Capture and attach equipment nameplates

The nameplate feature lets you photograph an equipment label, extract key data with on-device OCR, and attach the nameplate to a diagnosis so every report includes accurate model, serial, and manufacture information.

1. Opening Nameplate Scan

There are two entry points:

From Quick Tools (standalone capture)

1. Open the ACLogics app and tap Tools in the main menu.
2. Select Nameplate Scan from the tools sheet.
3. Capture or upload a photo and save the result. After saving, you can optionally attach the nameplate to a recent diagnosis.

From a diagnosis (recommended)

1. Open an active diagnosis.
2. Scroll to the Equipment nameplate section at the bottom of the diagnosis screen.
3. Tap 📷 Scan new to open the capture form inside the diagnosis.

Attaching the nameplate directly from a diagnosis ensures the data is linked automatically, without a separate step.

2. Capturing the Nameplate Photo

Once the capture form is open:

1. Allow camera access if prompted — the app needs it to photograph the label.
2. Hold the camera parallel to the label surface. Minimize shadows and direct glare by angling a nearby light source rather than using the flash.
3. Tap Capture & Extract to photograph the label and run OCR.

Uploading a photo instead of using the camera If you cannot use the camera live (for example, you already have a photo in your gallery), tap Upload Photo and select the image from your device library. OCR runs against uploaded images the same way.

[!TIP] For worn, faded, or embossed labels: clean the surface with a dry cloth, then use a bright torch at a low angle to cast contrast across the characters before photographing. Damaged labels can also be entered manually in every field.

[!IMPORTANT] Image Storage & Security: For privacy and security, nameplate images (both camera captures and library uploads) are processed immediately on your device to extract text and are never stored on our servers or in the app. Because the image is discarded immediately after extraction, you cannot view the original photo later — only the extracted text is saved.

3. Assigning OCR Text to Fields

After capture, the app displays all extracted text as individual tap targets:

1. Tap any text chip to open the field-picker.
2. Select Brand, Model Number, Serial Number, or MFG Date to assign that text to the corresponding field.
3. Repeat for each relevant line. Highlighted chips (in yellow) are lines the app has identified as likely to contain a keyword such as “Model”, “S/N”, or “MFG”.

You can also type or paste directly into any field at any time — useful when the OCR result contains noise or the label is partially illegible.

[!NOTE] At least one OCR line must be captured before you can save. If every field should remain blank, enter a placeholder value such as the brand name so the record is identifiable.

4. Saving and Attaching to a Diagnosis

From inside a diagnosis: Tap Save & Attach. The nameplate is saved and linked to the diagnosis in a single step.

From Quick Tools (standalone): Tap Save. The app then asks whether to link the nameplate to a recent diagnosis:

• Choose a diagnosis from the list to attach it immediately.
• Tap Skip to save the nameplate without linking it — you can attach it later from the diagnosis screen.

5. Reusing a Previously Scanned Nameplate

If you have already scanned a piece of equipment, you do not need to photograph it again:

1. In the Equipment nameplate section of any diagnosis, tap 📁 Use previous.
2. Browse the list of your previously saved nameplates (shown with brand, model, serial number, and MFG date).
3. Tap a nameplate to attach it to the current diagnosis.

The app automatically unlinks the previous nameplate from the diagnosis if you replace it.

6. Removing from Diagnosis

Once a nameplate is attached to a diagnosis, the section shows a card with the linked data and three buttons:

Removing a nameplate from a diagnosis does not delete the saved nameplate record from your account history — it only unlinks it from that specific diagnosis. You can re-attach it from 📁 Previous at any time.

7. Security and Data Privacy

• No Image Storage: To comply with security best practices and protect customer privacy, the actual nameplate image is never uploaded to the cloud or saved to the device’s storage. After the OCR completes, the image is immediately discarded. Only the resulting text fields (Brand, Model, Serial Number, MFG Date) are saved.
• Security & Confidentiality: Not storing the image prevents accidental collection of sensitive visual information (such as onsite security badges, residential details, or personnel photos) in the background of your pictures.
• View Access: Since the image is not saved, you cannot view the original photo later; only the extracted text is saved and remains viewable.

8. Limitations and Offline Behavior

• OCR requires the camera or a local image file — no internet connection is needed for text extraction itself.
• Saving and linking a nameplate requires an active internet connection to write the record to your account.
• Nameplates captured offline are not queued for later sync. If you are offline, capture the label information manually in your diagnosis notes and scan the nameplate when connectivity is restored.
• OCR accuracy depends on label condition, lighting, and font type. Industrial embossed labels and highly stylized fonts may yield lower accuracy than printed adhesive labels.