🎨 DrawingFlow

DrawingFlow is a precision-engineered workflow management system for steel fabrication shop drawings. Built to replace the chaos of multiple Microsoft Lists with one unified, intelligent pipeline from customer request through approval to fabrication handoff.

"Because tracking drawings shouldn't require three different lists and a prayer." - Mark, Steel Fabricator

🎯 The Problem

Steel fabrication shops deal with complex drawing workflows that involve multiple stakeholders, approval stages, and handoffs. The traditional approach? Three separate Microsoft Lists:

Shop Drawing Request - Incoming work queue
Drawing Submittal Log - Design, submit, track approvals
Fabrication Drawing Log - Handoff to fab team

The result? Manual data entry, lost information between stages, no automated workflows, zero visibility, and pure frustration.

✨ The Solution

DrawingFlow replaces the three-list nightmare with one intelligent system:

📋 Request → 🎨 Design → 📤 Submit → ✅ Approve → 🏭 Fabricate

Core Features

🚀 Unified Workflow

Single source of truth for drawing lifecycle
Automatic status transitions based on approval type
Real-time visibility across all stages
Zero manual data re-entry

📄 PDF Magic

Built-in PDF viewer with markup tools
Compare revisions side-by-side
Annotation history tracking
Export marked-up PDFs

🔔 Smart Notifications

Real-time alerts when approvals arrive
Automated reminders for stalled drawings
Slack/Email integration
Mobile-friendly notifications

👥 Customer Workflows

Define approval chains per customer (GC → Architect → Engineer)
Track approval speed metrics
Custom submittal methods (email, portal, physical)
SLA management and escalation

🏗️ Fab Handoff

Seamless transition from approval to production
Material requirements extraction
Priority queue management
Shop floor tablet view

📊 Analytics & Insights

Time tracking per workflow stage
Bottleneck identification
Approval rate by customer
Workload balancing

🛠️ Tech Stack

The Foundation

Backend: Laravel 12 (PHP 8.3+) - Modern, powerful, battle-tested
Frontend: Vue.js 3 + Inertia.js - SPA feel without API complexity
Styling: Tailwind CSS 3 + Headless UI - Beautiful, accessible components
Database: MySQL 8.0 / PostgreSQL 15+ - Rock-solid data layer
Cache/Queue: Redis 7 + Laravel Horizon - Fast, reliable background processing
Search: Meilisearch - Sub-millisecond document search
Files: S3-compatible storage - Scalable file management

Why This Stack?

✅ Matches SteelFlow MRP ecosystem for eventual integration
✅ Modern PHP with type safety and performance
✅ Vue 3 Composition API for maintainable components
✅ Inertia.js for rapid development without API overhead
✅ Docker for consistent development environments

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine + Docker Compose)
Node.js 18+ (for local asset compilation)
Git

Installation

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/meistro57/DrawingFlow.git
cd DrawingFlow

# 2. Copy environment configuration
cp .env.example .env

# 3. Start Docker containers
docker-compose up -d

# 4. Install PHP dependencies
docker-compose exec app composer install

# 5. Generate application key
docker-compose exec app php artisan key:generate

# 6. Run database migrations
docker-compose exec app php artisan migrate --seed

# 7. Install frontend dependencies
npm install

# 8. Build assets (development)
npm run dev

# Or build for production
npm run build

Access the Application

Web Interface: http://localhost:8080
Mailhog (Email Testing): http://localhost:8025
Horizon (Queue Dashboard): http://localhost:8080/horizon

Default Credentials

Email: admin@drawingflow.test
Password: password

📚 Documentation

For Developers

AGENTS.md - Comprehensive AI agent guide with database schema, workflows, and development patterns
INSTALLATION.md - Detailed setup instructions for various environments
CONTRIBUTING.md - How to contribute to DrawingFlow
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md - Community guidelines

API Documentation

Coming soon - full REST API documentation with Postman collections.

🗺️ Roadmap

✅ Phase 0: Foundation (In Progress)

GitHub repository setup
Comprehensive documentation (AGENTS.md)
Extract customer/project models from SteelFlow
Docker development environment
Initial database migrations
Authentication system
Dashboard skeleton

📋 Phase 1: Core Workflow (Weeks 3-4)

🧠 Phase 2: Workflow Intelligence (Weeks 5-6)

Auto-status transitions based on approval type
Submittal approval tracking
Revision system (A → B → C)
Status history timeline
Notes/comments system
Email notifications
Dashboard with "My Queue" view

📄 Phase 3: PDF Magic (Weeks 7-8)

