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[steph]

where can I get more information about dashboards?

[Steve]

Is this what you are looking for?

http://support.bluebeam.com/video-archives/#creating-a-digital-dashboard-webinar

[Steve]

I've attached a screenshot of a very simple dashboard we do for projects.  We use the dashboard as a type of whiteboard where we can all add notes, comments, cross things out, etc.  This was one of the first ones we had where there were so many questions we needed to add 2 more sheets of dashboard. 

Anything underlined in blue is a link to the corresponding document.  In the bottom left it is a Dropbox link to take you to the original "raw" drawing set, which includes the drawings we don't typically need.  We mainly use the Architectural drawings.  But if someone needs to pull an Electrical or a Plumbing drawing, they can access the Dropbox and get it.  There's also the Architect's color rendering in the middle.  Below the project title in the upper right corner is a link to the Architect's 3D flythough of the project.  These last two depend on if they are available or not.

We have these standard sections:
ADDENDA - links to all the addenda files (text files, not drawings)
MSI CONTRACTUAL - These are all of our "in-house" project documents.
QUESTIONS / ISSUES - This is where we note questions as we work on the project.  Others may come and answer them, or cross them out, or otherwise modify.
IMPORTANT NOTATIONS - This section is for things that we see as critical that everyone notes on the project.  These can be added / edited by anyone.

This dashboard is placed as the first page in the drawing set, so it becomes part of the package.  When someone opens the project set, this is what they first see.  We are still refining things as we go along.  Not as "pretty" as some in the above video examples.  But we use it mainly internally as a scratchpad / dashboard.

[steph]

hi all - that video is the most useful thing I have come across but still had questions. Thanks for the example dashboard Here are some specific questions I have:

1) can you tell Revu to open a specific page when it loads (ie: the dashboard page). I know it can open the 'last' page you had open, but then I have to make sure to open that page before I exit, and the dashboard is probably not the last page I would be working on. Maybe enhancement request?

2) can you set up dashboards that recognize the user and enable/disable links based on user id? The scenario is we would like to create a dashboard that multiple contractors can use - but don't want contractors to be able to see other contractors' items (ie contractor 1 may be working on 4 projects, and contractor 2 on only 1 projects). Can the dashboard 'filter' the project list based on who is logged in. I'm guessing no, but at the very least you can control access at the 'project' level using groups I believe.

so currently my thinking is that we should create a dashboard for each contractor that lists their own projects, and links to their folders in BB project. Any other setup options I should consider?

[Steve]

In regard to #1 (I'll give my thoughts on #2 in a separate reply) - I think this will work - just tested briefly here.

1 - Create your dashboard (or a test file) and save as PDF.  Place the dashboard into the Revu Templates folder (I think you can't have spaces in the name).  The Template Folder is at:  C:\Users\yourUSerName\AppData\Roaming\Bluebeam Software\Revu\17\Templates.  The "17" might be "16" if you are on Revu 2016.  (NOTE: If you want it accessible to all users, you might need to put the template at C:\ProgramData\Bluebeam Software\Bluebeam Revu\2017\Revu\Templates.  The first location is for you as a user - this second one is for the app in general and should be for any user and might be what you need for people logging in under other accounts.  I HAVE NOTE TESTED THIS, HOWEVER).

2 - Quit and relaunch Revu

3 - Go to FILE menu and click on the NEW icon - don't select from the popup list.  Just click the icon.

4 - In the dialogue that opens, from the TEMPLATE popup select your dashboard (template) you just created.

5 - Then click on the button SET AS DEFAULT.  Click OK to close the dialogue.  Then repeat Step 3 and make sure that your dashboard / template now appears automatically as the default template in the popup list.  Just cancel out of the dialogue after checking.

6 - Now open the application preferences.

7 - Scroll down to STARTUP.

8 - Check the box "BLANK PDF" and click OK.

9 - Quit Revu and relaunch.  I think your dashboard will auto open on launch. (*fingers crossed*)

It looks like the "Blank PDF" in the startup preference points to what you have set as your default template.  Try it and let me know if it works for you.  I am on Extreme 2017.

[Steve]

In regard to #2, I'm just talking theory here, but this is how I would pursue it.

Based on what you are saying, it sounds like you need a DYNAMIC dashboard - one that changes based on who accesses it.  That is going to require scripting of some sort.  And since Revu doesn't support (at least that I have found) the ability to SHOW and HIDE markups, etc, then simply hiding things you don't want a contractor to have access to won't work.  You could script LOCK/UNLOCK - but I think the user could over ride that while using.  Just depends on how secure you need to be.  I think you will have to create a solution using FORMS.  The two options I would explore are:

1 - Create separate dashboards for each contractor.  For the DEFAULT document that opens, instead of any one dashboard, I'd create a PDF that has a form field that is auto-populated by the username (for verification purposes by the user).  You could even add a password field here if you like.  Add an OK and CANCEL button and you have essentially created a LOGIN SPLASH SCREEN.  Then with Javascript, based on the username (and password if used) when the OK button is pushed the user is taken to "their" dashboard.  Advantage: Minimal scripting.  Disadvantage: Maintaining multiple dashboards for multiple contractors/users.

OR

2 - Create a single dynamic dashboard using forms and Javascript.  Use Javascript to change / auto-populate the contents of popup fields based on who "logs in".  When the user opens Revu, Javascript captures the username and, in essence, creates parts of the dashboard on the fly.  Buttons are created (and I think form items CAN be hidden, or "deactivated") and so on.  You would have to script not just parts of the interface, but script the scripts used by the interface as well.  Advantage: Just one dashboard.  Disadvantage:  A TON of Javascript programming.

That said, this is again - all theory.  I'm not a Javascript person and am only remotely familiar with Revu's form features as we don't use them here where I work (yet).  There are lots of Javascript resources on the web.  Here is one I found on capturing a Windows username for a PDF file:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/827805

Good luck!

[Steve]

This conversation got me thinking more about our dashboards, so I created a new, nicer looking one for a project we just started working on using some of the ideas in the Bluebeam Webinar video linked above.  In addition to linking / launching all the contract documents, etc from the dashboard, there is link to Dropbox where ALL the drawings are kept if someone needs to pull one not in our Architectural set.  There is is copy of the architect's rendering as well as architect and construction manager info.  The sun/cloud icon takes you to a weather.com page for the weather at the project site, and the map in the circle icon takes you to Google Maps with a map & directions from our location to the site.  These last two are to assist Project Managers who may need to go do a site visit.

Feel free to share any feedback, as this is definitely a work in progress!

[steph]

It's being really weird. I can follow all your steps and get it to work with one of the existing templates. But when I set my template as the default and reopen Revu I get a blank page... so it's opening a blank page, just not the default one, or it is loading the default one but for some reason not loading any of the items on the page (3 'buttons').

Also fyi, even though I save the file with a name 'MyDashboard', and in file explorer it shows 'MyDashboard', when you go to select it in Revu it shows up a 'PowerPoint Presentation' (because I created in PP that I then converted to a pdf?). And if I have 2 dashboards in there they will both be called 'PowerPoint Presentation'. So it gets confusing! I've deleted one but Revu still insists that there are 2 of them in there. Maybe it will refresh when I restart my PC.

Did you get your new template to open up when Revu opens?

I will try creating a pdf directly from Revu rather than PP and ssee if that makes it happy

[steph]

success! If I create the pdf in Revue then it all works as expected... The name is 'MyDashboard' in both the folder and the Revu interface, it opens up automatically when I start Revu, and the button is there and still hyperlinked

thanks so much, hope my clients like it!

[Steve]

Woo hoo!  Glad to hear it worked!