Use Connected Sessions to view markups in Revit

Applies to:

  • Revu 21
This feature is only available with a Bluebeam Max plan.

Connected Sessions streamlines design collaboration by integrating Bluebeam Studio Sessions directly into Revit 2025 and later. This workflow allows you to view and engage with real-time markups and comments from Studio Sessions overlaid on your 2D sheets and 3D models without leaving Revit.

   How to use Revit Connected Session Video2:51

Learn how to use Revit Connected Sessions to stream live Studio markups directly into your Revit model views, so you can review, respond, and update designs without leaving Revit. Watch the video.

Prepare the PDF for Connected Sessions

Connected Sessions rely on two key elements: the Bluebeam plugin for Revit and viewports. The plugin embeds essential metadata during printing, making it the only valid way to generate a PDF you can use with Connected Sessions. Viewports then bind the Session markups to the model. You must add markups within a viewport in Revu for them to appear in Revit. In Revit, you can then view markups, add comments, and update statuses.

Enable the Bluebeam plugin for Revit

To load the Bluebeam plugin into Revit, follow these steps:

  1. In Revu, select Revu > Administrator.

  2. Under the Plugins tab, verify that Revit 2025 or later is selected.

  3. Select Apply.

Create the PDF using the Bluebeam plugin

To create a PDF with the essential metadata, follow these steps:

  1. Open the model in Revit.

  2. Go to the Add-ins tab.

  3. In the Bluebeam section, select Change Settings to modify the PDF output settings, if needed.

    Markups must be placed within viewports on the exported PDF pages, which originate from ViewSheets in Revit. When selecting views for export in Change Settings, include any ViewSheets that contain the viewports you need.

  4. Select Create PDF.

The PDF must be created using the Bluebeam plugin for Revit. PDFs created any other way won't work in Connected Sessions.

Check viewports in Revu

To confirm that the viewports are intact, follow these steps:

  1. Open the PDF in Revu.

  2. In the left panel, select Measurements.

  3. Under Viewports, confirm that the viewports are present and haven't been moved, resized, or deleted.

Additional markups, sheets, or content can be added to the file as long as the viewports remain intact.

Markups placed outside a viewport won't appear in Revit. Ensure your viewports cover all areas where reviewers are likely to comment.

Start a Session

To start a new Session, do the following:

  1. In Revu, select Studio.

  2. Select Add > New Session.

  3. Enter a name for the Session.

  4. Under Documents, add the generated PDF and any other files or folders.

  5. Select OK.

Once you create the Session, you can start adding markups, comments, and invite attendees. All Session attendees can add markups regardless of their Bluebeam plan.

Connect to a Session

When connecting to a Session, you need to stay signed in to Revu. To connect to a Studio Session in Revit, follow these steps:

  1. In Revit, select Add-Ins > Connected Sessions.

  2. Sign in using your Bluebeam ID (BBID).

  3. Select the recently created Session from the list of Sessions.

Once connected, select the exported PDF document to view its markups, comments, and statuses. Markups are visible in ViewSheets, 2D sheet views, and 3D sheet views. When you select a markup in the Connected Sessions panel, the corresponding ViewSheet containing the markup’s viewport is activated, and the markup is displayed on that sheet. Opening the markup displays it in the View associated with the viewport. To view markups on the 3D model, switch to 3D view in Revit.

You don't need a Bluebeam Max subscription to start a new Session in Revu. However, a Bluebeam Max subscription is required to view real-time markups using Connected Sessions in Revit. You can't be signed in to both Studio Sessions in Revu and Connected Sessions in Revit at the same time.

Update markups in 3D view

To update a markup in 3D view in Revit, follow these steps:

  1. In the Connected Sessions panel, select the Session then open the PDF file.

  2. Locate the markup in the 3D view.

  3. Select the blue dot in the upper-right corner to bring up the markup's context menu.

    Three values are displayed on the right side of the markup's context menu. These values represent the Z coordinates of the Bottom Plane, Cut Plane, and Top Plane of the View containing the markup. By default, the markup is placed at the Z coordinate of the Cut Plane.

  4. Use the following options to update the markup:

    • Drag Markup: Move the markup along the Z axis by dragging the handle (available only in 3D view).

    • Set Z Position: Adjust the Z position in the markup using either a spinner with a user-defined step (e.g., 1 ft, 1 in, or 0.1 in) or by entering the value directly.

    • Open Viewport: Navigate to the View Sheet and Viewport containing the markup.

    • Hide/Show Markup: Toggle the visibility of the markup.

    • Show Across Sections / Show in One Section: Toggle whether the markup is displayed in all intersecting View Sections/Elevations or only in the original section where it was placed.

The context menu values are preserved across Sessions, even when Revit is closed and reopened.

How-To

Revu 21

Connected Sessions

Learn how to set up Connected Sessions in Revit to view and interact with real-time markups overlaid on your 2D sheets and 3D model.