Balloonist Documentation

1. Log in to your account at app.balloonist.io
2. Upload a PDF by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse and selecting a file
3. Add balloons to your drawing; Activate (plus/add icon), click to place a balloon, or drag a rectangle to capture and balloon a feature. Or active autoballooning (star icon) and drag a rectangle around multiple features/dimensions to capture all at once.
4. Review the inspection table - edit any balloon data as needed
5. Download your annotated PDF and export an Excel inspection report

1. Upload Your Drawing

• Drag and Drop: Drag your PDF file directly into the upload zone
• File Browser: Click the upload area to select a file from your computer
• Supported Format: PDF files only

2. Navigate and View Your Drawing

• Zoom: Use Shift + mouse wheel, or select zoom level from the Toolbar
• Pan: Hold Shift and drag the drawing to reposition
• Rotate: Use Ctrl + arrow keys or the rotation dropdown in the Toolbar
• Multi-page PDFs: Use the page selector in the Toolbar

3. Add Balloons to Features

Choose your method for adding balloons:

• Manual Balloon (plus/add icon): Click once on the drawing to place a numbered balloon (without capturing) or draw a rectangle around a feature to capture it.
• Auto-Capture (star icon): Click the autoballoon button, then drag a rectangle around multiple features - AI extracts dimension data automatically

As you add balloons, they appear in the inspection table at the bottom with auto-numbered rows.

4. Edit Inspection Data

• Click any cell in the inspection table to edit values
• Add feature descriptions, dimensions, tolerances, and notes
• Use Tab to move quickly between cells
• Add or edit GD&T symbols by copying from the Settings panel symbol library

5. Download Your Work

Use the download buttons in the Controls (left side):

• PDF: Download (download icon) your drawing with all balloons and annotations
• Excel Download (table icon) your table. Format can be selected from settings under Download Format (FAI, Inspection, Custom Template or CSV)

Interface Overview

• Controls (Left Side): Add balloon, autoballoon, add text, selector, download/export buttons and clear page
• Menu (Very top): File operations (Save settings, Template Manager)
• Toolbar (Top on page load): Balloon settings (next number, type, leader line, color, shape), textbox settings (color, size), and page navigation (zoom, page number, rotation)
• Settings (Right on page load): Part information, tolerances, units, and GD&T symbol library
• Bottom Panel: Inspection data table with sortable columns and inline editing

• Toolbar (Top on page load): Adjust balloon appearance (number, type, color, shape), zoom, and page navigation
• Settings (Right on page load): Enter part info, select units, set default tolerances, access GD&T symbol library
• Changes save automatically to your browser

Toolbar (Top on page load)

The Toolbar provides quick access to balloon customization and page controls:

Balloon Settings

• Next Number: Set the next balloon number (auto-increments by default)
• Type: Capture type: Choose Basic, Note, or GD&T annotation type
• Show Line: Show or hide leader lines (applies to next balloon added)
• Balloon Color: Select from 10 colors (applies to next balloon added)
• Balloon Shape: Choose circle, square, diamond, hexagon, or triangle (applies to next balloon added)
• Size: Range from 4 to 108 points (applies to all balloons)

Textbox Settings

• Font Size: Range from 4 to 108 points (applies to next textbox added and can be used to edit existing textboxes)
• Font Color: Text color for balloon numbers (applies to next textbox added and can be used to edit existing textboxes)

Page Navigation

• Zoom Level: Preset zoom levels from 25% to 250%
• Page: Navigate through multi-page PDFs
• Page Rotation: Dropdown to select 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270° rotation. Changes current page only.

Settings Panel (Right on page load)

The Settings panel contains part information, units, tolerances, and the GD&T symbol library:

Part Information Panel

Enter identifying information for your inspection:

• Part Number: The part's unique identifier.
• Part Name: Descriptive name of the part.
• Customer/Company: Usually the customer name, or your own organization if for internal use.

This information populates in exported Excel reports. The part number is used in file names.

