Document Review
TL;DR: Document Review transforms hours of manual document searching into seconds of targeted information retrieval using semantic search and AI-powered analysis across all your project documents.
Overview
Document Review is a powerful feature that leverages preprocessed document content to provide intelligent, semantic search and data extraction across all your project documents. Instead of manually reading through hundreds of pages to find specific information, you can ask questions in natural language and get instant answers with visual references to the source material.
How Document Review Works
Once your project documents are preprocessed (drawings, specifications, schedules, reports, and notes), Document Review can semantically search across all of them to find exactly what you're looking for—even if the exact keywords don't appear in the text.
Semantic Understanding
Unlike traditional keyword search, semantic search understands the meaning behind your query. For example:
- Searching for "fire protection" will also find "fire rating," "fire resistance," and "flame retardant"
- Asking about "wall thickness" will find "wall depth," "partition width," and related specifications
- Querying "concrete strength" will locate "concrete grade," "mix design," and strength specifications
Key Capabilities
Semantic Search
Understands the meaning and context of your query, not just exact keyword matches. This means you get relevant results even when the terminology varies across different documents.
Cross-Document Analysis
Searches across all project documents simultaneously—drawings, specifications, schedules, reports, and notes. This allows you to find information scattered across multiple sources in a single query.
Data Extraction
Pulls specific information from multiple sources and presents it in a clear, organized format. The AI understands context and extracts only the relevant data you need.
Page Highlights
Shows you exactly where the data was extracted with visual highlights on the source pages. This provides instant verification and allows you to see the full context around the extracted information.
Context Preservation
Presents information with surrounding context for better understanding. You don't just get isolated facts—you get the complete picture with relevant details from the source documents.
Common Use Cases
Document Review excels at answering specific questions about your project documentation. Here are practical examples of how it can save you time:
Find Specifications
"What are the fire rating requirements for walls?"
Searches specification documents and returns the exact requirements with page references and highlights showing where the information was found.
Locate Schedule Information
"Show me all type A windows from the window schedule"
Extracts and displays schedule data with highlights on the source page, showing you exactly which rows contain Type A window specifications.
Compare Across Documents
"Are there any discrepancies between structural notes and architectural drawings?"
Cross-references multiple documents to identify conflicts or inconsistencies, highlighting the specific areas where discrepancies exist.
Extract Material Details
"What concrete strength is specified for ground floor slab?"
Finds and presents material specifications from technical documents, showing you the exact specification section and any related notes or conditions.
Review Requirements
"What are the waterproofing requirements for the basement?"
Searches across specifications, architectural notes, and detail drawings to compile all waterproofing requirements in one comprehensive answer.
Find Referenced Details
"Show me detail 5/A3.2"
Locates the referenced detail drawing and displays it with context about where else it's referenced in the project documents.
Visual Page Highlights
One of the most valuable features of Document Review is its ability to show you exactly where information was found. When the AI extracts data from your documents, it highlights the relevant sections on the source pages.
Benefits of Page Highlights
- Instant Verification – See the source material immediately to verify accuracy
- Context Understanding – View the information in its original context
- Time Savings – No need to manually search through documents to find the referenced section
- Confidence – Make decisions with full visibility into the source material
- Collaboration – Share exact page references with team members
Time Savings: Document Review can reduce document review time from hours to minutes. Instead of manually reading through entire specification sections or flipping through drawing sets, you get instant answers with visual confirmation of the source. A task that might take 30-60 minutes of manual searching can be completed in 30-60 seconds.
How to Use Document Review
Step 1: Preprocess Your Documents
Before using Document Review, your project documents must be preprocessed. This can happen automatically if AI Search is enabled for your project, or you can manually queue specific files for processing.
Step 2: Ask Questions in Natural Language
Open the AI Assistant and ask questions about your project documents. The more specific your question, the better the results:
- Good: "What is the concrete strength for the ground floor slab?"
- Better: "What concrete grade is specified for ground floor structural slabs in the specs?"
Step 3: Review Results and Highlights
Document Review will present the answer along with visual highlights showing exactly where the information was found in your documents. Click on the highlighted sections to view the full page context.
Best Practices
- ✓ Be specific in your queries—mention element types, locations, or specification sections
- ✓ Use technical terms when searching for precise specifications
- ✓ Review the highlighted source material to verify the AI's interpretation
- ✓ Preprocess frequently referenced documents first to save time
- ✓ Use cross-document queries to identify conflicts or inconsistencies
- ✓ Save time by asking the AI instead of manually searching through PDFs
- ✓ Share page highlights with team members for clear communication
Note: Document search and analysis is one of the higher-cost AI operations (5-20 credits per operation). However, the time savings and accuracy improvements often justify the cost, especially on complex projects. See Credit Usage for more information.