With auto weld mapping, WeldTrace's AI reads your isometric drawings, finds the welds and places a weld bubble on each one. It also reads the bill of materials (BOM) and the cut list. You do not need to place the welds yourself, but you check them before they are created. The AI can place a weld in the wrong spot, miss a weld or mark something that is not a weld, so every drawing with AI welds goes to AI Weld Review first. There you can move, add or reject welds, and then create them with one click. The welds are created with their bubbles already on the weld map.

Auto weld mapping is available on plans that include AI drawing extraction and AI weld map creation. To review AI welds you need edit access to Drawings. If you prefer to place the welds yourself, please read the article "Weld Mapping".

Step 1 - Open the AI extraction page

Open the Drawings list page of the project.

1. Click the "AI" button to open the "Data Extraction through AI Process" page.

Step 2 - Upload the drawings

1. Click "Browse" and select the drawing PDF files. You can select several files at a time. Each file can have up to 5 pages;
2. WeldTrace checks each file before it is uploaded. The table shows the file name, its size, the number of pages and a message. "Valid" means the file can be uploaded;
3. Click "Upload Files" to start the extraction.

Step 3 - Wait for the extraction

The AI extraction runs in the background, so you can leave this page and carry on working. It can take several minutes for each drawing, and you will get an email when it is done. Open the AI page again to see its progress.

1. Each upload is listed with its date, the number of files and the number of files completed;
2. The status shows "Extracting" while the AI is working and "Completed" when it is done. Click "Remove" to delete an extraction you do not need;
3. When the status is "Completed", click "Check the data extracted through AI."

Step 4 - Check the extracted data

The table shows the data the AI extracted from each drawing. Check it and correct it before you save.

1. All drawings with AI extracted welds must be reviewed before the welds are created. Saving this page does not create welds;
2. "AI Welds" shows how many welds the AI found on the drawing. In this example it found 57;
3. "Extract BOM" shows the number of BOM items found. Tick the box to save them with the drawing;
4. "Extract Cut List" shows the number of cut pieces found. Tick the box to save them with the drawing;
5. The drawing details read from the title block: drawing number, title, date, revision, service, area, criteria, tag number and tag title. Click a cell to correct it. The columns marked * are required. Scroll right to see all of them;
6. A summary of what will be saved;
7. Click "Save". The drawings are created, the BOM and cut list are saved, and the drawings with AI welds go to AI Weld Review.

Step 5 - AI Weld Review list

After you save, WeldTrace opens the AI Weld Review list. It first finds the position of each weld on the drawing. This usually takes a minute or two, and the status shows "Finding positions" while it is working. You can also open this list with the "AI Review" button on the Drawings list (see Step 11).

1. When the positions are ready, click "Review welds" to open the drawing;
2. Filter the list by status: Finding positions, Awaiting review, In review, Creating welds or Reviewed;
3. The status of the review of each drawing;
4. The weld counts of each drawing: the welds the AI found, the welds that need checking, the welds added during review, the welds rejected and the welds created. Hover over a column's icon to see its name.

Step 6 - Review AI Welds screen

The drawing is shown with each weld the AI placed. Follow these steps to review the welds:

1. The drawing number, revision, title and review status;
2. The number of welds, and how many need checking, were added, were rejected and were created;
3. The drawing's tags. Each reviewed weld is created once for each tag. Click "Add Tag" to pick a project tag or type a new one. When the drawing shows how many of the assembly are built, an "Add N tag(s)" button adds a tag for each one;
4. Warnings point out anything the AI was unsure about, for example BOM items that the welds do not match. Use them to decide what to check;
5. "Weld" places a weld the AI missed: click where the weld is on the drawing. "Note" places a note that goes on the weld map when the welds are created. "Select" picks and moves a weld. "Multi-select" moves a group of welds: draw a box around them;
6. "Undo" reverses your last change (Ctrl+Z). The delete button rejects the picked weld or deletes the picked note;
7. "Renumber" changes the weld number sequence, for example from 1 to 57 to W-001 to W-057. Set the prefix, start number, step, digits and suffix. It can continue after the last weld number used in the project;
8. "BOM items" and "Cut List items" show where the BOM items and cut pieces are on the drawing;
9. Use the - and + buttons to zoom out and in, and drag an empty part of the drawing to move around it. "Fit" fits the drawing to the screen, and the last button opens Full View (see Step 8);
10. Use the arrows to move through the pages of the drawing;
11. "Back" returns to the AI Weld Review list;
12. "Save Draft" saves your changes so you can finish the review later;
13. "Create Welds" creates the reviewed welds (see Step 10). The number shows how many welds will be created;
14. The hint tells you how to use the button you have selected;
15. A weld bubble with its number and an arrow pointing to the weld. The shape and colour follow the joint type, as on the weld map;
16. A weld picked on the drawing is highlighted;
17. The legend explains the bubble shapes and the marks on them: "!" needs checking, a green "+" was added by you, a lock was created, and a dotted outline was rejected;
18. "Next to check" goes to the next weld that needs checking. The number shows how many are left;
19. Filter the welds list: All, Needs check, Added, Rejected or Notes. The list is grouped by page;
20. The status of each weld, for example OK, Needs check, Moved or Rejected;
21. The "Selected Weld" panel shows the details of the weld you pick (see Step 7).

