SiteLens - See it. Analyze it. Report it.Back to Home

Help Center

FAQ & How-To Guide

Version 1.0.0 · Last updated July 2026

SiteLens is a mobile construction inspection and reporting app for iOS and Android. It helps you capture site photos in project context, draft findings with on-device AI, manage observations, and generate professional PDF or Word reports — all without an internet connection.

Who is this for?

Site engineers, project engineers, QA/QC staff, architects, site inspectors, freelance construction consultants, and small contractors who need to document site conditions quickly and produce client-ready reports from the field.

What SiteLens does

Before SiteLensWith SiteLens
Photos scattered across your phonePhotos organized by project
Manual finding notesAI-assisted observation drafts you review before saving
Hours assembling reportsPDF or Word reports generated in minutes
Spreadsheet project trackingProject dashboard with progress and open findings

Core principles

100% offline

All data and AI run on your device. No cloud required.

You stay in control

AI never saves findings automatically. You review and edit every suggestion.

No account needed

Your profile is stored locally on your device.

Quick Start

Go from install to your first finding in about 5 minutes.

01

Open the app

On first launch you will see a short onboarding tour (5 pages). Swipe through or tap Skip.

02

Tap Get Started

On the Welcome screen.

03

Set up your profile

Tap your avatar in the top-right corner of any main tab → Edit Profile. Enter your name, role, and optionally your company name and logo.

04

Download the AI model

In Profile & Settings, scroll to AI Model and tap Download. The model is required before you can run Analyze with AI. This is a one-time download (~1.5–2 GB depending on your device).

05

Create your first project

Go to the Projects tab → tap Add Project → enter project name, location, and default inspection context → save.

06

Capture and analyze

Tap the center Camera button → Take Photo → capture a site photo → tap Analyze with AI → confirm inspection context → wait for analysis → review suggestions → save as findings.

End-to-end workflow

Open App
Create Project
Capture Photos
Analyze with AI
Review Findings
Generate Report
Export PDF/DOCX

How-To Guides

Each guide follows: Where to go → Steps → Tips.

Navigate the app

Where to go

After the splash screen, you land in the Main Shell with four bottom tabs and a center camera button.

Tab / ButtonPurpose
HomeDaily dashboard, quick actions, project summary, resume banners
ProjectsCreate, search, and manage construction projects
Camera (center FAB)Capture or import photos for inspection
FindingsView, filter, and manage all findings
ReportsView, export, and share generated reports

Tips

  • Tap your avatar (top-right) on any tab to open Profile & Settings.
  • The center Camera button opens a menu: Take Photo, Gallery Import, or Batch Import.

Create and manage projects

Where to go

Projects tab → Add Project, or tap a project card to open Project Detail.

Create a project

  1. 1.Open the Projects tab.
  2. 2.Tap Add Project.
  3. 3.Enter Project name and Location.
  4. 4.Choose a default Inspection context (see table below).
  5. 5.Optionally add a cover photo.
  6. 6.Tap Create Project.

View project detail

  1. 1.Tap any project card. Project detail has six tabs (see table below).

Edit or archive a project

  1. 1.Open the project.
  2. 2.Use the menu or edit options on the Overview tab to update details or change status (In Progress, Completed, On Hold).
  3. 3.Archived projects become read-only but keep their data.

Project detail tabs

TabWhat you can do
OverviewProject summary, stats, and progress
EstimatesView and create quantity estimates
SessionsInspection and capture session history
FindingsFindings linked to this project
ReportsReports generated for this project
PhotosAll photos captured for this project

Tips

  • Set the right Inspection context when creating a project — it becomes the default when you run AI analysis.
  • Use the project FAB menu (inside project detail) for quick actions: Take Photo, New Finding, Import Photos, Generate Report.

Capture and import photos

Where to go

Center Camera button on the bottom navigation bar.

Take a photo

  1. 1.Tap the center Camera button.
  2. 2.Select Take Photo.
  3. 3.If prompted, pick a project (or create one).
  4. 4.Capture your photo on the Camera screen.
  5. 5.Photos are auto-saved as drafts in your project.

