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Threads

A thread is the digital record for one physical item. It holds the item’s data fields, files, identifiers, relationships to other threads, and a complete event history. As the empty state on the thread list puts it: “Each thread holds the identifiers, files, and history for one item.”

Anatomy of a Thread: a card showing name and thumbnail, data fields, identifiers, files, relationships, the assembly it is part of, and its transaction log — each section annotated.A single tall card on the left, divided top to bottom into seven bands: a header with the item name and thumbnail, then Data, Identifiers, Files, Relationships, Part of, and Transaction log. Each band has a leader line to an annotation on the right explaining what that compartment holds.Turbine Blade #A-014created May 12, 2026 · R. ChenDATAAlloy — Ti-6Al-4VHeat lot — 2231-BIDENTIFIERSDUSTQRFILESspec-rev3.pdf · CoC.pdf · photo.jpgRELATIONSHIPSHeat lot 2231 batch recordPART OFEngine fan module (Assembly)TRANSACTION HISTORYcreated → edited → bound → shipped …Identity — name, description,creator, timestampsFields — typed values from aTemplate, or custom per ThreadPhysical marks bound to thisThread — scanning resolves hereDocuments & media,with resumable uploadsLinks to related ThreadsThe Assembly this Threadis installed inTransaction log —every event, forever
Everything a Thread holds for one physical item. The same compartments appear as cards on the thread detail page.
Read this anatomy as text
  • Header — identity: the item's name, description, who created it and when.
  • Data — typed fields, either from a Template or custom to this Thread. For example alloy and heat lot.
  • Identifiers — the physical marks bound to this Thread, such as a DUST mark or a QR code. Scanning one of them resolves here.
  • Files — documents and media attached to the Thread, uploaded resumably.
  • Relationships — links to other related Threads, such as a batch record.
  • Part of — the Assembly this Thread is installed in.
  • Transaction log — every event on the Thread, kept forever: created, edited, bound, shipped, and so on.

Open Search in the sidebar to see your team’s threads. You can:

  • Search by name with the Search threads… box.
  • Toggle between Table view and Cards view.
  • Switch the page to Files to search files instead of threads (Search Files), or to Fields to search threads by the values of their data fields (Search Fields).
The Search page lists your team's threads with their identifiers, folder, and owner.
The Search Threads page listing threads with their identifiers, folder, owner, and last update

The Search page lists your team's threads with their identifiers, folder, and owner.

The Thread filters control offers:

  • Scope: All threads, Created by me, or My Team.
  • Uncategorized — threads not yet in any category. This scope only appears for organizations that have it enabled; see Categories.
  • Include archived — archived threads are hidden by default and marked with an Archived badge when shown.
  • Transferred: Any, Shipped only, or Hide shipped — threads that left your team in a shipment carry a Shipped badge. See Shipments.
  • Reset filters to return to the defaults.

Threads that other teams shared with you are not in this list — they live under Shared in the sidebar. See Sharing and Access.

Switch the Search page to Fields to find threads by what their data fields contain, rather than by name.

Each condition row has three parts: a field name, an operator (Contains, Equals, or Regex), and a value. Leave the field name blank (Any field) to match against every field on a thread; leave the value blank (Any value) to find threads that simply have that field. Add condition combines up to eight conditions, and a thread must satisfy all of them to appear.

Click Search to run. Each result shows its Matching fields — the fields and values that satisfied your conditions — and the conditions are carried in the page address, so a useful search can be bookmarked or shared as a link. Fields marked private only match for the team that owns the thread; other teams never see them in field search results.

Click New Thread in the sidebar to open Create a New Thread. Enter a Name (required), choose a Folder (required), optionally add a Description, and optionally pick a Template. Then fill in fields and click Create Thread. The full walkthrough is in Getting started.

A thread's detail page: fields, lineage, files, and the permanent transaction log — with banners for anything in flight, like a pending shipment.
A thread detail page showing data fields, an assembly membership, a bound QR identifier, and the transaction log

A thread's detail page: fields, lineage, files, and the permanent transaction log — with banners for anything in flight, like a pending shipment.

Opening a thread shows everything about it:

  • Header — the thread’s name, description, owner, and thumbnail. The actions stay visible while you scroll, with a compact thumbnail and thread name appearing once the top section scrolls out of view: Bind attaches an Identifier and Capture adds a photo. On desktop, Share is also available directly, and the action buttons stay right-aligned as the compact identity appears. Select adds the thread to your batch selection; Selected removes it. This button is always visible on mobile and appears when space allows on desktop. Batch selection is also available in More, alongside Public Page and administrative actions, plus sharing on mobile. On mobile, the Log button in this bar opens Transaction Log, and Record transaction is also in More. Details shows the creator and Created / Updated timestamps. On mobile, its information button sits beside the thread name, including in the compact header. Shipment and archive status remain visible above the action row. Capture opens the camera on a phone or a viewfinder on a computer; review the photo before attaching it.
  • Data — the thread’s data fields (see below).
  • Identifiers — the identifiers bound to the thread, with a Bind button to add more. Click an identifier to view it, edit its name and description, Verify it, or Unbind it. Its Transaction Log is visible beside the preview on desktop and below it on mobile. See Identifiers and Scanning.
  • Files — small collections appear as a compact list with thumbnails or file icons and Upload. Larger mixed collections are grouped into Images & Media and Documents & Files. Search and sorting (Newest first, Oldest first, Name (A–Z), Name (Z–A)) appear when there are more than six files. Interrupted uploads can be resumed (Resume Upload). Click a file to preview it — images, video, audio, PDFs, CSV, JSON, email files, and text files such as .txt, logs, and Markdown open in the viewer; other types offer a download. When a thread receives its first image — however it was added — DICE offers that image as the thread’s thumbnail, and you choose Set Thumbnail or Skip; nothing changes until you pick.
  • Relationships — links between threads owned by the same Team, with Add to create links and Edit when links exist. See Relationships.
  • Part of — “Where this thread is installed — outside its own contents”: the assemblies this thread is slotted into. See Assemblies.
  • Transaction Log — the thread’s event feed, with View events to see everything that ever happened to it. Select an Identifier or Label in an entry to open its details without leaving the history, just as you can preview an attached file. Label previews show the member Identifiers and a link to the Reel. File and Identifier previews use the same transaction grouping: File or Identifier shows relevant events, while All shows the thread history. Each event retains all visible attachments, so a receipt stays consistent when you switch files. Thumbnail-only changes appear as Updated Thumbnail. See Activity.
  • Viewing — presence indicators showing who is looking at this thread right now (including You).

