Forum for the PDF-XChange Editor - Free and Licensed Versions
Moderators:PDF-XChange Support, Daniel - PDF-XChange, Chris - PDF-XChange, Sean - PDF-XChange, Paul - PDF-XChange, Vasyl - PDF-XChange, Ivan - Tracker Software, Stefan - PDF-XChange
Migration from Revu to XChange is possible, but note: there will be a decent learning curve. The steepest curve is navigating the different 'levels' that exist in PDF-XChange (including how to 'select' a certain item on a given layer). The concept of 'flatten' is different as well, which may be another point of frustration for most Revu users as PDF-XChange always lets you select an object/markup on one level or the other (with exception to the Watermark) :
PDF-XChange_vs_Revu.png
There is also a fraction of the Measurement ability when compared to Revu (a huge limitation).
Another inconvenience is the "summary of markups" (no ability to see a nice, tabulated view to see/sort comments/markups);
The Snapshot tool is crude (screen captures an blurry JPEG image, does not lasso-capture metadata as objects as Revu does)
ToolChest simply does not exist (You will need to manage your markups in other PDFs and import/overlay/background them as needed.)
Below is a setting file to populate Revu Layout/Keypresses, and some Custom Plugins that address some missing features in PDF-XChange: 🢃Download Default Settings File:
SettingsRevu17.zip
🢃Download Custom Script Plugins: (Save this as Javascript to folder "%Appdata%\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Javascripts\")
Javascripts.zip
Assign Bookmarks by Region on Page
Change Colours of Selected Markups
Curved Polylines (a solution to the lack of an arc command)
Flip and Override Dimension Text (addresses some Dimensions/Measurement Limitations)
Hatch Tool
Angular Dimension (Crude)
Change Text Case Style
Specific Shapes (XChange doesn't let you draw a perfect circle/square by default...)
Scale By Reference
Sync/Scroll two documents
Below is a Primer to get you started; to view a side-by-side comparison of Revu Bluebeam VS PDF-XChange Editor. 🢃Download 🗎 PDF:
Migration from Revu17 to XChange.pdf
May this be of Good Help;
⚜ Kenny Lemens, P.E. ᵂᴵ
================================================================ Changes: 2025-02-05: Updated "different Levels" image, noted specific shapes are supported.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by ⚜ Kenny Lemens, P.E. ᵂᴵ on Fri Feb 07, 2025 8:29 pm, edited 4 times in total.
User Plugins: https://is.gd/A9HMPG || PDF-XChange Icons: https://is.gd/Z4GeG8
[Migration] Revu Bluebeam 17 to PDF-XChange Editor: https://is.gd/8Xs1OF
Many thanks for this post!
In fact XFOrm objects and Watermarks are part of the base content, and there are then structures inside the base content layer. E.g. an XForm object can include in itself some shapes that are both independent, and then the whole XForm object might be affected by some external operations (e.g. the Optional content groups (often called layers) would usually have one XFOrm object per such group to allot toggling the visibility of the needed objects together.
So yes - there will be a learning curve as the more tools and options you have - the more control there is over the file, but that needs getting used to!
⚜ Kenny Lemens, P.E. ᵂᴵ wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2025 4:40 am
Specific Shapes (XChange doesn't let you draw a perfect circle/square by default...
Hi Kenny,
There are two very useful key-combinations for rectangles and ellipses: Alt Hold down Alt key to constrain to square or circle Ctrl Hold down Ctrl key to make your starting point the center of the square/circle
That's a great idea to have a compilation file for javascripts. A couple of thoughts though:
I recommend you do not include the GlobData file (that's just the persistent global data from last time you used one of the tools that save it)
It's going to be difficult to keep something like this up to date. Some of the scripts or their dependent files (such as the language file for bkmNameRegions) are already out of date in your zip
I saw a couple of pdf's in there (get icon stream and hatchPatterns) that probably don't belong in the JavaScripts folder (?)
⚜ Kenny Lemens, P.E. ᵂᴵ wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2025 4:40 am
Below is a Primer to get you started; to view a side-by-side comparison of Revu Bluebeam VS PDF-XChange Editor. 🢃Download 🗎 PDF:[/color] Migration from Revu17 to XChange.pdf
Wow you've put some serious work into this. Looking at the migration documents, some comments:
Selection: There are at least three different selection modes in PXCE. I changed my UI so that the tools I use most are in the top left (Pan, select Text + form fields, and Select markup). I also made the keyboard shortcuts P, T and S respectively. I'm still using the old fashioned 'classic UI' because it takes up less screen space:
image.png
but there's also Edit Text and Edit Objects tool that edit and change base content (including anything that Bluebeam has flattened - see below):
image(1).png
Multiple selection is done holding down CTRL key, but it doesn't allow you to select/unselect a window with that key down (maybe a feature request is needed?). You can also select/deselect any markups from the comments pane, which isn't as extensive as BB (but you can group the contents of it by author, color, type, page, etc.)
Square/circle: As I noted above, holding down Alt allows one to draw a square or circle.
Measurements: Yes, I've run into the difficulties with scales in PXCE. The major difficulty I've run into is that there's no way for javascript to access PXCE's list of saved scales. For scripts to use scales, I'd need to recreate it and it would not match up with the UI -- confusing. (I've actually found that Bluebeam's dogmatic approach to page scales can be frustrating, though; particularly if I'm copying and pasting markups between drawings.)
Tool chest: In PXCE you can save presets for the different tools within that tool's style pallet - more intuitive IMO. (I actually prefer it to the tool chest which takes up a lot of screen space.)
Flatten: Anything that BB flattens you can also edit in PXCE. Actually BB has less ability to edit the base content. The "unflatten" (ie convert flattened markup back into markup) is I think a non-standard thing only in BB, though. (It may be a clue into how the colorize overlays works though).
Overlays is something that BB does very well, and is just starting to be something that PXCE can handle. Currently in PXCE you can insert a page as an overlay, put that overlay on a layer, set its opacity and color it, but once it's placed you cannot change anything (position, scale, rotation, color, opacity). I still find that the way to do overlays in PXCE is to make a stamp of the part of a drawing you want to overlay. This allows you to scale, rotate, move or change its opacity, but not the color.
BB Studio: This is only in BB. I think this one is a cash cow for BB; because so many building departments and government agencies in the US require us to use this, it makes BB a default must-have for most engineering and architecture firms. BB used to have a free version that allowed one to interact with the BB studio but have since blocked it and discontinued it. To get around one of the limitations in PXCE I made a script to synchronize comments on separate pdf files.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Mathew on Wed Feb 05, 2025 4:44 pm, edited 4 times in total.
