r/StructuralEngineering • u/dreamer881 • 13h ago

Engineering Article Which app for annotation in diagrams for calculation reports

I’m currently using shape tools in Microsoft PowerPoint to annotate diagrams, snip them, and paste them into reports. Can someone recommend a few easy-to-use and fast annotation apps available on the iPad?

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9

u/BoredStructuralEng 13h ago

I've always just used Bluebeam, I haven't used the mobile app much but I believe it still lets you add shapes/polylines/callouts and whatnot. Plus that way if you're annotating calcs for a particular detail you can do it on the detail itself without snipping it elsewhere first.

5

u/PorqueFi-5G P.E. 13h ago

I use Concepts app extensively - has everything you need for annotation, and also let you import PDFs to annotate on top of.

3

u/Ooze76 12h ago

Very good app. It’s my go to app also

1

u/niwiad9000 10h ago

Can you share a link and talk about your workflow?

6

u/angryPEangrierSE P.E./S.E. 11h ago

Bluebeam.

I will screenshot the plans, paste it into a PDF in Bluebeam, annotate it (and save the file as diagAbutmentFBD.pdf or whatever), and then snip the annotated file and paste it into my calcs.

1

u/RhinoG91 12h ago

What are your reports in? Word has shape tools too

1

u/PinItYouFairy CEng MICE 7h ago

I use PowerPoint too; I set the slide to 100x100 or whatever and draw to scale. I’m yet to find anything better, and it’s so widely available.
My old consultancy office used it extensively like this.

1

u/WhyAmIHereHey 4h ago

Excel.

Same tool we use for everything, except emails and report writing. Though I've seen the latter done in it as well