FAQ

Sign in, then click Account in the site header. That page is billing, usage, add-ons, share links, and (on Pro) your own AI keys. See Account, plans, and sharing.

Free includes 2 inspection reports, 3 assemblies (each CAD model, schematic, or BOM counts as one), and 1 GB of cloud storage. Individual includes 25 reports, 25 assemblies, and 10 GB. Pro includes unlimited reports and assemblies and 100 GB. Remaining usage is on Account. AI credits and add-on prices are on the Pricing page.

You hit a plan limit (reports, assemblies, storage, AI credits, or PDF credits). Open Account to see usage, buy an add-on, or upgrade. This is expected, not a failed upload. Details are on Account, plans, and sharing.

No. BlockForm subscriptions are month to month. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel without a long-term contract.

Your plan bills on the day you sign up (your anchor date). If you signed up on the 31st, billing rolls to the last day in shorter months. Changes to users or enabled features are reflected by the billing system, and payments are handled through Stripe.

The Team plan is coming soon and is contact-only today—it is not available for self-serve signup. Free, Individual, and Pro are available on the Pricing page. If you see User Directory, Roles, or team fields on the Account page, those sections are for organizations on Team or Enterprise billing and do not apply to solo Free, Individual, or Pro accounts. To discuss multi-seat Team or Enterprise options, email support@email.blockforminspection.com.

Total storage is the combined size of everything in your BlockForm cloud bucket: CAD models, schematics, BOM uploads, report photos, and other files tied to your account. Usage is shown on the Account page and enforced when you upload new content.

You can cancel at any time. Access continues through the end of your current billing period.

Company logo, name, and contact branding on inspection reports and exported PDFs is included on the Pro plan only. The Individual plan includes unlimited PDF downloads but does not apply your company branding to exports. The Free plan may require purchasing PDF download credits or upgrading before export. See our Pricing page and Terms of Service for details.

Yes, on the Pro plan (and equivalent Team and Enterprise tiers). From the Account page you can save an API key for Gemini, Grok, Claude, Codex, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. When a key is active, generation uses that provider and does not consume BlockForm AI credits. Free and Individual plans use BlockForm's platform Gemini model and plan AI credits.

Click New report in the workspace. A new inspection card opens so you can enter report metadata, inspector details, and attach an assembly source before moving into the Model Viewer and Report Editor. See New Report and Upload.

From the report card, click CAD model, Schematic, or BOM under Start from a new, or pick an existing assembly from the Parts Library. BOM accepts spreadsheet files (.csv, .tsv, .txt, .xlsx, .xls) as well as PDF or image parts lists. See New Report and Upload.

CAD: STEP (.step, .stp, .stpz). Schematic: PDF and common image formats. BOM: spreadsheet files (.csv, .tsv, .txt, .xlsx, .xls) via the BOM button, or PDF/image parts lists for AI-assisted capture. See New Report and Upload for step-by-step flows.

CAD uploads convert STEP files into a viewer-ready 3D model and build the assembly BOM tree in the background. Time scales with file size and complexity—large assemblies, many parts, deep hierarchies, and dense geometry take longer to tessellate and upload. Your connection speed also affects how long the file takes to reach cloud storage. To speed things up, trim fasteners or sub-assemblies you do not need to inspect before exporting, and prefer smaller STEP files. Assemblies already in the Parts Library skip conversion and open faster.

Export a STEP file (.step, .stp, or .stpz) from your CAD tool. Native SolidWorks and other CAD formats are not accepted. If conversion fails or hangs, try a smaller export (trim unused fasteners), check your connection, and confirm you have not hit a storage or assembly limit on Account. See New Report and Upload.

Part status standardizes inspection decisions per line item before you write narrative text. It keeps reporting and AI-assisted writing aligned to the same disposition vocabulary. See Viewer and Part Status.

Use the five statuses in the Model Viewer: Awaiting Status, Re-Use, Minor Repair, Major Repair, Replace. Repair is split into Minor Repair and Major Repair. See Viewer and Part Status.

Yes. You can hide or exclude lines that should not appear in customer-facing reporting while keeping your internal review workflow complete.

Hold Control and click on multiple parts to select several at a time, and hold Shift to select everything in between the lines.

AI suggestions use prompts from Global Settings. Customize naming and numbering prompts to match your internal standards, then run Generate during part review. See Part Naming and Numbering.

No. STEP and GLB model files are never sent to the AI. For part naming during assembly upload, BlockForm may optionally send a screenshot of the 3D viewer along with text metadata (part names and STEP metadata) so the AI can use visual context. Report writing and other AI features use report photos and text context, not the CAD model files themselves.

AI drafts visual analysis, severity context, and corrective-action language from the part context, photos, and current status in the Report Editor. See Report Writing.

Treat AI output as a first draft. Review all generated text against evidence and measurements before publishing, since your team remains accountable for final report quality.

Pro subscribers (and Team or Enterprise) can add their own API keys on the Account page for Gemini, Grok, Claude, Codex, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Active personal keys skip BlockForm AI credits. Free and Individual plans always use BlockForm's included Gemini model.

Build structured report sections, attach evidence, refine AI-assisted text, and export consistent PDFs across inspectors. Company logo and name on exports, and bring your own API keys, require the Pro plan. See the Report Editor guide.

Capture clear evidence from multiple angles and close-ups, then attach photos to relevant report blocks so narrative content stays traceable to visual proof. See the Photo Library guide.

Yes. BlockForm supports PDF export from the report editor. The Individual plan includes unlimited PDF downloads without company branding. The Pro plan adds your company logo and name to exported PDFs, lets you append supporting files (for example datasheets or drawings), and includes bring your own API keys. Free plan users may see upgrade or credit prompts before download, depending on usage limits.

Download PDF saves the file to your computer. Share Report (Pro, Team, and Enterprise) creates a customer link to a PDF-only snapshot, with optional password, expiry, and view-only. Revoke links from Account → Share links. See Account, plans, and sharing and the Report Editor guide.

The Kit tag marks parts that belong in a kit-style list instead of (or in addition to) a full per-part report block. In the Parts Library, add the Kit tag plus a second category tag (for example Bearings). The Parts Kit List block then groups those parts by the secondary tag so you can include a compact kitted parts list in the report without creating a full block for every item.

You do. You can export your data, and BlockForm is designed so you are never locked in by proprietary report content.

All models, images, reports, and other account data are stored securely in a cloud-hosted environment. Files and report content live in your BlockForm cloud storage, with access limited to your account and authorized team members.

OEM identifies the machine or assembly being inspected (including OEM part references for that equipment). Manufacture identifies the supplier line for a specific part and its supplier part number. You can include either or both on the report card.

Manufacture is the product label for the part supplier tab and Include option. It is not a typo for Manufacturer. Use Manufacture for supplier name and supplier part number; use OEM for the equipment being inspected.

Repair codes describe what to do—a standardized labor or machining action (such as re-grinding a bearing journal) that can apply across many models and drives scope-of-work and labor tracking. Repair part numbers describe what to buy—a specific physical component for procurement, inventory, and the bill of materials tied to an exact make and model. Shops also assign part numbers to custom processes (such as sleeve repairs) to support flat-rate quoting, deduct raw stock from inventory, and attach repeatable drawings or specs when the same failure comes back.

The Parts Library stores reusable metadata such as part numbers, descriptions, and tags so repeat assemblies can start faster and stay consistent across reports and teams. See the Parts Library guide.