Bidscreen & Siteworx Software Update June 11th, 2026

Vertigraph has released BidScreen XL version 9.8.1.0 and Siteworx 10.6.1.0, a focused upgrade for commercial construction estimators who do quantity takeoff inside Microsoft Excel. This release improves accuracy on flattened vector PDFs, adds first-class support for metric measurement teams, modernizes the installer, and removes two long-standing setup issues that had been frustrating Full Serve customers. Every existing BidScreen XL 9.8 seat will see an in-place update prompt the next time Excel opens.

Vector PDF Snap on Bluebeam Flattened Drawings

Estimators receive plans in every possible form: from native CAD exports to scanned image PDFs to drawings that have been flattened in Bluebeam Revu to strip out layer metadata. Until now, BidScreen XL and Siteworx recognized vector geometry only on PDFs that carried an Optional Content Group (OCG) layer structure. The moment a sheet was flattened, the application fell back to raster snapping, losing the pixel-perfect line endpoint and intersection snaps that make digital takeoff faster than scaling with a ruler.

Version 9.8.1.0 and 10.6.1.0 closes that gap. BidScreen XL now correctly identifies flattened vector PDFs as snappable vector content while preserving all existing behavior for layered drawings. You get the same crisp endpoint, midpoint, and intersection snaps on a Bluebeam flattened sheet that you have always had on a layered original. Nothing about your current PDFs needs to change. Open them and snap.

If you work with subcontractors or general contractors who flatten drawings before sending them, this change alone removes a daily friction point.

Imperial or Metric, Decided at Install

BidScreen XL has historically defaulted to English Architectural units. That default is correct for the United States market, but it created an extra reconfiguration step for international teams and for the growing number of United States firms working on metric-specified projects.

The 9.8.1 installer now includes a mandatory Imperial or Metric selection page directly after the welcome screen. The Next button stays disabled until you pick one. Whichever option you select is written to the BidScreen XL configuration before the OCX ever loads, so the very first time you open the ribbon in Excel your defaults match how your team actually works.

The wizard page only appears on fresh installs. Existing customers updating from earlier versions keep their current unit settings untouched.

One Installer for New Seats and Updates

Earlier BidScreen XL releases shipped two separate executables: a fresh installer for new seats and a smaller update payload for existing customers. The 9.8.1 release continues to publish the small auto-update payload for existing customers, and the full Setup.exe is now smart enough to act as both a fresh installer and an in-place update.

In practical terms, you can hand the Setup.exe to a customer in any state. If BidScreen XL is already installed, it preserves their registration, their units, and their saved positions. If it is not, it walks through the full wizard and registers the ribbon add-in automatically. Excel opens at the end of the install with the BidScreen ribbon already loaded, so there is no manual add-in registration step.

The Vertigraph auto-update path, which existing customers see the next time they launch Excel, downloads a 25 megabyte payload rather than the full 71 megabyte installer. The smaller download is friendlier on metered connections and field laptops.

Refreshed Installer Branding

The Setup.exe icon and the wizard imagery have been updated to match the current Vertigraph identity. Customers downloading from the website will see the BidScreen XL green square logo on the desktop icon and in the small wizard corner, and the Vertigraph wordmark on the welcome and finish sidebar. The interior About box still carries legacy branding for the moment and is queued for the next OCX rebuild.

Other Improvements in This Release

• What’s New dialog crash fixed. The pop-up that surfaces release notes after an update was failing with an “INI file not assigned” error on certain machines. It now shows the release notes reliably.
• Full Serve renewal dialog crash fixed. The companion dialog that alerts you to upcoming Full Serve maintenance expirations had the same underlying bug and is now stable.
• Copyright refreshed. Installer, OCX, and About box file metadata now carry the current Vertigraph copyright line.

How to Get BidScreen XL 9.8.1

Existing BidScreen XL 9.8 customers will see an “Update Available” prompt the next time they open Excel. Click Update, follow the wizard, and you are on the new version in under a minute. Your registration, units, saved sheet positions, and Full Serve status all carry forward.

Estimators evaluating BidScreen XL for the first time can download a free 14-day trial of version 9.8.1 directly from the Vertigraph website. The trial uses the same Setup.exe that ships to paying customers.

If you run BidScreen XL in a mixed Imperial and Metric environment, please verify on a clean test seat that the new install wizard page lands you in the correct measurement system. If you encounter any issue with the new vector snap behavior on a flattened PDF, our support team can walk through the sheet with you to confirm the fix is engaging.

Vertigraph builds takeoff software that lives where estimators already work. Version 9.8.1 makes the time you spend inside that workflow a little faster, a little cleaner, and a little more accurate for everyone bidding.