Tutorial: Compare Documents
Revu can compare two PDFs and automatically highlight the differences between them providing an easy
way to quickly compare revisions of drawings and plans.
To compare two PDF documents, on the Command Bar, click Document > Comparison >
Compare
Documents.Then, use the browse button in the Compare Documents dialog to search for the files you
want to compare.
Note: If documents are already open in Revu, they will be auto-selected by default.
Select Document A as your base document and
Document B as the revised document. You have
the option of comparing all pages in the two
documents or selecting a page range.
Manual Alignment gives you the option to compare
specific areas (Select Window) or points (Pick
Points) on the documents. Either option will
automatically align the documents before the
comparison begins.
When the comparison is run, Revu defaults to show
the two PDFs in split screen view. This can be
turned off by un-checking the box next to Splitscreen view (synchronize) under Other Options.
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Advanced Comparison Options
The Advanced button in the Compare Documents dialog lets you make adjustments to specific
properties within the function. Depending on how the PDFs were created, adjustments may be required in
order for the comparison analysis to be accurate.
Type
The Type drop-down menu lets you define
whether the documents were Printed,
Scanned or a custom type. Your selection
automatically affects the subsequent
settings, which can be adjusted and saved as
the new default values for that type.
Grid Size
Documents are compared in sections, and
Grid Size determines the size of those
sections. Smaller grid sizes increase
sensitivity by focusing on small pieces of the
documents at one time, while larger grid sizes
decrease sensitivity by reviewing larger
pieces.
Pixel Density
Pixel Density determines how many pixels it
takes for a discrepancy to be recognized and
highlighted as a difference between
documents.
Color Sensitivity
Color Sensitivity is based on the colors in your documents. Low sensitivity is recommended for black and
white drawings; High sensitivity for colored drawings, or when colored markups are present.
Margin
Margin determines the amount of space along the perimeter of the documents to exclude during a
comparison.
Offset
Offset aligns documents that are not uniform in size so they match up better during a comparison. For
example, if Document B is wider than Document A, try simply adjusting the X coordinate value.
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Pixel Proximity Allowance
Pixel Proximity Allowance affects detection sensitivity when comparing documents from different
sources. Lower allowances should suffice for documents created from the same source, while higher
allowances are recommended for documents from different sources.
Rendering
Rendering affects the resolution of the comparison. Higher DPIs will result in greater detection sensitivity,
although the 72 DPI default is sufficient for most comparisons. Check the Include Markups box to include
any unflattened markups in the comparison.
Markup
Markup lets you customize the cloud symbol that will highlight differences in your PDFs. The clouds can
be applied to either document or a copy of those documents. New copies require a File Suffix and a folder
location where the file will be saved.
Reviewing the Comparison
Depending on your Markup settings in the Advanced Options menu, any identified changes will be clouded
on either Document A, Document B, both documents or a copy of either document.
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Each cloud is automatically added to the Markups list, where you can itemize each line, thereby creating a
customized check list. This list can be summarized and exported in Excel or as a PDF Summary.
Batch Comparison
Batch Comparison can automate the comparison of multiple sets of documents at once so you don’t have
to repeat the process. To use this feature, on the Command Bar > File > Batch > Compare Documents.
In the Batch: Compare Documents dialog, select the PDF files you want to compare. Set A is for all of
your base documents and Set B is for your revised documents. Once you’ve selected your documents,
you can organize and reorder your selected documents prior to running the batch.
Clicking the Auto-match
added files option will
automatically pair up files
with similar names as
they are added into Set A
and Set B. When
finished, click OK.
Note: For files that frequently get revised, save a batch comparison for quick setups in the future.
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Next, the Compare Documents dialog will appear. To review each document comparison prior to running
the batch, use the arrows within the Select Document A section.
You can also select Create Report and
choose the preferred file format for your
Summary Report. Unlike a single comparison,
batch comparison will not open the compared
documents afterward for you to review.
Instead, the comparisons are processed out of
view and the findings are compiled in a
Summary Report that includes direct path links
to your compared documents -- extremely
handy when comparing a high volume of
documents.
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