Embedded PDF viewer
Markup tools (circles, arrows, text, highlights)
Markup save/export
Revision comparison side-by-side
Stamp library (approval stamps)
Markup history tracking
Mobile-responsive viewer

💬 Phase 4: Communication Hub (Weeks 9-10)

🏭 Phase 5: Fab Handoff (Weeks 11-12)

📊 Phase 6: Intelligence & Insights (Weeks 13-14)

Analytics dashboard (time per stage, approval rates, bottlenecks)
Saved filters & custom views
Advanced search
Bulk operations
Templates for common drawing types
Drawing numbering automation

📈 Phase 7: Project Management (Weeks 15-16)

🔌 Phase 8: Integrations & Polish (Weeks 17-18)

🚀 Phase 9: Advanced Features (Weeks 19-20)

Conditional routing workflows
Multi-reviewer approval chains
Customer-specific workflow customization
Predictive approval timelines (AI/ML)
Advanced file management (DWG preview)
Automated submittal packet generation

🎯 Phase 10: Battle Testing & SteelFlow Integration (Weeks 21-24)

🏗️ Architecture

Database Schema Overview

customers (1) ─── (∞) projects (1) ─── (∞) drawing_requests
                                              │
                                              ↓
                                     drawing_submittals (1) ─── (∞) submittal_files
                                              │                          │
                                              │                          ↓
                                              │                   pdf_markups (∞)
                                              │
                                              ├─── (∞) submittal_approvals
                                              │
                                              ↓
                                         fab_queue (1)

Service Layer

DrawingFlow follows a service-oriented architecture:

Models - Handle database relationships and data access
Services - Contain business logic and complex workflows
Events - Trigger automated actions across the system
Jobs - Process long-running tasks in background queues
Policies - Control authorization and permissions

See AGENTS.md for complete architectural details.

🤝 Integration with SteelFlow MRP

DrawingFlow is designed as a standalone module that will eventually integrate into the SteelFlow MRP ecosystem.

Integration Strategy

Phase 1: Standalone (Current)

Independent operation
Optional connection to SteelFlow database
Separate deployment

Phase 2: API Integration

REST API for data exchange
Bidirectional sync
Unified authentication

Phase 3: Module Absorption

Move to app/Modules/DrawingFlow/ in SteelFlow
Shared database, auth, and core services
Single unified deployment

Shared Resources (Future)

User authentication & authorization
Customer database
Project database
File storage system
Notification infrastructure
Reporting engine

🧪 Testing

DrawingFlow follows a comprehensive testing strategy:

Test Coverage Goals

Unit Tests: 80%+ coverage
Feature Tests: All critical workflows
Browser Tests: Key user journeys

Running Tests

# Run all tests
docker-compose exec app php artisan test

# Run specific test suite
docker-compose exec app php artisan test --testsuite=Feature

# Run with coverage report
docker-compose exec app php artisan test --coverage

# Run browser tests (Dusk)
docker-compose exec app php artisan dusk

🤖 AI-Powered Development

DrawingFlow is built with AI pair programming in mind. The comprehensive AGENTS.md file provides:

Complete database schema with SQL
Business logic and workflow definitions
Service architecture patterns
Code style guidelines
Development best practices
AI-specific collaboration guidelines

This makes it easy for AI assistants to:

Generate accurate code that follows project patterns
Understand business requirements and constraints
Suggest implementations that match existing architecture
Debug issues with full context

📦 Project Structure

DrawingFlow/
├── app/
│   ├── Console/           # Artisan commands
│   ├── Events/            # Event classes (DrawingRequest, Submittal, FabQueue)
│   ├── Http/
│   │   ├── Controllers/   # Route controllers
│   │   ├── Requests/      # Form validation
│   │   └── Resources/     # API resources
│   ├── Jobs/              # Queue jobs
│   ├── Listeners/         # Event listeners
│   ├── Models/            # Eloquent models
│   ├── Notifications/     # Notification classes
│   ├── Policies/          # Authorization
│   └── Services/          # Business logic
├── database/
│   ├── factories/         # Model factories
│   ├── migrations/        # Database migrations
│   └── seeders/           # Database seeders
├── resources/
│   ├── css/               # Tailwind CSS
│   ├── js/
│   │   ├── Components/    # Vue components
│   │   ├── Composables/   # Reusable logic
│   │   ├── Layouts/       # Page layouts
│   │   ├── Pages/         # Inertia pages
│   │   └── Stores/        # Pinia stores
│   └── views/             # Blade templates (PDFs)
├── tests/
│   ├── Feature/           # Feature tests
│   ├── Unit/              # Unit tests
│   └── Browser/           # Dusk browser tests
├── docker/                # Docker configuration
├── docs/                  # Additional documentation
├── AGENTS.md              # AI development guide
└── README.md              # You are here