Unit Settings

• Page Units: Units defined on the drawing (inches or mm)
• Table Units: Units used in the inspection table (if different from page units, values will be converted on capture)
• Conversion Textbox: When set to 'yes', automatically adds a textbox to the drawing with converted units when you capture a feature
• Conversion Decimals: Number of decimal places for converted values

Default Tolerance Settings

Choose your tolerance calculation method:

Default Tolerances Units: Units which tolerances are applied to (only selectable when table and page units differ)

Default Tolerance Type: Select how tolerances are determined for dimensions without specified tolerances (Decimal place or ISO 2768)

Decimal-Based Tolerances:

Set different tolerances based on decimal precision:

• Whole Numbers: Tolerance for dimensions like 5, 10, 25
• 1 Decimal Place: For dimensions like 0.5, 1.2
• 2 Decimal Places: For dimensions like 0.25, 1.50
• 3 Decimal Places: For dimensions like 0.125, 1.375
• 4 Decimal Places: For dimensions like 0.1250, 1.3750
• Fractions: For fractional dimensions
• Angles: Specific tolerance for angular dimensions

ISO 2768 Standard Tolerances:

Use international standard tolerance classes:

• Fine (f): Tighter tolerances for precision work
• Medium (m): Standard general tolerances
• Coarse (c): Relaxed tolerances for non-critical features
• Very Coarse (v): Maximum tolerance allowances

Table Settings:

• Download Format: Format of Excel file for exporting the inspection table
• Auto-Renumber Balloons: Automatically renumber balloons when adding or deleting items in the inspection table
• Max Rows: Maximum number of rows displayed in the inspection table. Can be decreased to better see drawing.
• Table Sort: Default sorting behavior for the inspection table

GD&T Symbol Library

Access the Y14.5-2018 symbol library to copy and paste GD&T symbols into your inspection table.

Page Rotation Controls

Rotate pages for easier viewing using keyboard shortcuts or the Toolbar dropdown:

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Ctrl + → Rotate 90° clockwise
• Ctrl + ← Rotate 90° counterclockwise
• Ctrl + ↓ Rotate 180°
• Ctrl + ↑ Reset to 0°

Dropdown Menu In Toolbar:

Use the page rotation dropdown in the Toolbar to select: 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°.

Settings Persistence

• Tolerance and unit settings saved to browser localStorage
• Automatically restored on next visit
• Per-browser storage (different browsers have separate settings)
• Collapsible sections remember open/closed state

1. Activate Balloon Tool using the plus/add icon
2. Click on the drawing (single left click) to add a balloon at that location or Drag a rectangle around a feature to capture it with a balloon
3. Customize balloon appearance using the Toolbar
4. Move balloons by clicking and dragging (using the selector tool is recommended to avoid adding balloons accidentally)
5. Delete balloons by removing the row in the inspection table

Balloon Tool Modes

• Single Click: Creates a balloon without capturing feature data - useful for quick ballooning when inspection table data isn't needed or will be added manually.
• Drag Rectangle: Captures the feature within the rectangle and creates a balloon - feature data is extracted

Balloon Customization

Numbering

• Auto-Increment: Balloons automatically number sequentially (1, 2, 3...)
• Manual: Edit balloon numbers directly in the inspection table
• Auto-Renumber: Enable in table settings to automatically renumber when adding or deleting items

Shapes

Choose from multiple balloon shapes:

• Circle (default)
• Square
• Diamond
• Hexagon
• Triangle

Colors

Select from 10 colors including: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple, Magenta, Gray, Black, or Hidden

Note: Color applies to the next balloon added. Can be changed later from the inspection table.

Size

• Range: 4 to 108 points

Note: Size applies to all balloons on the drawing for consistency.

Leader Lines

• Show: Display pointer lines from balloon to feature
• Hide: Balloon only, no leader line

Note: Leader line visibility applies to the next balloon added. Can be changed later from the inspection table.

Capture Types

• Basic: Standard dimension
• Note: Notes that don't include dimensions/tolerances
• GD&T: GD&T control frames

Moving Balloons

You can move balloons by clicking and dragging them to a new position.

To move a balloon:

1. Left click and hold on the balloon you want to move
2. Drag to the new position
3. Release to place

Deleting Balloons

To delete a balloon, remove its row from the inspection table:

1. Locate the balloon's row in the inspection table
2. Delete the row using the table controls
3. The balloon will be removed from the drawing

Note: If auto-renumber is enabled, remaining balloons will renumber automatically.

