Prepare your sources
Prepare reliable source material
Choose the inputs that make a draft accurate, specific, and easy to review.
What you’ll achieve
A focused set of current sources with the context needed to explain the task.
Before you begin
- A project and permission to use the source material.
On this page
Choose the right source for the job
The Sources file picker accepts PDFs and videos. Add written knowledge with Text Notes. Use direct image attachment in Steps when you want to add a supporting image to a step.
| Input | Best for | Prepare it first |
|---|---|---|
| Procedures, manuals, drawings, and specifications | Use a readable, current revision; remove unrelated pages where practical. | |
| Video | Sequence, movement, positioning, and demonstrations | Keep the action visible; explain hidden decisions; avoid irrelevant footage. |
| Text Notes | Tacit knowledge, exceptions, terminology, and missing requirements | Write explicit facts and distinguish requirements from examples. |
Upload and check readiness
- 1
Open Sources and choose Browse Computer, or drag files into the upload area.
- 2
Wait for upload and analysis to finish. The source list shows each file’s name, type, description, and status.
- 3
Read the descriptions to confirm that StepGen recognized the intended content. Preview a source when you need to inspect it.
- 4
Resolve failed or still-processing sources before generating. Use the ready-source count beside Generate Steps to check progress.
Upload from your phone
Open the target project on your computer, select Sources, and click Phone. Scan the QR code with your phone camera. You do not need to sign in on your phone.
Tap Choose files to open your phone’s file browser, select PDFs, videos, or STEP/STP files, then tap Upload. Record Video opens your phone camera; Videos opens your video library. STEP/STP requires CAD beta access. The limit is 250MB per file, or 25MB for CAD.
Keep the phone page open until the upload finishes. Files appear in Sources in the same project and process in the background. The computer dialog shows the uploaded file count; Close dismisses the dialog and keeps the link active. Reopen Phone to see the same active link, including after reloading your computer.
Choose End phone upload to stop new uploads through the link immediately. Files already uploaded stay in Sources; wait for in-progress uploads to finish before ending the link. If ending the link fails, it may still be active: try End phone upload again. The link also expires 12 hours after creation, and reopening it does not extend its expiry. Keep it private: anyone with the link can add files to this project. For an expired link, click Phone again on your computer and scan the new QR code. If a connection fails, keep the page open and tap Retry upload. Completed files are not uploaded again. If the file or its upload has expired, remove it with the X and select it again. Refresh Sources if an uploaded file does not appear.
Choose phone files and retry uploads
Choose files opens your phone’s file browser for PDFs, videos, and STEP/STP models. STEP/STP requires CAD beta access. Record Video and Videos provide quick access to your camera and video library. File limits appear below Choose files.
Keep the page open while files transfer. If your connection is interrupted, tap Retry upload. Files that already reached Sources are kept and are not uploaded again.
The compact phone page keeps the main controls together, without the support chat launcher. Longer file lists scroll as needed. Upload Complete! confirms that your files reached Sources; you can close the page or choose Upload More Files.
Fill the gaps deliberately
If a video shows an action but not its acceptance criteria, add those criteria as a text note. If two documents disagree, identify the controlling revision and explain which information should be followed.
Keep source facts separate from writing preferences. Add facts in Sources; use AI Generation Settings for directions such as audience, output language, or level of detail.
Avoid preventable rework
- Use meaningful source names so reviewers can trace where a requirement came from.
- Do not upload passwords, unrelated personnel records, or customer details that the instruction does not need.
- Replace unreadable scans with a clearer source. A confident description does not prove that every measurement was extracted correctly.