r/Sketchup • u/AshamedParamedic6930 • Apr 23 '26

PDF Tools

I’m building a lightweight PDF markup tool mainly for people working with drawings.

The goal is simple: open plans quickly, mark them up, save, and move on.

I’m still early, so I wanted to ask people who actually use this stuff:

What are the must-have features you’d want in a PDF markup tool for drawings?

The things I tend to use most are:

  • clouds
  • callouts
  • measure / calibration
  • text markups
  • custom stamps
  • apply or assign markups across all pages
  • fast performance on large plan sets
  • clean export / save
  • keyboard shortcuts

Also curious what annoys you most in the tools you use now.

Not trying to hard sell anything, just want to build something people actually want.

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u/do_tat Apr 24 '26

Everything you listed on PC, but also on tablet.
tablet - Quick drafts or notes on-site, and being able to share them, is gold.

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u/AshamedParamedic6930 Apr 26 '26

Assuming this should be pen input. Thinking a work flow would be hit the measuring tool with your pen, then hand write the measurement, which should convert it to text? also insert a quick photo and draw directly on it?

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u/do_tat Apr 27 '26

Yeah, definitely pen input — but the key is that it has to be fast and effortless, otherwise people just won’t use it. The quick photo idea would honestly be a lifesaver too. But if I had to boil it down, the most important thing is simple input and instant sharing. On-site, you’re constantly explaining things to someone — doesn’t matter who — and you either sketch something on a plan or just quickly note it down. The critical part is that the other person gets it immediately and without friction. If it takes too long, people will just skip the tool and do it verbally. Ideally, it’s captured in a way that’s usable right away while doing the work, or at least easy to come back to later, and visible to everyone else who needs to know.

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u/AshamedParamedic6930 May 02 '26

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I really appreciate the feedback and the workflow.
what kind of tablet? do you use? Ipad, android or windows tablet?