Build Sheet Builder

The Build Sheet Builder is a visual WYSIWYG editor for creating production sheets, build sheets, and manufacturing documents. Design custom table layouts by dragging fields into columns and configuring formatting—no code required.

Overview

The Build Sheet Builder replaces complex code-based Parts/Breakdowns configurations with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Key Features

• Drag-and-drop column creation
• Live preview with sample data
• Multiple tables per product (each becomes a page in PDF)
• Formula support for calculated columns
• Undo/redo history
• Row source selection (line items or parts)

Getting Started

Opening the Builder

1. Navigate to your product
2. Go to the Build Sheet section
3. Click "Open Build Sheet Builder"
4. The visual editor opens in a modal

Interface Overview

The builder has three main areas:

Building Your First Table

Step 1: Drag Fields into Columns

From the Field Palette, drag fields into the table:

• Line Item Fields: Width, Height, Qty, Depth, etc.
• Product Options: Material → Name, Edge → Price, etc.
• Formula: Create calculated columns

Step 2: Arrange Columns

• Drag columns to reorder
• Click a column header to select and edit
• Use move buttons to shift left/right

Step 3: Configure Column Settings

For each column, configure:

• Name: Column header text
• Width: Auto (*) or fixed (e.g., 100px)
• Content: Field reference or formula
• Format: Decimal, text, currency, etc.

Step 4: Preview and Save

• Preview updates in real-time with sample data
• Click "Save Build Sheet" when complete

Field Palette

Line Item Fields

Access values from the order's line items:

Product Options

Access selected attribute values:

Example:

• material.name → "Cherry"
• material.price → 25.00
• edge.profile → "Ogee"

Formulas

Create calculated columns with formulas:

• Use the visual formula builder
• Combine fields with math operations
• Add conditionals for complex logic

Column Editor

When you select a column, the editor panel appears:

Name

The column header displayed in the table.

Width

• Auto (*): Column sizes to fit content
• Fixed: Specify width in pixels or percentage

Content Type

Format Options

Format Settings

• Decimals: Number of decimal places
• Prefix: Text before value (e.g., "$")
• Suffix: Text after value (e.g., "in")

Multiple Tables

Create multiple tables for complex build sheets:

Adding Tables

1. Click "Add Table" in the tab bar
2. New table appears with default settings
3. Each table becomes a separate page in PDF output

Use Cases

• Table 1: Build sheet for panels
• Table 2: Hardware list
• Table 3: Assembly instructions

Table Settings

For each table, configure:

• Table Name: Displayed as header
• Row Source: "Line Items" or "Parts"

Row Sources

Choose what generates rows in your tables:

Line Items

One row per line item in the order:

| Qty | Width | Height | Material |
|-----|-------|--------|----------|
| 2   | 24    | 36     | Cherry   |
| 5   | 18    | 24     | Maple    |
| 1   | 30    | 42     | Walnut   |

Best for: Order summaries, shipping manifests, customer invoices.

Parts

One row per product part (expanded by quantity):

| # | Part   | Width | Height | Material |
|---|--------|-------|--------|----------|
| 1 | Stile  | 2.25  | 36     | Cherry   |
| 2 | Stile  | 2.25  | 36     | Cherry   |
| 3 | Rail   | 2.25  | 19.5   | Cherry   |
| ...                                     |

Best for: Build sheets, shop floor production documents.

Visual Parts

One row per part from the Visual Part Builder:

| # | Part      | Width | Length | Thickness |
|---|-----------|-------|--------|-----------|
| 1 | Left Stile | 2.25 | 36     | 0.75      |
| 2 | Right Stile| 2.25 | 36     | 0.75      |
| 3 | Top Rail   | 2.25 | 25.5   | 0.75      |
| 4 | Bottom Rail| 2.25 | 25.5   | 0.75      |
| 5 | Panel      | 25   | 31.5   | 0.25      |

Best for: Products using Visual Part Builder (doors, cabinets, drawers).

Panels

One row per panel/opening from the Visual Part Builder:

| # | Panel  | Width | Height | Style |
|---|--------|-------|--------|-------|
| 1 | Panel 1| 25    | 31.5   | Raised|

Best for: Panel-focused cut lists, glass cutting schedules.