🌟 Key Features in Detail

Drawing Request Workflow

Request Creation - Office staff creates drawing request
Assignment - Auto-assigned to detailer based on workload
Design Work - Detailer creates drawings
Submittal - Package and submit to customer
Approval Tracking - Monitor approval status
Fab Handoff - Seamless transition to fabrication

Approval Types

DrawingFlow automatically handles different approval responses:

Approval Type	Action	Fab Queue	Revision
Approved	→ Fab Queue	✅ Created	No
Approved as Noted	→ Fab Queue (flagged)	✅ Created	No
Revise & Resubmit	→ Back to Design	❌ Not Created	✅ A → B
Rejected	→ Escalate	❌ Not Created	No
Field Verify Required	→ Assign Field Tech	⏸️ On Hold	No

PDF Markup Tools

Circle - Highlight areas of concern
Arrow - Point to specific elements
Text - Add comments and notes
Highlight - Mark important sections
Stamp - Apply approval stamps
Dimension - Call out measurements

All markups are:

Saved with user attribution
Tracked in history
Exportable as new PDF
Mobile-friendly

🎨 Screenshots

Coming soon - we're building the thing first!

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details on:

Code of conduct
Development workflow
Pull request process
Coding standards
Testing requirements

Getting Help

📖 Read the AGENTS.md for comprehensive project documentation
🐛 Report bugs via GitHub Issues
💡 Suggest features via GitHub Discussions
📧 Email: [Your contact email here]

📄 License

DrawingFlow is open-source software licensed under the MIT license.

🙏 Acknowledgments

Inspired By

FabTrol - The legendary MRP system that set the standard for steel fabrication software
SteelFlow MRP - The spiritual successor, providing patterns and architecture

Built For

Steel fabricators who deserve modern tools that actually understand their workflow.

Special Thanks

The steel fabrication community for feedback and insights
Laravel community for an amazing framework
Vue.js team for making frontend development enjoyable
All contributors who help make DrawingFlow better

🚀 The Vision

DrawingFlow started as a solution to a specific pain point: managing shop drawings in a steel fabrication shop. But the vision is bigger.

We're building a system that:

Respects craftsmanship - Built by fabricators for fabricators
Embraces modern tech - No compromises on developer experience
Stays practical - Solves real problems, not imaginary ones
Remains maintainable - Code that future developers won't hate
Integrates seamlessly - Part of a larger ecosystem (SteelFlow MRP)

Why Open Source?

Because the steel fabrication industry deserves better software. By open-sourcing DrawingFlow, we hope to:

Enable shops to customize it for their specific needs
Learn from the community and improve continuously
Lower the barrier to entry for modern shop management software
Give back to the industry that's given us so much

📊 Project Status

Current Phase: Foundation (Phase 0)
Status: Active Development
Version: 0.1.0-alpha
Next Milestone: Phase 1 - Core Workflow Implementation

Recent Activity

Check out the CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.

🎯 Who Is This For?

Primary Users

Steel Fabricators - Manage shop drawings from request to fab
Detailers - Track submittal status and revisions
Shop Managers - Visibility across all active drawings
Project Managers - Monitor project drawing timelines

Industries

Structural Steel Fabrication
Miscellaneous Metals
Railings & Ornamental Iron
Industrial Fabrication
Custom Metal Work

💬 Community

Join the DrawingFlow community:

GitHub Discussions - Feature requests, questions, ideas
Discord - Coming soon
Twitter - Coming soon

🔮 Future Possibilities

Ideas we're exploring for future versions:

Mobile App - Native iOS/Android for field use
AI-Powered Approval Prediction - Learn from history to predict approval times
3D Model Integration - Preview 3D models alongside 2D drawings
Collaborative Markup - Real-time multi-user markup sessions
Voice Commands - Shop floor control via voice
AR Overlay - Augmented reality drawing overlay for field verification
Blockchain Certification - Immutable approval records
Integration Marketplace - Connect with other fabrication tools

Got ideas? Share them in GitHub Discussions!

Built with ❤️ for steel fabricators who deserve better tools.

⭐ Star this repo | 🐛 Report Bug | 💡 Request Feature

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 9 Commits
app		app
bootstrap		bootstrap
config		config
database		database
docker		docker
public		public
resources		resources
routes		routes
storage		storage
tests		tests
.editorconfig		.editorconfig
.env.example		.env.example
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
artisan		artisan
composer.json		composer.json
composer.lock		composer.lock
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
phpunit.xml		phpunit.xml
vite.config.js		vite.config.js

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meistro57/DrawingFlow

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