1. Click the Auto-Ballooning button (star) in the control bar
2. Drag a rectangle around a group of features on your drawing
3. Automatically extracts and interprets dimensions and tolerances
4. Review and edit the extracted data in the inspection table if needed
5. Balloons are automatically added to the drawing

How Auto-Ballooning Works

Balloonist uses advanced OCR and AI models to analyze your drawing and extract feature information:

1. You select an area containing feature callouts or dimensions
2. The image is sent to the AI service for analysis
3. AI identifies text, symbols, and dimensional information
4. Data is structured and returned to populate the inspection table
5. A balloon is automatically placed on the drawing for each feature/dimension

Supported Feature Types

• Linear dimensions (holes, slots, lengths)
• Angular dimensions
• Diameter and radius callouts
• Threaded features
• Surface finish requirements
• General notes and specifications

Manual Corrections After Capture

Always review extracted data for accuracy. Common corrections:

• Verify nominal dimensions
• Check tolerance values
• Edit feature descriptions for clarity
• Adjust reference locations
• Add symbols manually using the symbol library as needed

Best Practices for Feature Selection

1. Set type to "GD&T" in the Toolbar before adding balloons and extracting GD&T features
2. Draw a rectangle around the GD&T feature control frame to capture it
3. To edit or add symbols, access the GD&T symbol library in the Settings panel (right side)
4. Click a symbol to copy it to clipboard
5. Paste the symbol into the inspection table cells as needed
6. Symbols will render correctly in Excel exports (with Y14.5-2018 font installed)

Full Y14.5-2018 Symbol Library

Symbol Copy/Paste Functionality

1. Open the GD&T symbol palette
2. Click on the symbol you need
3. Symbol is copied to your clipboard
4. Paste into table cells or text fields

GD&T Type for Processing

When creating a balloon for a GD&T feature:

• Select GD&T as the type in the toolbar.
• This tells the OCR/AI to expect GD&T symbols in the feature
• Improves recognition accuracy for feature control frames
• Automatically applies appropriate parsing rules

Font Requirements

Download the Y14.5-2018 font from peterkanold.com/fonts.

Symbol Rendering in Excel Exports

When you export to Excel:

• GD&T symbols are rendered in the "Characteristic Designator" column
• The Y14.5-2018 font is applied automatically
• Symbols display correctly when opened on computers with the font installed
• Unicode characters are used for cross-platform compatibility

1. View captured data in the table at the bottom of the screen
2. Click any cell to edit the value directly
3. Enter nominal value and tolerance - min/max calculate automatically
4. Tab between cells for quick data entry

Table Columns

Identification Columns

• Number: Balloon number (auto-increments or manual)
• Characteristic: Feature description (e.g., "Ø.500 THRU HOLE")
• Reference Location: Drawing reference (view, zone, detail); Note: Not automatically extracted
• Count: Quantity of this feature on the part

Dimensional Columns

• Nominal (nom): Target dimension value
• Tolerance (+): Plus tolerance value
• Tolerance (-): Minus tolerance value
• Min: Minimum acceptable value (nom - tolerance)
• Max: Maximum acceptable value (nom + tolerance)
• Mean: Average of min and max values

Editing Features

Inline Cell Editing

• Click any cell to edit
• Type new value
• Press Enter or Tab to confirm
• Press Esc to cancel

Auto-Renumbering

• Enable in Settings panel (Table Settings section)
• Automatically renumbers balloons when adding or deleting items in the inspection table
• Maintains sequential numbering (1, 2, 3...)

Sortable Columns

• Click column headers to sort
• Ascending: 1→9, A→Z
• Descending: 9→1, Z→A
• None: Original entry order

Pagination

• Maximum 20 rows displayed per page
• Max number of rows shown can be configured in Settings
• All rows export regardless of display

Automatic Calculations

Nominal → Min/Max

Enter nominal value and tolerance:

• Min = Nominal - Tolerance
• Max = Nominal + Tolerance
• Example: 5.000 ± 0.005 → Min: 4.995, Max: 5.005

Min/Max → Tolerance (Bidirectional)

Enter min and max values:

• Tolerance + = Max - Nominal
• Tolerance - = Nominal - Min
• Example: Min: 4.995, Max: 5.005 → Nom: 5.000, Tol: 0.005

Auto-Calculate Mean

• Mean = (Min + Max) / 2
• Updates automatically when min or max changes

Decimal Precision

• Calculated values (min, max, mean) match the highest precision from the nominal or tolerance values
• Number of decimals for converted values is configurable in Settings panel

