Bluebeam’s Overlay feature is traditionally known for its role in revision comparison; however, its many uses go beyond what you may expect. I’ve even been able to use overlays to play spot the difference, but let’s focus on the most creative—and actually useful—applications I’ve created instead:

By overlaying architectural, structural, and MEP plans, teams can quickly identify spatial conflicts and ensure smooth coordination across disciplines (both in the 2D environment and early in the project). Another wacky but wonderful application is using Bluebeam overlays to generate a demolition diagram. With a unique setup process, anything we erase from the plan immediately shows up in red, as a set of demolition plans should. Additionally, the Overlay tool can be implemented at breakneck speed within Bluebeam Sets to create a comparison between all past revisions, ensuring that all required changes were made. Importing previous markups onto the overlay can further speed up this confirmation process, creating an easy diagram for verifying that all changes were made. Throughout the demonstrations, we discuss how Bluebeam’s new AI tool plays a huge part in this and accelerates the process of aligning drawings, improving both accuracy and efficiency.

Whether you’re performing a simple revision comparison or tackling complex design issues, this session will demonstrate how Bluebeam’s Overlay tool, coupled with AI advancements, can be used in creative ways very different from its traditional uses.