Step 7 - Check a weld

Click a weld on the drawing or in the welds list to check it. A weld that the AI flagged, or found with low confidence, is marked "Needs check".

1. The selected weld is highlighted on the drawing. To move it, drag its point to the weld and its number to where the bubble should go. You can also use the arrow keys (Shift for bigger steps);
2. The weld's status. "Moved" means its position was changed during the review;
3. Weld No.;
4. Joint Type;
5. Category (Shop, Field or Field-fit);
6. Size;
7. Planned Date;
8. Marker: the shape of the bubble on the weld map;
9. Colour: the colour of the bubble on the weld map;
10. WPS: when the project has WPSs set up, WeldTrace suggests a WPS for the weld and shows why. Click "Use" to take it, or choose another. "Apply WPS" on the welds list gives every weld its suggested WPS. In this example the project has no WPS set up;
11. What the AI read about the weld: the members it joins, its source and confidence, and its position on the drawing;
12. "Reset Position" puts the weld back where the AI placed it;
13. "Reject Weld" removes a weld that is not a real weld. A rejected weld is kept in the list, and "Restore Weld" brings it back. For a weld that the AI flagged, "Mark as Checked" confirms it is correct.

Step 8 - Full View

Full View lets the drawing fill the screen. The tools and lists float over the drawing, and you can drag each panel by its title to where you want it.

1. The tools panel with the drawing number and review status. Click the arrow to fold a panel;
2. "Save Draft" and "Create Welds";
3. Show or hide the Welds, Selected Weld, BOM and Cut List panels;
4. Click "Exit Full View" to return to the normal view;
5. The welds list;
6. The selected weld.

Step 9 - Bill of materials and cut list

The BOM and the cut list extracted from the drawing are shown below it.

1. Click "BOM items" or "Cut List items" to show where they are on the drawing;
2. Click a mark on the drawing to see the item's details, for example a cut piece's run length, its ends, size and quantity;
3. The bill of materials, with each item's size and quantity;
4. When you pick a weld, the BOM items it joins are highlighted;
5. The cut list, with each piece's BOM item, size, run length and quantity;
6. Click "Show" to find a piece on the drawing.

Step 10 - Create the welds

When you have checked the welds, click "Create Welds".

1. The number of welds that will be created;
2. The welds are created at the positions you reviewed, and their bubbles are placed on the weld map;
3. Click "Cancel" to return to the review;
4. Click "Create Welds" to create them.

WeldTrace creates the welds in the background. The page updates by itself, and you will get an email when the welds are ready. Created welds are locked in AI Weld Review; you can manage them in the weld log.

The bubbles keep the shape and colour they had in the review. You can change how they look on the weld map after the welds are created (see Steps 14 and 15).

Step 11 - Drawings in review on the Drawings list

1. While a drawing's AI welds are in review, its Info column shows the review status instead of the weld map buttons. Click it to open the review. Its weld counts show the AI welds awaiting review;
2. "AI Review" opens the AI Weld Review list. The number shows how many drawings are waiting for review;
3. Use "Welds From" to list only the drawings whose welds came from AI extraction or from a manual weld map.

Step 12 - Reviewed drawings

When the welds have been created, the drawing shows "Reviewed" on the AI Weld Review list.