Sorting & Grouping

Control the order and visual organization of rows in your build sheet.

Opening Sort Configuration

1. Click the Sort button in the footer bar
2. The Sort & Group modal opens
3. Enable sorting with the toggle
4. Add sort rules

Creating Sort Rules

Available Sort Fields

Sort rules can reference multiple data sources:

Multi-Level Sorting

Add multiple sort rules for complex ordering. Rules apply in priority order:

1. First rule - Primary sort (with optional grouping)
2. Second rule - Sort within the first
3. Third rule - Further refinement

Example:

1. Group by Door Type (Door/Drawer Front)
2. Then sort by Width descending
3. Then sort by Height ascending

Result: All doors grouped together, sorted largest to smallest by width.

Grouping Rows

Enable Group on the first sort rule to add visual separation between groups:

Common Grouping Scenarios:

• Group by material type
• Group by door style
• Group by room/location
• Group by production priority

Sort Rule Order

Reorder rules using the up/down buttons:

• ↑ Move rule higher priority
• ↓ Move rule lower priority

The topmost rule applies first, then subsequent rules sort within those results.

Example: Cabinet Door Production

Optimize cutting by grouping parts:

Result:

── Cherry ──────────────────────
| Qty | Width | Height | Part    |
|-----|-------|--------|---------|
| 1   | 30    | 42     | Panel   |
| 2   | 24    | 36     | Panel   |
| 1   | 18    | 30     | Panel   |

── Maple ───────────────────────
| Qty | Width | Height | Part    |
|-----|-------|--------|---------|
| 3   | 24    | 30     | Panel   |
| 2   | 18    | 24     | Panel   |

Disabling Sorting

Toggle sorting off to return to default row order (line items as entered, or parts as defined).

Formulas in Columns

Opening the Formula Builder

1. Set column Content Type to "Formula"
2. Click "Edit Formula"
3. Visual formula builder opens

Formula Examples

Square Feet:

(width × height) ÷ 144

Board Feet:

(thickness × width × length) ÷ 144

Total Price:

qty × unit_price

Conditional Value:

IF width > 48 THEN "Oversized" ELSE "Standard"

Undo/Redo

Full history support for all changes:

• Undo: Ctrl/Cmd + Z or click undo button
• Redo: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z or click redo button

History tracks:

• Column additions/deletions
• Column reordering
• Setting changes
• Table modifications

Best Practices

Column Naming

• Use clear, descriptive names
• Keep names concise for narrow columns
• Consider abbreviations for space

Column Order

• Put identifying fields first (Qty, Item #)
• Group related fields together
• End with totals or calculations

Formatting

• Use consistent decimal places
• Add units as suffixes when helpful
• Consider print width when sizing

Multiple Tables

• Keep tables focused on one purpose
• Use descriptive table names
• Order tables logically for workflow

Common Use Cases

Cabinet Door Build Sheet

Hardware List

Panel Breakdown

PDF Output

Build sheets generate professional PDF documents:

Features

• Clean, professional layout
• Company branding (logo, colors)
• Table headers on each page
• Page numbers
• Custom footer text

Printing

• Optimized for letter/A4 paper
• Proper margins and spacing
• Landscape or portrait orientation
• Multiple pages for large orders

Troubleshooting

Fields Not Appearing in Palette

• Ensure line items are configured on the product
• Check that product options have parts defined
• Refresh the builder if recently added

Formula Errors

• Verify all referenced fields exist
• Check for division by zero
• Ensure field names match exactly

Preview Not Updating

• Try refreshing the preview manually
• Check for unsaved changes
• Verify sample data is available

Columns Not Saving

• Ensure all required fields are set
• Check for validation errors
• Verify you have edit permissions

Keyboard Shortcuts

API Integration

Retrieve Build Sheet Config

GET /api/products/:id?populate=build_sheet_config

Update Build Sheet Config

PUT /api/products/:id
{
  "build_sheet_config": {
    "tables": [
      {
        "id": "table-1",
        "name": "Build Sheet",
        "row_source": "line_items",
        "columns": [...]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Next Steps

• Visual Part Builder - Visual layout editor for doors and cabinets
• Parts - Configure product components
• Formula Builder - Step-based calculations for pricing, parts, and inventory
• Pricing - Create pricing formulas