ETS Build — Visual User Manual
A screenshot-led walkthrough of every major screen and workflow in ETS Build, the integrated engineering platform for CAD, FEA, DFM, CAM, FMEA, PLM, and manufacturing execution. Screenshots are captured against a live demo session of the application, so what you see here matches what you see in the app.
Table of Contents
3. The Workspace Shell & Embedded Assistant
- Material Lab
- Design Studio
- FEA Workflow
- Material Database
- FEA Engine
- Generative Design / CAD Editor
- Models
- Manufacturability
- Troubleshooting
- UAP Calculator
- Design-to-Part Workflow
- Jobs
11. Audit Workspace
13. By Role Index
15. Image Index
About ETS Build
ETS Build is the engineering frontend of the ETS Platform. It connects to backend services for finite element analysis (FEA), engineering calculations (UAP), design-for-manufacturing (DFM), manufacturing execution (MES), product lifecycle management (PLM), and an AI assistant (ChatETS) embedded in every module.
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Design | Parametric CAD, material selection, generative/AI design, model management |
| Analysis | FEA workflow + engine, UAP calculators, DFM analysis |
| Risk & Quality | FMEA, MES quality (NCR/CAPA/Cpk/genealogy), DVP&R, PPAP |
| Lifecycle | PLM product tree, revisions, ECOs, compliance, audit chain |
| AI | Embedded ChatETS assistant, AI Engineering Brain, MCP tool console, workflow inspector |
Getting Started
ETS Build is served at http://127.0.0.1:18080 in this local demo. The landing page introduces the whole part lifecycle: DFM analysis, FEA validation, supplier routing, PPAP/FMEA, PLM/ECOs, and CAM/MES.
To enter the workspace:
1. Click Open workspace or Start building on the landing page, or go directly to /dashboard.
2. In demo mode you are taken through a short bootstrap and land in the workspace shell.
The Workspace Shell & Embedded Assistant
Every module lives inside the CadShell — a menu-driven command-center layout. Along the top you have the File / Edit / View / Insert / Tool / Window / Help menus, a workspace selector, the active project name (e.g. Snap-Fit Assembly v1), search, notifications, the ChatETS toggle, and the account menu. The left rail lists the modules available in the current workspace. On the right, the embedded ChatETS assistant is always available and receives context about the module you are viewing.
The assistant shows contextual suggestions per module and can answer questions about materials, design, FEA, and troubleshooting. A disclaimer reminds you that ChatETS may produce inaccurate information and that critical calculations should be verified.
Design Workspace
The Design workspace is the default landing area and contains the core modeling and analysis modules.
Material Lab
The default module. Compare candidate materials side by side with real property data (stiffness, thermal range, cost signal) and save selections to the project. The embedded assistant suggests material-selection questions.
Design Studio
The parametric design environment. Interact with geometry and get live feedback on snap-fit, living-hinge, and insertion-force behavior. Ask the assistant to optimize a snap-fit for lower strain or validate a living-hinge design.
FEA Workflow
A guided, stepper-based analysis pipeline: Model → Geometry → Mesh → BCs & Loads → Solver → Run → Results → Export. Demo models (e.g. OceanGate Titan Pressure Vessel, Challenger SRB O-Ring Seal) are provided as starting points.
Material Database
Browse and filter the engineering materials library by properties such as tensile strength. The assistant can translate natural language into filters (e.g. "show glass-reinforced polymers").
FEA Engine
Configure and run finite element analysis: materials, loads, and boundary conditions, then review stress/displacement. Ask the assistant to explain the von Mises stress distribution or how to reduce maximum displacement.
Generative Design / CAD Editor
A full CAD toolset (Selection, Create, Modify, Utility, Export) with a 3D viewport, together with generative design controls. Import STEP/STL, and use tabs for Setup, Constraints, Results, and Analysis.
Models
Manage your model library: upload, search, favorite, and create revisions (the UI shows a revision D being created). Configure materials, post boundary conditions and loads, and run simulation steps from JSON payloads.
