How to Use Bluebeam Max Connected Sessions with Revit

Connected Sessions in Bluebeam Max links Bluebeam Studio Session markups to the corresponding 3D model view in Revit, so BIM users can see the issue in its model context without leaving Revit.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to prepare a PDF from Revit, create a Studio Session, connect it to Revit, and review and close out markups in both 2D and 3D.

Let’s look at what Connected Sessions are and how to set them up correctly.

Note: The same Bluebeam ID can’t be signed in to a Studio Session in Revu and to Connected Sessions in Revit at the same time. Plan for this if one person handles both roles.

How Connected Sessions Work

The connection follows this path:

Bluebeam PDF → Studio Session → Markup → Revit sheet → Revit 3D view

The Bluebeam Add-in for Revit embeds metadata in the PDF, and viewports tie each markup to its model context. Studio Sessions remain the collaboration layer where participants add markups, comments, and statuses to a shared document.

Prerequisites to Use Connected Sessions

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• A valid Revit license on a supported version (Bluebeam supports recent releases including Revit 2025 and 2026, and newer releases through updated plugins)
• A Bluebeam Max subscription for the person who will view markups in Revit
• Revu 21.9 or later, with the Revit Plug-in installed (manage it through the Bluebeam Administrator tool)
• A Bluebeam ID for signing in to Connected Sessions

Don’t have Max yet? You can request a 14-day free trial with every feature unlocked.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Connected Sessions with Revit

To use the feature correctly, follow the steps in the correct order. Here’s how to set up and use Connected Studio Sessions between Bluebeam and Revit.

Step 1: Prepare the PDF from Revit

The PDF must be created with the Bluebeam Add-in inside Revit. This export embeds the viewport and metadata that Connected Sessions depends on. A PDF created through any other print or export method will not work with the integration.

Before you start, go to Bluebeam Admin settings and enable the Revit plugins.

1.1 Configure the conversion settings

1. In Revit, open the sheets you want to export.
2. Go to the Add-Ins tab and click Change Settings.
3. In the Bluebeam Conversion Settings dialog box, open the General Settings tab.
4. Enable Open Studio Sessions if it isn’t already. This opens the Create Session dialog automatically when you load the exported PDF in Revu.

1.2 Set up the page

1. Go to the Page Setup tab.
2. Switch the setting to Custom and configure your Bluebeam selections.

1.3 Create the file

1. Make sure Start Studio Session is selected.
2. Click Create File at the bottom left of the dialog box. Alternatively, click OK to save your settings and then choose Create File from the Bluebeam Add-in menu. Either way works the same.

1.4 Save and open the PDF

1. Save the PDF when prompted.
2. Open the saved PDF in Revu. The Create Session dialog appears automatically.

Note: Starting the Studio Session directly from the Revit PDF export is the most reliable setup. It creates the viewport automatically from the view’s crop region. Connecting a session that wasn’t created this way often fails.

Step 2: Check the Viewports in Revu

A Revit view can’t be linked directly to a Revu drawing. The link works through viewports, and without viewports the setup fails.

A viewport is a defined region on a PDF page with its own scale and precision, set in Revu's Measurement tab. In this workflow, Revu creates the viewport automatically from the view’s crop region in Revit. It records where the view sits on the sheet, and that location is what aligns session markups with the Revit plan.

2.1 Confirm the viewport exists

1. Open the PDF in Revu.
2. Go to the Measurements panel.
3. Confirm the viewport boundary is present.

2.2 Protect the viewport

1. Place all markups inside the viewport boundary. Markups outside it will not appear in Revit.
2. Do not create, delete, move, or resize the exported viewport. Leave it exactly as exported from Revit.

Note: In Revit, the crop region must be turned on (visible) in the view the first time you load the session. If it is hidden, Revit can’t align the markups. After the first successful connection, this is no longer a concern.

Step 3: Create and Work in the Studio Session

3.1 Create the session

1. Follow the prompts in the Create Session dialog in Revu.
2. Name the session and set options such as restricted emails and an expiration date.

3.2 Invite participants

1. Invite your team members to join the session.
2. Participants can review the drawing, add comments, create markups, and update statuses. Several people can mark up the same PDF at the same time.
3. Studio Sessions autosave, so no manual saving is required.

3.3 Confirm everyone is on the right file

1. Make sure collaborators are working in the PDF that was added to the session, not the local copy created during export. Markups made on the wrong file never reach Revit.
2. If markups were made on the wrong file, copy them, open the session PDF, and use Paste in Place. This aligns them to the exact same position in the viewport.

3.4 Remind collaborators about the viewport

1. Participants can see a preview of the viewport, but viewports can’t be created within a session.
2. Ask everyone to keep their markups inside the viewport boundary.

Note: Adding a prepared PDF to an existing session is possible in principle. In practice, the PDF must have been created with the add-in and must retain its viewport; otherwise it fails. Starting a new session from the Revit export avoids this.

