Glossary
Words on the buttons, so the guides make sense. Click a term to open the matching guide.
- Workspace
- The signed-in home screen after you leave the marketing site. Inspection cards, New report, and the toolbar live here. Resources is documentation; use Back to App to return to the workspace.
- Inspection card
- The card for one inspection job in the workspace list. Edit the title, inspector, header fields, and assembly from the card. Click the card to open the Model Viewer.
- Assembly
- The equipment or bill of parts you are inspecting. Every report is tied to one assembly, started from a CAD model, a schematic drawing, a BOM spreadsheet, or an existing Parts Library entry.
- STEP
- A 3D CAD file format (.step, .stp, or .stpz) BlockForm converts into the Model Viewer. Native SolidWorks or other CAD files are not accepted—export STEP from your CAD tool first.
- CAD / Schematic / BOM
- The three ways to start an assembly: a STEP 3D model, a PDF or image drawing, or a spreadsheet parts list.
- BOM
- Bill of materials: the part list for the assembly (numbers, names, quantities). A CAD upload builds a BOM from the 3D tree. A BOM upload starts from a spreadsheet instead.
- Confirm and Sync
- The button that saves reviewed part numbers and names from an upload into the report and Parts Library. Review rows first; Generate is optional before you confirm.
- Model Viewer
- Where you look at the assembly, click parts, and set part status. Open Evaluation Procedures or the Report Editor from the same screen.
- Part status
- The disposition on each BOM line: Awaiting Status, Re-Use, Minor Repair, Major Repair, Replace. Status on the tree feeds the report and Generate.
- Awaiting Status
- A part with no reuse/repair/replace decision yet. It stays in the tree and can still print unless you hide the block. Generate has little to go on until you set a status.
- Parts Library
- Saved assemblies and parts so the next job starts with the same numbers, names, tags, and inspection defaults.
- Work Board
- A board of inspection jobs across Upcoming, Requested, Active, Completed, and Archive. Creating a report puts a card on the board. Pro plan.
- Report Editor
- Where you build the PDF the customer gets: one block per part, plus photos, findings, and lists.
- Part block
- One section of the report for a part. It can hold photos, analysis text, and nested sub-blocks. The first blocks come from the uploaded assembly.
- Sub-block
- An extra text, photo, or table section nested inside a part block when one part needs more than the default layout.
- Kit tag
- A tag that marks parts for a compact Parts Kit List instead of a full per-part block. Add Kit plus a category tag (for example Bearings) in the Parts Library.
- Evaluation Procedures
- The checklist you run on a part while you look at the model: procedures, notes, repairs, and which photos to take.
- Global Settings
- Shop-wide defaults for new reports: format, AI prompts, tags, catalogs, and API keys. Changes do not rewrite reports you already started.
- Photo Library
- A gallery of inspection photos across reports, with part numbers, workflow stages, and tags. Pro plan. On other plans, attach photos on the part block.
- Photo Collage Editor
- Arrange, crop, and rotate photos on a part block so they print clearly on the PDF.
- OEM
- The machine or assembly being inspected, including OEM part references for that equipment. Separate from Manufacture, which is the supplier of a specific part.
- Manufacture
- The part supplier (the product label is Manufacture, not Manufacturer) and the supplier part number. Include OEM, Manufacture, or both on the inspection card.
- Generate
- Drafts names, numbers, or report text from photos, status, and your prompts. Treat it as a first pass and proofread. Individual plan and higher.
- AI credits
- The monthly allotment used when BlockForm runs Generate on the platform model. Usage and remaining credits are on Account. Pro can use your own API keys instead. See Pricing for current amounts.
- Share link
- A customer URL from Share Report that opens a PDF-only snapshot. Optional password, expiry, and view-only. Pro plan. Revoke from Account → Share links.
- Public API
- REST endpoints so other software can create reports and update parts. Create a key in Global Settings → API. Most inspectors can skip this.
- MCP
- A connection so Cursor or Claude can work with your BlockForm account. Most inspectors can skip this.