1. The status changes to "Reviewed";
2. The purple "AI" mark shows that the drawing's welds came from AI extraction. Click it to open the review. It changes to "AI+" when the weld map is later changed by hand;
3. "Add welds" reopens the review so you can place welds the AI missed and create them. The eye and paperclip icons view the weld map and the drawing file;
4. The Created count shows the number of welds created from the review. In this example all 57 were created.

Step 13 - AI mark on the Drawings list

The drawing is back to normal on the Drawings list, with its weld map buttons.

1. The purple "AI" mark shows that the drawing's welds came from AI extraction ("AI+" once the weld map is changed by hand);
2. Click the eye icon to view the weld map with the bubbles placed during the review and navigate to the welds;
3. The weld counts now include the welds created from the review.

Click the draw icon to open the weld map and edit its annotations (see Step 14).

Step 14 - Edit the weld map

Click the draw icon on the Drawings list to open the drawing's weld map in the weld mapping interface. The bubbles placed during the review are on the drawing. You can move them, change how they look and add notes. The details of the created welds (number, joint type, category, size and planned date) are changed in the weld log.

1. Click "Select" and click a bubble to pick it. Drag its label, the point of its arrow or the bend of the arrow to move them, or drag the arrow line to move the whole annotation;
2. Select "Note" to add a note, for example a general note for the drawing. Press where the note should point, drag to where it should go, type the text and press Enter;
3. The picked bubble. Drag the small square on its corner to resize it;
4. The card of the picked weld shows its number, joint type, category and size for reference. Click "Close" to close it;
5. The "Weld annotation" toolbar shows the picked bubble's details, greyed out for a created weld. Click a shape or a colour to change the bubble. The line, arrow and size options are explained in Step 15;
6. Click "Save" to keep your changes.

For all the weld mapping tools, please read the article "Weld Mapping".

Step 15 - Style and size of annotations

The lower part of the "Weld annotation" toolbar sets how the picked bubble or note looks. With nothing picked, your choices apply to the bubbles and notes you place next. With "Multi-select", they change every picked bubble. In this example a general note is picked.

1. Line: draw the outline and arrow of the annotation, or a line drawn with the line button, as a solid, dashed or dotted line. The line style is shown on the printed weld map;
2. Arrow: show or remove the arrow line and arrowhead. Use the "No arrow" button for general notes without an arrow;
3. Bubble size: click XS, S, M, L or XL to set the size of the annotation. The text is sized with it. The bubbles placed by AI may not match any of these sizes; pick one to make them smaller or larger;
4. Text size: click A− or A+ to make the text smaller or larger. The text cannot be made larger than fits in the annotation;
5. "All same size" gives every bubble and note on the drawing the bubble size and text size shown;
6. A general note with a dashed outline and no arrow;
7. Drag the square on the corner of the picked annotation to resize it. A note can be made any width and height, down to the size of its text, so the note in this example can be made to fit its text. A weld bubble keeps its shape and snaps to the bubble sizes, or to the size of another bubble on the drawing. Hold the Alt key for any size.

Step 16 - AI Weld Register

Click the drawing number to open the drawing's details. The AI Weld Register lists the welds the AI found on the drawing.

1. The review status of the drawing;
2. The AI welds are checked, moved, added, rejected and created in AI Weld Review. Click "Weld Log" to manage the welds that were created;
3. "Open AI Review" opens the drawing in AI Weld Review;
4. The members each weld joins, as read from the drawing;
5. The BOM items of those members;
6. The status of each weld in the review, for example Created or Rejected. Click the arrow at the start of a row to see more details.

Step 17 - Bill of materials and cutting list on the drawing

The BOM and the cut list you saved in Step 4 are shown on the drawing's details page.

1. "Bill Of Materials (AI Extract)" lists each item with its description, size and quantity;
2. Click "BOM" to export the bill of materials as a CSV file;
3. "Cutting List (AI Extract)" lists each piece to cut with its BOM item, size, run length and quantity;
4. Click "Cut List" to export the cutting list as a CSV file;
5. Click the arrow at the start of a row to see the piece's ends, its source and any note.

The BOM and Cut List buttons on the Drawings list export the BOM and cut list of all the project's drawings.