Step 4: Connect the Session to Revit

Connected Sessions is a Bluebeam Max feature to be used in Revit. To see this feature in action, use Revit. That’s why you need a BBID with a Max subscription to view Connected Sessions markups inside Revit.

4.1 Open Connected Sessions

1. In Revit, go to the Add-Ins tab.
2. Open the Bluebeam add-in and click Connected Sessions.

4.2 Sign in

1. Sign in with your Bluebeam ID.

4.3 Select the session

1. If the session isn’t listed, especially if Revit was already open when you created it, click Refresh in the upper right.
2. Select the relevant session and document.

Note: The connection is cloud-based, and only one connection can be active per user and machine. Joining the same session in the Revu desktop app disconnects the Revit connection.

Step 5: Review the Markups in 2D and 3D

Once you are here, you can see and respond to the markups and issues flagged on a drawing by your team members in a Bluebeam Studio Session.

5.1 View markups on the sheet

1. The BIM coordinator sees the session markups on the corresponding sheet in Revit.
2. Click Refresh in the add-in to pull in markups added since you connected.

5.2 Inspect the details

1. Open a markup to see its details, such as comments and status, as you would in Revu’s Markups List.

5.3 Move into the 3D model

1. Review the markup in the plan view.
2. Switch to the 3D view to check the surrounding geometry.

This is where you see this integration in action. The coordinator isn’t working from an isolated screenshot or a location described over email. The issue is visible next to the model geometry, and the same markups appear in both Revit and the Studio Session, so everyone works from one source.

Step 6: Respond to and Track the Issue

6.1 Investigate and resolve

The BIM or design team investigates the issue, discusses the response, and updates the model or documentation where needed.

6.2 Update the status

Once resolved, update the markup’s status in Revit (for example, mark it as completed). Comments and statuses can be updated from Revit.

6.3 Keep the team in sync

• Other participants see the change in Revu Studio or Bluebeam Cloud, since it is the same session.
• Refresh in Revit to see new activity from other participants.
• Keep all discussion and status changes inside the session so the markup stays part of a shared review process instead of disappearing into an inbox.

Licensing and Setup Requirements

Connected Sessions isn’t a one-click feature that works with any PDF. Teams need a supported Revit version, a Bluebeam Max subscription for the people viewing markups in Revit, correctly prepared PDFs, and an appropriate plugin.

Max is about the Revit-side viewer, not the whole review team. Budget Max seats for the people who need to see markups in the model, and use existing Bluebeam plans for everyone else.

You don’t need a Max subscription to start, join, or work inside a Studio Session in Revu. A Max subscription is required to see real-time markups through Connected Sessions in Revit.

Things to Remember

• Always export with the Bluebeam Add-in for Revit. PDFs from any other print or export method won’t carry the metadata the integration needs.
• Start the Studio Session directly from the Revit export. This is the most reliable setup and automatically creates the viewport.
• Never move, resize, delete, or recreate the viewport. Markups appear in Revit only when placed inside an intact viewport.
• Turn on the crop region before the first connection. If it is hidden when the session first loads, alignment fails.
• Mark up the session PDF, not the local export copy. Use Paste in Place to rescue markups made on the wrong file.
• Only one connection can be active at a time. Joining the session in the Revu desktop app disconnects Revit, and the same Bluebeam ID can’t be signed in to both at once.
• Click Refresh in Revit to pull in new markups, statuses, and comments from other participants.
• Save your records before finishing a session. Finishing a Session removes its documents from the Studio server, so create the Session report and save the documents first. Generating the report requires the right permissions, such as being the Session host or having a Core, Complete, or Max plan with full control.
• Agree on responsibilities before starting. Decide in advance:
• Who creates the connected PDFs, and how
• Who creates and manages sessions, including invitations, restrictions, and expiration
• Who responds in Revit and who updates statuses
• How issues are closed, and where the formal record lives if a separate issue-management system is used
• Check compatibility regularly. Supported Revit versions and plugin requirements change over time.

Connected Sessions: From Bluebeam, For Revit

Connected Sessions gives your Revu session markups an address to be accessible in Revit. A comment made on a PDF in Bluebeam shows up on the right Revit sheet, so nobody has to explain where it is, and your coordinator can check it against the 3D model without leaving Revit.

It works best when the basics are in place: PDFs published with the Bluebeam plugin, viewports left untouched, and a Max seat for each person viewing markups in Revit. Everyone else can keep marking up in Bluebeam as usual.

Try all new Max features on one project first.

If you’d like to evaluate it with your own workflows, request a 14-day free trial of Bluebeam Max.

Brighter Graphics also hosts a monthly live session, Bluebeam Max QuickStart, to walk you through new Max features. Brighter Graphics customers with a Max licence can register to learn more about Max and see AI-supercharged Revu in action.

Explore Bluebeam Max to see everything it offers, and contact Brighter Graphics to discuss whether Max is the right fit and to get guidance on onboarding, provisioning, upgrade paths, and multi-user licensing.