by pressing Ctrl+S, then close the file.
  6. Go to File > Create > From File. The File Explorer window appears.
  7. Select the same copy and click Open. The Save As dialog box appears.
  8. Click Save. The file is recreated.
  9. If you had markups on the original PDF, you will need to re-import them:
    1. Go to the  Markups List > Markups > Import. The File Explorer window appears.
    2. Select the export file you generated in Step 1 and click Open.

The newly generated file will now have all of your markups.

We recommend using the Bluebeam PDF Printer or the Bluebeam plugin whenever generating PDFs from the source files. This will ensure high-quality PDF creation and prevent many file-specific issues from occurring.

For Revu 21 users, you must have a Core or Complete subscription plan to use Bluebeam plugins.

How-To

Revu 2019

Revu 20

Revu 21

Performance

Revu 20

Other versions of this article

Revu 2017 and older

Problem

You are having the following issues with a specific file or group of files:

  • An error message appears reading: “Object reference not set to an instance of an object.”
  • Certain markups/tools don’t work in a specific PDF.

Cause

One of your files, or group of files, may be corrupted. Common causes of file corruption include:

  • PDF conversion. Certain PDF converters produce low-quality PDFs.
  • Uploading or saving a PDF. File corruption can occur when another system process interrupts the saving or uploading of a PDF.

Solution

Recreating a PDF serves as a general solution for fixing file-specific corruption issues. It generates a new PDF around the original content while clearing the file of most instances of corruption. You will then be able to re-import your markups onto a new PDF.

To recreate a PDF:

  1. Make a copy of the affected PDF(s).
  2. Open the copy in Revu.
  3. Delete any markups on the PDF (if present). To delete your markups:
    1. Open the Markups List (Alt+L).
    2. Select a markup from the Markups List , then press Ctrl+A to select all markups.
    3. Press Delete on your keyboard to clear all markups from the PDF.
  4. Save the copy by pressing Ctrl+S, then close the file.
  5. Go to File > Create > From File (Ctrl+N). The File Explorer window appears.
  6. Select the same copy and click Open. The Save As dialog box appears.
  7. Click Save. The file is recreated.
  8. If you had markups on the original PDF, you will need to re-import them:
    1. From the Markups List panel, click Import (Ctrl+F3). The File Explorer window appears.
    2. Select the original PDF file and click Open.

The newly generated file will now have all of your markups.

We recommend using the Bluebeam PDF Printer or the Bluebeam plugin whenever generating PDFs from the source files. This will ensure high-quality PDF creation and prevent many file-specific issues from occurring.

How-To

Revu 2017 & Below

Performance

You are having the following issues with a specific file or group of files: An error message appears reading: “Object reference not set to an instance of an object.” Certain markups/tools don’t work in a specific PDF.

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