Manufacturability
A real DFM lab with four tabs:
- DFM Guidelines — process-specific guidelines (shown here for Injection Molding)
- Tolerance Stack-Up
- Cost Estimator
- Joining Advisor
Troubleshooting
A defect-diagnosis matrix (e.g. warpage, sink marks, short shots) with causes and corrective actions drawn from the engineering knowledge base.
UAP Calculator
The engineering calculator hub. A natural-language query bar lets you type a calculation in plain English (e.g. "von Mises stress for sigma_x 150 MPa..."), with example chips and a searchable catalog of 60+ functions.
Design-to-Part Workflow
A guided pipeline from Design → Validate → Simulate → Quote → Order. It reads the current design geometry and drives it toward a manufacturable, quoted part.
Jobs
Monitor asynchronous work: FEA Jobs and Workflow Jobs, with a "Submit Demo FEA Job" control to exercise the pipeline.
PLM Workspace
The PLM workspace manages the product lifecycle: product structure, PPAP compliance, and DVP&R validation.
Product Tree
The PLM Dashboard with tabs for Product Tree, Revisions, ECO Workflow, and BOM, plus product search and a "New Product" action.
PPAP
Production Part Approval Process (AIAG 4th Edition). Dashboard with package statistics (total, drafts, pending review, approved, rejected), plus tabs for All Packages, Approvals, New PPAP Package, Import, and Bulk Export.
DVP&R
Design Verification Plan & Report — the full APQP validation arc. Generate the DVP&R, evaluate measurement data with process capability (Cpk), and open a stage-gate project. Every step invokes a live MCP engineering tool.
Execution Workspace
The Execution workspace connects design to the shop floor.
MES
Manufacturing Execution System with tabs for Shop Floor, Work Orders, SPC Charts, Machines, AI Inspection, and Quality & Traceability.
The Quality & Traceability tab is the automotive-quality center: process capability (Cp/Cpk) for characteristics such as the O-Ring Groove Diameter, non-conformance reporting (NCR), CAPA, and lot genealogy across parts like SRB-FJ-200 and SRB-FJ-100.
MaaS — Manufacturing as a Service
Get instant quotes across manufacturing processes (CNC Milling, Turning, Injection Molding, 3D Printing, Sheet Metal, Die Casting), with material, volume, surface area, quantity, tolerance, and finish inputs. Tabs for Order Tracking, Suppliers, and RFQ History.
DFM Analysis
Upload a CAD model (STL/OBJ) and run Design-for-Manufacturing analysis across processes (Injection Molding, Additive, Sheet Metal, Machining), with tool-cost estimation.
FMEA Workspace
The FMEA workspace manages Failure Mode and Effects Analysis across the project, with PFMEA and DFMEA views, a Control Plan, failure-mode entry, AI-assisted suggestions, and action tracking. Search and filter parts, then release analyses for review.
CAM Workspace
The CAM workspace turns part geometry into machining instructions. Inspect toolpaths, generate NC code, and run machining simulation across operations (face mill, rough mill, drill, finish mill, inspect), with a live 3D viewport.
Compliance Workspace
The Compliance workspace shows organizational and quality compliance with live standard statuses and scores — ISO 9001 (95%), FDA 21 CFR 820 (78%), ITAR (100%) — plus tabs for Certifications, Material Compliance, and Requirements Coverage.
Reports Workspace
Generate engineering reports from your project data. The workspace lists report templates which can be generated and exported.
Audit Workspace
Review the tamper-evident audit chain: search events/actors/payloads, filter by type, verify chain integrity, anchor to the ledger, and export events as JSON.
