Sending PDFs to EverNote, Box and DropBox

Going mobile and paperless is part of the Bluebeam experience so how do you send your PDFs to mobile devices?  You can use the email options of EverNote, DropBox and Box.  So what makes this a Bluebeam Tip? I’ve created a script for each app (available in Bluebeam Revu Extreme only)  and pinned it to my tool bar. It’s likely you are sharing these PDFs so you can use hyperlinked documents on all your mobile devices.  Obviously Bluebeam has an iPad app but nothing on Android or on the iPhone for that matter.   First, let’s look at the details of how to send PDF’s directly to your favorite mobile file storage app. Then I’ll show you how to make a script and pin it to the tool bar of your choice.  Obviously, you’ll want to clear this with your IT department as company policy may limit where documents can reside.

How to Send via email to EverNote

You can obtain your EverNote email address from your account information then control where the note is stored by specifying it in the email subject line. If you need help finding your email to EverNote address you can get complete instructions from in their knowledge base.   The syntax for emailing to EverNote using the Email Subject is: [Title of note] ![optional date for Reminder] @[notebook] #[tag]  If you have a few projects going, you’re probably have separate notebooks for each project.  Then use the tag as the type of document: RFIs, Submittals, Photos, Specifications, Revisions, Sets, etc.  what’s really cool about EverNote is it’s auto-filing feature for email.  Auto-filing will look for similar notes inside your account and apply the same notebook and tags.

How to Send via email to Box

In Box you have to enable a folder to allow uploads via email.  You do this by navigating to the folder you want, then click on the More dropdown, then go to Folder Properties > Email Options. Each folder gets its own email address. Box also isn’t storing the email but just the file attachments.   In this case you may want to create scripts for each project and/or project sub folder for those RFIs. Sets, etc. You can set notifications (to the folder owner only) if you have a project administrator that will file the documents to the proper sub folder and you want to send multiple documents (RFIs, Specs and images) all in one email.  Copy the email address assigned to your folder and  use it in your script.

How to Send via email to DropBox

DropBox doesn’t have a native send attachments via emails yet, but there is a 3rd party solution called Send To DropBox that is trying to fill the gap.  All attachments will reside in one folder with Send To DropBox and currently you cannot share the attachments folder with anyone else.   I expect that with DropBox’s acquisition of MailBox they’ll eventually offer a way to email to a project specific folder. You can get around this if you instead use the If This Then That App (IFTTT) and grab this recipe. The recipe lets you specify the folder you want the attachments to go to in Dropbox.

What is a Script?

Scripts provide one button access to numerous functions that are performed in sequence.  It’s kind of like a macro in Excel as it can save you many keystrokes.  It looks a bit like programming but easier.  If you need help drop me an email or ask your techie guy or gal. As an example, Bluebeam provides a “Flatten and Email” Script with Revu Extreme  since you’ll often you want to share hyperlinked PDFs like plan sets with others.  It can also be used for numerous other functions like adding headers and footers, stamps, reduce the file size, rotate pages and more.  If you count the number of times you do these repetitive functions each week, you’ll likely be asking why you only have Revu Standard or Revu CAD.  To learn more about what Bluebeam Extreme can do for your company sign up for our free “Making the Case for Revu Extreme” Webinar June 17 at 11:30 am Pacific (You can request the webinar recording if you’ve missed it, by clicking Here.)

Creating Your Script
I’ve created one for each app and placed it in my custom Tool Bar “Send To Mobile” but I’ll just step you through one.  You’ll find Script under the Document tab in Bluebeam Revu Extreme.  Start by Clicking the Script Icon and then click Add to get to the Script Editor.  First you’ll name your Script.  I’ll name mine “Flatten and Send to Box”.

Next, you can choose an icon from the list or import one.  You could grab the Box logo off the web, or a photo of your project if using a “Box” specific email address.  My sample shows the logo. Then in the Actually script I start with the Flatten command.  Since I’m choosing to upload plans, I want all my markups flattened so I don’t need to specify any additional settings for the flatten function, Just put an open and closed parenthesis after the command.  The second process I want to run is email and it is here that I add my folder specific email.  I have limited who is allowed to upload to this folder to collaborators only and my Upload Plans Folder is a subfolder of my Sample Project Folder.

The script for Evernote is similar, except you’ll use your EverNote email address and likely add in the title, specify the project notebook and tag it using the subject line. As an example for updating specifications to EverNote,  the email subject would be “Revised Specs as of 6/15/15 @Project 100 #Specs”.

For DropBox, if you are using Send to DropBox,  all email attachments are dropped into one file folder so you better have good filenames for your attachments.

Add the script to your toolbar
On the Document Tab, click on the down arrow next to the Script icon.  With your mouse, hover over the name of the script you want to add to a toolbar and click on the yellow Pin to the right of the script name.  This displays all your toolbars.  You can add your script to an existing toolbar or select New Toolbar from the bottom of the list and give your custom toolbar a name.

If you’re thinking I need help in making scripts, custom profiles, etc, just Email Me Your Contact Info.