Import from gallery

  1. 1.Tap the center Camera button.
  2. 2.Select Gallery Import (one photo) or Batch Import (multiple photos).
  3. 3.Pick photos from your device library.
  4. 4.Photos are copied into SiteLens and attached to your project.

Tips

  • Draft photos that are never analyzed or archived are automatically removed after 7 days to save storage.
  • You can add focus notes and tags to photos before running AI analysis.
  • If you leave the Camera screen without finishing, a resume capture banner may appear on Home when you return.

Run offline AI analysis

Where to go

Camera screen → Analyze with AI.

Prerequisites:Download the AI model in Profile & Settings → AI Model first.

Run analysis

  1. 1.Capture or import one or more photos in the Camera screen.
  2. 2.Tap Analyze with AI.
  3. 3.On the Inspection Context sheet: confirm or change the inspection type; optionally add weather, area/location notes, and inspector guidance; review pre-check options (skip duplicates, skip irrelevant images).
  4. 4.Tap Start Analysis.
  5. 5.Keep the app open while analysis runs. Your screen will stay awake during processing.
  6. 6.When complete, review AI suggestions for each photo on the AI Analysis screen.

Inspection contexts — when to use each

ContextBest for
Ongoing ConstructionActive construction: structural defects, safety hazards, work-in-progress issues
Turn-over / HandoverPunch-list items, finish quality, readiness for handover
Safety WalkPPE, signage, fall hazards, life-safety conditions
Positive DocumentationDocumenting satisfactory conditions only (pass/fail style, no severity ratings)

Tips

  • Analysis runs one photo at a time on your device. Larger batches take longer.
  • If analysis is interrupted, return to Home and tap the Resume Analysis banner to continue where you left off.
  • Completed photos are never re-analyzed when you resume — only pending or failed photos are processed.
  • The 100% Offline AI badge means no data leaves your device.

Review and save findings

Where to go

AI Analysis screen (after analysis), New Finding screen (manual entry), or Findings tab (existing findings).

Save findings from AI

  1. 1.On the AI Analysis screen, review each photo's suggestions.
  2. 2.Edit title, observation, severity, category, or recommendations as needed.
  3. 3.Accept or reject individual suggestions.
  4. 4.Tap Save Findings when ready.
  5. 5.Saved findings appear in the Findings tab and under the project's Findings tab.

Add a finding manually (without AI)

  1. 1.From Home, tap New Finding in Quick Actions, or open New Finding from the project FAB menu.
  2. 2.Select a project and add photos.
  3. 3.Fill in category, severity, location, and observation notes.
  4. 4.Toggle Include in Report if you want this finding in future reports.
  5. 5.Save.

View or edit a finding

  1. 1.Go to Findings tab or a project's Findings tab.
  2. 2.Tap a finding card to open Finding Detail.
  3. 3.Edit fields, view linked AI analysis, or check the activity log.

Resolve a finding

  1. 1.Open the finding detail.
  2. 2.Tap Resolve (or use bulk resolve from the Findings list).
  3. 3.Add resolution notes, optional resolution photo, and resolution date.
  4. 4.Save. The finding status changes to Resolved.

Severity levels

LevelTypical use
HighCritical safety or structural issues requiring immediate action
MediumNotable defects that should be addressed soon
LowMinor observations or cosmetic issues
PassUsed in Positive Documentation context for satisfactory conditions

Tips

  • AI suggestions are drafts only — you are always accountable for what gets saved.
  • Use Include in Report to control which findings appear in generated reports.

Generate and share reports

Where to go

Home → Gen Report, Findings tab (bulk selection), Reports tab, or a project's Reports tab.

Generate a report from Home

  1. 1.Tap Gen Report in Quick Actions.
  2. 2.Select a Project.
  3. 3.Choose a report type (see table below).
  4. 4.Pick export format: PDF or DOCX (Word).
  5. 5.The app builds the report and opens Report Detail for preview.
  6. 6.Tap Share or Export to send via email, AirDrop, or other apps.

Generate from selected findings

  1. 1.Go to Findings tab.
  2. 2.Enter selection mode and pick specific findings.
  3. 3.Tap Generate Report and choose a report type.
  4. 4.Only selected findings are included.

