Best PDF Measuring Software

[zachlegomaniac]

Hi all,

I need to measure a 2D construction plan (landscape) to calculate various areas (in square feet) on a PDF doc. At work we use Adobe Acrobat, but it's terrible, and I can't imagine it's intended for this kind of work on a regular basis. Can someone recommend some applications to me? My cousin swears by Bluebeam for his very intricate, large scale commercial construction jobs. I'd probably only use a tiny fraction of its capabilities, however.

I should mention that doing this by hand is not an option, but I suppose that's implied in my question.

Thoughts?

Thank you,

ZLM

 

[campyguy]

Construction engineer chiming in here, bridges/structures/geotech. Takeoffs from a PDF file? Ugh. I use only Bentley DGN or Autodesk DXF files. I want "nutz on" measurements, not "that lawsuit has my nutz in a vice…

Revu is the cheapest option available, in that cheap is not a good thing - at least Bluebeam offers a gimped Mac app. Bluebeam offers so much more with their Windows suite options. I have Windows workstations dedicated to takeoffs, having cruised Mac options I'd avoid any app on the Mac platform for this kind of work. Honestly, I'd avoid using Revu for what you're looking for, opting for PlanSwift as the lowest-cost option (Windows-only, $1k for a seat).

Revu offers a 30-day trial if my memory serves me correctly - I try out the Mac version a couple of times each year b. If I were in a pinch I'd find a company that does nothing but takeoffs and certifies their results; the project may already be broken down and they're looking to pad their bottom line. Sorry, the macOS platform just isn't the best OS platform for takeoffs IMHO.

If you insist on doing this yourself, my suggested path would be buy Parallels Desktop, a Win 10 Pro license, and a Revu Studio (Windows-only) or PlanSwift seat. I tried takeoffs on a Mac a decade ago, it sucked then and it sucks now just as much.

 

[zachlegomaniac]

Thank you @campyguy . I really appreciate the insight. Don't want a bad takeoff on government work - that's for sure.