1. Set Page Units (units defined on drawing) and Table Units (units in table which are typically the units used for inspection) in the Settings panel
2. Enable Conversion Textbox to automatically show converted values on drawing if needed.
3. Configure Conversion Decimals to defined number of decimal places for converted values
4. All dimensional values convert automatically between units when page and table units differ

Converting Between Inches and Millimeters

Balloonist supports seamless conversion between imperial and metric units:

• Set page units and table units in Settings panel (Unit Settings section)
• All dimensional values in the inspection table convert automatically when page and table units differ
• Values in the table can be converted after capture by changing the Table Units setting in the Settings panel
• Supports both directions: inches → mm and mm → inches
• Conversion factor: 1 inch = 25.4 mm (exact)
• Conversions maintain appropriate precision based on your settings

Automatic Conversion Textbox

When enabled in Settings panel (Unit Settings section), this feature adds a textbox with converted values directly to your drawing:

• Display On Drawing: Shows converted values alongside original dimensions. Will be added on modified PDF upon download.
• Visual Verification: Helps verify conversion accuracy at a glance
• Auto-Generated: Textbox appears automatically when you capture a feature with mixed units
• Customizable Appearance: Use Toolbar textbox settings to adjust font size and color

Configurable Decimal Places

Control the precision of converted values:

• Conversion Decimals Setting: Choose 0-10 decimal places for converted values
• Example: Set to 2 decimals for mm conversions (e.g., 1.25" → 31.75 mm)
• Rounding: Values are rounded, not truncated, for accuracy

1. Select the text/note tool from the Controls
2. Click on the drawing where you want to add a textbox
3. Type your note or annotation
4. Click the selector tool in the controls to finish adding textboxes (prevents adding additional textboxes accidentally)
5. Double-click a textbox to edit text content
6. Delete selected textbox with Delete key (when selected but not editing)
7. Customize font size and color using the Toolbar

Freeform Text Annotations

Add notes anywhere on your drawing:

• General inspection notes
• Special requirements
• Reference callouts
• Clarifications

Textbox Settings

Customize text appearance using the Toolbar (Top on page load):

• Font Size: 4-108 points (applies to next textbox and can edit existing)
• Font Color: Select color (applies to next textbox and can edit existing)

Moving and Editing Textboxes

• Click on textbox to select it (selector tool recommended to avoid adding new elements)
• Drag to reposition
• Double-click to edit text content
• Delete selected textbox with Delete key

Note: Unlike balloons, textboxes CAN be deleted with the Delete key.

• New: File → New (clears current project)
• Open: File → Open (load saved .json project)
• Save: File → Save (updates existing file)
• Save As: File → Save As (creates new file)

File Operations

• New: Clears all balloons and table data, starts fresh project
• Open: Load a previously saved JSON project file
• Save: Update the current project file
• Save As: Create a new project file with a different name

File Format

Balloonist projects are saved as JSON files containing:

• Drawing reference (PDF name and page)
• All balloon positions and properties
• Complete inspection table data
• Settings and preferences

File System Access API

Chrome and Edge browsers support native file operations:

• Direct save to your file system
• No download folder clutter
• Update files in place
• Seamless save/open experience

Fallback for Other Browsers

• Traditional download/upload
• Files download to Downloads folder
• Upload via file picker

1. Go to File → Auto-Save Settings
2. Enable auto-save
3. Choose interval (1, 5, 10, or 30 minutes)
4. Select backup folder
5. Your work saves automatically at set intervals

Auto-Save Configuration

• Intervals: 1, 5, 10, 30 minutes, or off
• Backup Folder: Choose where backups are saved
• File Naming: Custom suffix for backup files

Backup Management

• Maximum Backup Files: Set limit (0-50 files)
• Oldest backups deleted when limit reached
• Browse Backups: File → Browse Backups
• Restore: Open any backup to restore previous version

Settings Persistence

• Auto-save preferences saved in browser localStorage
• Settings restored when you return
• Works across sessions

