User guide

Working in LODE

LODE is where your drawing sets, specs, and revisions live as a single source of truth. You issue each set as it comes, and LODE keeps track of which sheet is current, what it replaced, and when — automatically. This guide takes you from account creation through project closeout.

The core workflow

New issuance→Add Drawings→Batch Review→Lock→Set in Stone

LODE’s shorthand omits Batch Review — that’s where you confirm the read before locking.

Modules

Eleven modules, start to closeout

01OnboardingAccount, workspace, plan, team & roles, the tour, first project.→02Issuing FilesThe core workflow, outputs, sharing, troubleshooting.→03The Viewer & MarkupNavigate, compare, mark up, measure, and export sheets.→04Sketch PaperThe infinite trace canvas upstream of the record.→05Phases & ScheduleThe seven-phase model, completing a phase, the phase archive, the unified schedule.→06BiddingBid events, questions, substitutions, addenda, tabulation, the award.→07Construction AdministrationRFIs, submittals, revisions, observations, the contractor portal.→08FinancialsThe contract sum chain, change events, pay applications, contingency & allowances.→09CloseoutDeliverables, punch, certificates, the closeout package, cold storage.→10Projects & TeamsAccess vs assignment, project settings, drawing packages, the project list.→11Sharing & GuestsShare links, transmittals, review links for consultants and owners, document grants.→

Reference

—DOC — the AIWhat DOC reads, where it shows up, the allowance.→—Account & BillingPlans, storage, archive vs delete, notifications, profile.→—The HubFirm-level knowledge: files, lessons learned, contacts, QA/QC, the firm schedule, branding.→—The WorkspaceOne shell for reading the record: the working set, panes, The LODE, and what a link carries.→—Export & CompileThe compiled outputs, the compiler, exporting a selection, and the no-account browser tool.→—Help & SupportWhere to start when you’re stuck — and how to reach us.→

Vocabulary

The words LODE uses

Issuance	The unit you bring in — Bid Set, Permit Set, ASI, Addendum. Can hold drawings, specs, and supplementals together.
Sheet	One drawing page, tracked individually across every issuance.
Issue (verb)	Bring documents into the record — the LODE. Issue a set; set it in stone.
Batch Review	Confirm what LODE read before it's official.
Lock	The preliminary step inside issuing: stage a confirmed issuance. Nothing compiles yet.
Set in Stone	The final step: make the issuance authoritative and compile every output. Lock first, then Set in Stone.
Current set	The live truth — Files › Index.
Field Set	The compiled current set, one clean PDF.
Revision Record Set	Full history, superseded and voided sheets stamped.
Drawing package	A scope container, e.g. Building vs Civil — not an issuance.
Transmittal	A formal send with open/download logging.

Ground rules

Four things LODE assumes

One file per issuance. A PDF that combines several issuances can't be untangled into clean history.

The issuance date decides what's newest. LODE out of order and the newest still wins.

Nothing is deleted. Superseded sheets stay in history.

You verify, LODE proposes. Confirming sheet assignments in Batch Review is the licensed professional's responsibility.

Ready to issue your first set?

Every account starts with a 30-day Solo trial. No card required.