Choose Download receipt from a file’s actions menu or Receipt in its preview to save a PDF. It includes file metadata, the saved SHA-256 checksum (or an unavailable notice), associated thread information, permitted transaction log entries, and a QR link to the thread. Thread and file thumbnails help identify each item; files without a usable thumbnail show a file icon. Compare the checksum with the SHA-256 of your local file using your preferred offline tool.

For a full thread receipt, choose More → Download receipt. This adds the thread’s fields, Identifiers and Labels, files and their checksums, organization, assembly information, relationships, lineage, and permitted transaction log.

Receipts use readable field values and event descriptions, with smaller reference IDs. Dates use your browser’s time zone and state the UTC offset. The export identifies the requesting Org and Team by name.

Private data is excluded by default, including transaction log entries involving private fields, files, or Identifiers. In the owning Team, authorized users can choose Without private data or Include private data before downloading. A private file requires the latter option. Private exports display Proprietary — [organization name] at the top and bottom of every page. This choice does not grant access to records you cannot otherwise view.

Receipts are dated, unsigned snapshots of the information visible to you in the selected Team at generation time. They preserve recorded event attribution and retractions; they are not digital signatures or independent verification of recorded claims. Links and QR codes require DICE access. Keep the PDF alongside any downloaded files when retaining a local record or sharing it outside DICE. Downloading a receipt does not create a transaction log entry.

  • Template fields come from the template chosen at creation; they appear under a Template fields group and keep threads of the same kind consistent.
  • Custom fields are added per thread. In the data card, switch to Edit mode and use Add field — new fields are “Added to the end of the list”. You can also Reorder fields and Save order.

A field has a name, a type, and a value. Available types: Text, Long Text, Number, Boolean, Date, Date & Time, Duration, Time, Date Range, Tags, Select, Select Many, Email, Phone, URL, JSON, Audio, Document, File, Image, PDF, and Video. File-typed fields (Audio, Document, File, Image, PDF, Video) attach a file from the thread or a new upload.

When editing a field you can mark it:

  • Required — “Make this field required”.
  • Private — “Hide this field from shared views”. Private field values stay visible to the owning team but are not exposed to teams the thread is shared with.

Deleting a field archives it rather than destroying it. The data card has an Archived fields section where each archived field shows when it was archived and offers Restore. Private archived fields keep their Private marker.

Files and identifiers can be archived and made private too

Section titled “Files and identifiers can be archived and made private too”

A thumbnail made from a private Resource is hidden from viewers who cannot read that Resource. Transaction Log also hides events targeting Identifiers the viewer cannot read, including values and descriptions recorded before the Identifier became private. The owning Team retains access.

From a file’s actions menu you can:

  • Set as thumbnail — use an image as the thread’s thumbnail.
  • Make private / Make public — private files are hidden from shared views. “Files can only be made private from the thread owner organization.”
  • Archive file / Restore file — archived files move to an Archived files list on the thread, where each entry shows its archive date and a Restore button.
  • Associate with field — bind the file to a data field, or create a new image field for it.
  • Download.

Identifiers can likewise be unbound from the identifier dialog (Unbind — “This will remove the identifier from this thread. This action cannot be undone.”).

Choose Edit thread from the thread’s More actions menu to open the Edit Thread dialog — “Update the thread name and description.” — then Save. Field values are edited directly in the data card’s Edit mode.

  1. On the thread page, open More actions and choose Archive.

  2. The thread now shows a banner: “This thread is archived.” with the explanation “Archived threads are hidden from thread lists and search by default. The thread is not deleted; its details, files, and links are preserved and it can be restored.”

  3. To bring it back, open the archived thread (use the Include archived filter to find it) and choose Restore. A “Thread restored” confirmation appears.

Templates let you reuse field definitions across many threads.

  • Using a template: pick one in the Template dropdown when creating a thread; its fields appear pre-populated under Thread Fields. If a selected template contains field types your app can’t render, the form warns you — you can still create the thread without it.
  • Managing templates: open Thread Templates in the sidebar. Search by name or description, or click New Template to open Create a New Template — “Templates let you reuse thread field definitions across multiple threads.” The empty state invites you to “Create your first template”. Templates are also created automatically when you import threads from a CSV; see Import.
  • Shipped and locked threads (shipment banners on the thread page): Shipments
  • Deriving new threads from an existing one: Slicing
  • Reviewing updates disclosed by a thread’s sources: Disclosures
  • Thread lineage and provenance: Fabric