Report types — when to use each

Report typePurpose
Findings RegisterTabular list of selected findings and photos
Photo Board ReportPhoto-focused documentation layout
Open Findings ReportOnly unresolved/open findings
Safety Observations ReportSafety-focused findings from safety walk context
Turnover Defects ListPunch-list style defects for handover
Positive DocumentationSatisfactory conditions documentation
Internal Costing ReportInternal estimate with cost breakdown (from Estimates)
Client Estimate ReportClient-facing estimate summary (from Estimates)

Tips

  • Add your company name and logo in Profile → Edit Profile — they appear on report covers.
  • In Profile → AI Model, toggle Large photos in PDF or Large photos in Word to append full-size photo appendices.
  • Use PDF for sharing and printing; use DOCX when the recipient needs to edit the document in Word.

Create quantity estimates

Where to go

Home → New Estimate, or a project's Estimates tab.

Create an estimate

  1. 1.Tap New Estimate on Home (or start from a project's Estimates tab).
  2. 2.Select a project.
  3. 3.Capture Photo — take or pick a reference photo of the area to measure.
  4. 4.Measure — choose measurement type and annotate on the photo: Linear (m) (length only), Area (m²) (length × height), or Volume (m³) (length × width × height).
  5. 5.Internal Costing — add cost items (materials, labor, equipment, others).
  6. 6.Generate Report — export as Internal Costing Report or Client Estimate Report.

Tips

  • Estimates are linked to a project and appear on the Estimates tab.
  • Internal Costing reports include your full cost breakdown; Client Estimate reports present a cleaner summary for clients.

Customize profile and settings

Where to go

Tap your avatar (top-right) on any main tab → Profile & Settings.

Edit profile

  1. 1.Tap Edit Profile.
  2. 2.Set your Name, Role, and Company name.
  3. 3.Optionally add a Profile photo and Company logo (used on reports).
  4. 4.Save.

Change theme

  1. 1.Under Preferences, choose Dark, Light, or System (follows your device setting).

Manage AI model

  1. 1.Under AI Model: Download the Qwen3-VL-2B model (required for AI analysis).
  2. 2.Import model files manually if download is not available.
  3. 3.Set Report detail to Concise (shorter) or Detailed (full inspection detail).
  4. 4.Toggle Large photos in PDF / Large photos in Word for report appendices.

Manage storage

  1. 1.Under Storage, view usage breakdown (Photos, Draft Photos, AI Models, Database) and tap Manage Storage to clean up drafts and orphaned files.

Tips

  • Your profile is stored locally — there is no cloud account to sign into.
  • The Help Center link under Support opens FAQs in your browser.

Resume interrupted work

Where to go

Home screen — look for resume banners at the top.

Resume AI analysis

  1. 1.If analysis was paused, failed partway, or you closed the app during processing, a Resume Analysis banner appears on Home. Tap it to return to the AI Analysis screen and continue from the last unprocessed photo.

Resume capture session

  1. 1.If you left the Camera screen with unsaved draft photos, a Resume Capture banner may appear. Tap it to return to your in-progress capture session.

Tips

  • Analysis checkpoints are saved after each photo, so you never lose completed work.
  • Keep the app in the foreground during active analysis for best results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Search or browse answers by topic.

General

Projects and photos

AI analysis

Findings

Reports

Estimates

Settings and storage

Troubleshooting

Glossary

Glossary

TermDefinition
FindingA documented observation or issue from a site inspection, with severity, status, photos, and notes
Inspection contextThe type of inspection (e.g., Ongoing Construction, Safety Walk) that guides AI analysis
Inspection sessionA recorded inspection event linked to findings and analysis
Capture sessionA photo capture session in the Camera screen, auto-saved as you work
Draft photoA photo captured but not yet analyzed or permanently archived; auto-purged after 7 days
AI suggestionA draft finding proposed by on-device AI; not saved until you accept it
Analysis sessionA batch AI run over one or more photos, with checkpoint/resume support
ReportA generated PDF or DOCX document combining project info, photos, and findings
EstimateA quantity measurement (linear, area, or volume) with optional costing, linked to a project

Support

This guide reflects SiteLens 1.0.0 (build 5). Feature availability may change in future updates.