• PDF: Click download button on controls for annotated (ballooned) drawing
• Excel FAI: In settings, set 'download format' to 'FAI'; Click table button in controls for AS9102 report
• Excel Inspection: In settings, set 'download format' to 'Inspection'; Click table button in controls for basic inspection check sheet
• CSV: In settings, set 'download format' to 'CSV'; Click table button in controls for raw data export
• Custom Template: In settings, set 'download format' to the name of your template; Click table button in controls for custom report generation

PDF Export

• Modified PDF with all balloons and annotations
• Preserves original drawing quality
• All visual elements included (balloons, text, leader lines)
• Ready for printing or electronic distribution

Excel Export Formats

FAI (First Article Inspection) - AS9102 Format

Aerospace-standard inspection report with three worksheets:

• F1 Part No. Accountability: Part identification and index
• F2 Product Accountability: Materials, processes, and testing
• F3 Characteristic Accountability: Dimensional data and verification

Includes:

• Part metadata (number, name, serial, FAIR identifier)
• Characteristic accountability table
• Professional formatting with borders and fonts
• GD&T symbols (requires Y14.5-2018 font)
• Signature blocks and approval fields

Inspection Format

In-process check sheet for production inspection:

• Part information fields
• Inspection data table with columns for multiple measurements (1-8)
• Signature lines for inspector/date
• Professional formatting
• GD&T symbols (requires Y14.5-2018 font)

CSV Format

Raw data export for custom processing:

• All table columns in comma-separated format
• Import to Excel, Google Sheets, or database
• Custom report generation
• Data analysis and trending

Custom Template Format

Use your own company-specific Excel template:

• Upload custom .xlsx template via Template Manager
• Map inspection data columns to your template cells
• Preserve company branding and formatting
• Reuse templates across multiple inspections

See the Custom Excel Templates section for detailed configuration instructions.

1. Go to File → Template Manager
2. Click Upload Template
3. Select your custom .xlsx file
4. Map columns (Number→A, Characteristic→B, etc.)
5. Map part info to header cells
6. Select template row where data should insert
7. Save template configuration
8. Use in exports by selecting from template dropdown

Template Manager

Store up to 5 custom Excel templates:

• Upload company-specific inspection formats
• Configure cell mapping
• Templates stored in browser IndexedDB
• Quick access for exports

Uploading Templates

1. Prepare your Excel template (.xlsx format)
2. Include headers and formatting
3. Leave 1 data row empty (Balloonist will populate and add the necessary rows)
4. Upload via Template Manager

Mapping Table Columns to Excel Cells

Tell Balloonist where each data column should go:

• Number → Excel column (A, B, C, etc.)
• Feature → Excel column
• Nominal → Excel column
• Mean → Excel column
• Tolerance + → Excel column
• Tolerance - → Excel column
• Min → Excel column
• Max → Excel column
• Reference Location → Excel column

Mapping Part Info to Header Cells

Map part information to specific cells:

• Part Number → Cell (e.g., A1, B2)
• Part Name → Cell
• Company → Cell

Selecting Template Row for Data Insertion

• Specify which row data should start inserting (e.g., row 5). This row serves as the 'template row'. Balloonist will use this row as a template for inserting data. Only one row is needed in the template and balloonist will add additional rows as needed.
• Balloonist will insert rows and populate data
• Formatting from template is preserved

Saving and Loading Template Configurations

• Save mappings to IndexedDB
• Load previous configurations
• Edit and update as needed
• Delete unused templates

Using Custom Templates in Exports

1. Click export button
2. Select your custom template from dropdown
3. Excel file generates with your formatting
4. Data populates mapped cells automatically

• Zoom: Shift + Mouse Wheel
• Pan: Shift + Drag
• Rotate: Ctrl + Arrow Keys

Zoom Controls

• Preset Zoom Levels: 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 250%
• Smooth Zoom: Shift + Mouse Wheel
• Zoom Settings: Available in Toolbar

Pan/Navigation

• Pan Drawing: Shift + Drag
• Alternative: Ctrl + Drag (may vary by browser)

Page Rotation

• Ctrl + → Rotate 90° clockwise
• Ctrl + ← Rotate 90° counterclockwise
• Ctrl + ↓ Rotate 180°
• Ctrl + ↑ Reset to 0°
• Note: Rotation changes current page only

Multi-Page PDFs

• Page Selector: Dropdown in Toolbar
• Navigate: Select page number from dropdown
• Independent Balloons: Each page has separate balloon layer