Why use markups?
Markups keep drawing annotations in one place, instead of marked-up PDFs being passed around by email. Measurements are calculated directly on the drawing once it's calibrated, markups can be linked to RFIs or other drawings, and conversation threads on each markup keep the discussion attached to the exact spot on the plan it relates to.
Things to Remember
Markups are created by admins. Each markup is private to you by default, so only you can see it until you choose to publish it. The drawing viewer has also been improved, with higher quality zooming, smooth panning, a collapsible sidebar and a fullscreen option, so you have more room to work while marking up.
How to add a markup
Step 1: Open the drawing
Open your project and go to Drawings, then open the drawing you want to mark up.
Step 2: Choose a markup tool
Select a tool from the markup toolbar. You can choose from:
Pins to flag a specific point on the drawing
Shapes, including clouds, the standard for highlighting areas on construction drawings
Freehand to sketch directly on the drawing
Text to add written notes
Each tool also has a keyboard shortcut.
Step 3: Style your markup
With a markup selected, you can change its colour, fill, opacity and line thickness.
Tip: To deselect a markup, press Esc. To delete a selected markup, press Delete.
How to take measurements
Measurements need a one-off calibration per page, since pages within a drawing set aren't always at the same scale.
Step 1: Calibrate the page
Most drawings include a scale. Select the measurement tool, draw a line along the scale on the drawing, and enter the distance it represents, for example 10 mm. Choose your unit, then save the calibration.
Step 2: Measure on the drawing
With the page calibrated, you can measure both lengths and areas. Draw measurement lines anywhere on the drawing and BuildPass calculates the real distance of each line based on your calibration, or measure an area to calculate its size.
How to raise an RFI from a drawing
If you have a question about a specific area of a drawing, drop a pin on that location and select Raise RFI. The RFI is linked to that exact spot on the drawing, giving everyone clear context on where the question applies.
[Screenshot: A pin on the demo drawing with the Raise RFI option visible]
How to link a markup to an RFI or another drawing
Any markup can be linked to an RFI or to another drawing. Linking to a drawing is useful for cross-referencing, for example placing a markup on a floor plan that opens the related detail or section drawing when clicked. Select the markup and choose the link option from its menu.
How to publish a markup
Markups are private until you publish them. To share a markup, select it and choose Publish, then pick who can see it:
Admins — visible to other admins only
Everyone — visible to admins, workers and public link viewers
Comments on markups
Every markup has its own conversation thread. Select a markup to view and add comments. If a markup is published to everyone, workers can open it and reply to the thread from their side, keeping the conversation attached to the markup itself.
Tip: Selecting a markup on the drawing highlights it in the sidebar, and selecting it in the sidebar highlights it on the drawing, so it's easy to find the right markup when there are many on a page.
Locking a markup
Locking a markup stops it from being moved or deleted. Any admin can unlock a locked markup, so locking is a safeguard against accidental changes rather than a permission control.
Downloading and screenshots
From the drawing viewer you can:
Download the original drawing, or download it with markups included
Use the screenshot tool to select an area of the drawing and save it as an image to your device
What workers and public link viewers see
Workers see markups that have been published to everyone. They can click a markup, view its comments and reply to the conversation. Selecting a markup highlights it in the summary, so it's clear which markup a thread belongs to even on a busy page.
Public link viewers can see published markups on the drawing, but they can't view or take part in conversation threads.
Need Help?
If you have questions or need assistance, use the black chat box in the bottom-right corner to contact the BuildPass support team or email [email protected]