AI Engineering Brain
The AI Engineering Brain orchestrates multi-agent engineering analysis (Titan / Challenger / Generic scripts). It includes:
- Workflow Control — start a Titan analysis and watch agent status
- Workflow Inspector — live SET orchestration plans and results
- MCP Tool Console — browse and invoke real engineering tools
- Agent Status Grid — 8 specialized agents
- Service panels — Clanky DSPy optimization, Hammer RSI orchestrator, Plaything collective intelligence, Aegis trust verification
- Historical Titan data — load specifications, history, and FEA assets
By Role Index
| Role | Start with |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineers | Material Lab → Design Studio → FEA Workflow → Manufacturability → Troubleshooting |
| Analysis Engineers | FEA Engine → FEA Workflow → UAP Calculator → DFM Analysis |
| Manufacturing Engineers | Manufacturability → MaaS → MES → DFM Analysis |
| Quality Engineers | FMEA → MES Quality & Traceability → PPAP → DVP&R → Compliance → Audit |
| Product Managers | PLM Product Tree → PPAP → Reports → AI Engineering Brain |
| Administrators | Compliance → Audit → AI Engineering Brain |
Common Tasks Index
| I want to... | Module | Screenshot |
|---|---|---|
| Find the workspace shell | Any module | Material Lab |
| Compare materials | Material Lab / Design Studio | — |
| Design a snap-fit / hinge | Design Studio | Design Studio |
| Run a structural analysis | FEA Workflow | FEA Workflow |
| Configure an FEA run | FEA Engine | FEA Engine |
| Generate a design alternative | Generative / CAD | CAD Editor |
| Manage model revisions | Models | Models |
| Check manufacturability | Manufacturability | DFM Guidelines |
| Diagnose a molding defect | Troubleshooting | Troubleshooting |
| Run an engineering calculation | UAP Calculator | UAP Calculator |
| Track a part to order | Design-to-Part workflow | Design-to-Part |
| Monitor async jobs | Jobs | Jobs |
| Manage BOM / revisions / ECOs | PLM Product Tree | Product Tree |
| Create a PPAP package | PPAP | PPAP |
| Run DVP&R / Cpk | DVP&R | DVP&R |
| Track shop-floor execution | MES | MES |
| Check Cp/Cpk and genealogy | MES Quality | Quality & Traceability |
| Get an instant quote | MaaS | MaaS |
| Analyze DFM of a model | DFM Analysis | DFM Analysis |
| Run FMEA / control plan | FMEA | FMEA |
| Generate CAM toolpaths | CAM | CAM |
| View compliance status | Compliance | Compliance |
| Generate a report | Reports | Reports |
| Verify the audit chain | Audit | Audit |
| Run multi-agent analysis | AI Engineering Brain | AI Brain |
| Ask the assistant in context | Embedded ChatETS | Any module |
Image Index
All screenshots live in screenshots/ets-build/ and are referenced relatively throughout this manual.
| File | Screen |
|---|---|
| 00-landing.png | Landing page |
| ets-material-lab.png | Material Lab + workspace shell |
| ets-design-studio.png | Design Studio |
| ets-fea-workflow.png | FEA Workflow |
| ets-material-database.png | Material Database |
| ets-fea-engine.png | FEA Engine |
| ets-generative-cad.png | Generative Design / CAD Editor |
| ets-models.png | Models |
| ets-manufacturability-dfm.png | Manufacturability Lab |
| ets-troubleshooting.png | Troubleshooting Matrix |
| ets-uap-calculator.png | UAP Calculator |
| ets-design-to-part-workflow.png | Design-to-Part workflow |
| ets-jobs.png | Jobs |
| ets-plm-tree.png | PLM Product Tree |
| ets-ppap.png | PPAP |
| ets-dvpr.png | DVP&R |
| ets-mes.png | MES dashboard |
| ets-mes-quality.png | MES Quality & Traceability |
| ets-maas.png | MaaS instant quoting |
| ets-dfm-analysis.png | DFM Analysis |
| ets-fmea.png | FMEA Workspace |
| ets-cam.png | CAM Workspace |
| ets-compliance.png | Compliance |
| ets-reports.png | Reports |
| ets-audit.png | Audit |
| ets-ai-brain.png | AI Engineering Brain |
© 2026 ETS Platform. Visual manual generated against a live demo session.