Files drift apart
The table is in a chat, the specification is elsewhere, and the site opens yesterday's PDF. No one knows which row is correct.
OBJECT BASE
VIEW: INSTALLATION
Cable logVIEW: INSTALLATION
Airtable-like workspace for engineering projects
All object data in one working base.
Rooms, equipment, links, and documents stay in project context. The team works in practical views, while contractors see only the output they need.
Object baseIt appears with the project. Rooms, equipment, and working rows live here every day.
A view for the workFilters, sorting, grouping, hidden columns, and totals. A view can be shared, personal, or locked.
Close it in timeRevoke the link when the output is no longer needed. Do not publish sensitive data.
Grew from Airtable
A table model for data from the real object
We took Airtable's clear approach to tables and views and added project context: links between rooms, equipment, documents, and working decisions.
Source model
Airtable
SHD version
Project bases
When a table becomes a product
Data must stay connected to the object
Airtable made the table model approachable. SHD adds the project, engineering links, access rules, and safe external output.
Links stay in place
Rooms, devices, and cables are linked. The team's working view stays separate from the prepared output. Record history stays nearby.
One base instead of three copies
Base catalog
Each base solves a clear task
A base structure follows the work: an object log, a dedicated table, a template, or a reference. The team knows where data belongs and how to use it.
01
Object base
It appears with the project. Rooms, equipment, and working rows live here every day.
02
Task table
A separate grid for a distinct work area when an existing template does not fit.
03
Template and reference
A template defines tables, while a shared reference keeps the same items from multiplying across objects.
A template and a reference do not replace the project's working table.
Object grid
One working base instead of scattered tables
Sections, views, and records gather around one object. The team sees the needed data and links instead of searching across files.
01
Tables by section
Cable logs, rooms, and equipment stay together. A reference is visible from the object and edited in one place.
02
A view for the work
Filters, sorting, grouping, hidden columns, and totals. A view can be shared, personal, or locked.
03
Record card
Fields, links, a row discussion, and history. A question about a cable does not disappear into a general chat.
Object links
Text cannot replace a link
Room → device → cable → panel. The linked record stays the same even when shown in different views.
Engineer example A device is linked to a room and a cable to a panel. A lookup takes the item from the reference; a rollup counts load and devices.
Vertical chain of links from a room to a panel
- PLACE — RoomWhere the record is
- LINK — DeviceWhat is installed
- LINE — CableHow it is connected
- SECTION — PanelWhere the line arrives
Fields as an engineering tool
Manual, calculated, linked
A field has a job: enter a value, calculate it, or keep a file and a conversation beside the row.
01
Entered by hand
Name, quantity, cross-section, status, and the checked flag stay under the engineer's control.
02
Calculated automatically
Formula, lookup from a linked record, and rollup over child rows remove manual consolidation.
03
Files and conversation
An attachment and a discussion belong to the record instead of being lost among messages and folders.
A calculated field is not edited in the result. A manual value is a regular field.
Outside output
Output a view, not the whole base
A contractor does not need a project draft. The team prepares a safe slice and checks it through an outside person's eyes.
- 01
Build a view
Keep the required columns and filters; remove drafts and service fields.
- 02
Check from outside
Open the prepared view in another browser and make sure the context is clear.
- 03
Choose a format
Use a live link while data changes, or CSV/PDF for a dated snapshot.
- 04
Close it in time
Revoke the link when the output is no longer needed. Do not publish sensitive data.
A public view does not open the cabinet. Viewing is the default; external comments or edits are enabled separately.
Several people on one object
Work continues while the table is live
The object does not become a race for the latest file: the team sees nearby changes and record history.
- Updates nearbyThe grid updates while a colleague edits the adjacent row.
- Presence is visibleThe team knows who is currently working in the table.
- Conflicts are visibleA change conflict is shown clearly instead of being hidden behind the last saved copy.
- Access for a reasonInvite a person to the base without opening the whole project.
- History stays thereThe record keeps a clear trail of changes.
Before the object base
The boundaries in brief
This is not a promise to replace everything. It shows where object tables remove real manual work.
Is this simply Airtable?
It follows the Airtable table model but is adapted to the object: links, project roles, discussions, and prepared output.
Will a contractor see the whole log?
No. They receive a prepared view with unnecessary fields hidden in advance.
Why use a template if there is an object?
So new objects do not start from zero. The working table is an instance, not the template.
Can I edit a formula in a cell?
No. A formula is calculated. A manual value belongs in a regular field.
Will a link become outdated after a table change?
A live link shows current data. Use CSV or PDF when you need a snapshot.
What does the base not replace?
Diagrams remain diagrams. A base keeps rows and links; a row discussion does not replace a point on a sheet.
Object base
Build a base the team can use every day.
We will review logs, references, and what can be shared with a contractor without cabinet access.
We will start with current tables, links, and the view an outside participant should see.