Capturing a job site with the XBuild camera
The XBuild camera documents a job on site. Open it from the project page’s Capture button or Upload → Take photo or video. Every photo saves to your phone instantly, uploads in the background, and is scanned by AI for damage, materials, and components. Videos save and upload the same way but are never scanned.1. Photo and video modes
Switch between Photo and Video below the shutter. Photos are what XBuild scans and reads for your estimate. Video is for what a still can’t show — an active leak, a walkthrough; videos play on the digital proposal but never appear in PDF exports. On first open, a short intro explains the idea: take a photo, we’ll do the rest. Controls: flash, flip to the front camera, zoom, tap-to-focus, and a timer chip while recording. Your phone’s volume buttons fire the shutter — useful one-handed on a ladder. Capture never waits on signal: photos queue on your phone and upload when the connection returns (Offline and syncing).2. Camera settings: aspect ratio, level, date stamp
Tap the settings (cog) button.3. Voice notes with transcription
After a shot, tap the microphone on the capture bar and talk — “three damaged shingles on the north slope, flashing is shot.” XBuild transcribes it into the photo’s note; take your next shot mid-sentence and the note still saves to the photo you were describing. You can also dictate from the photo edit screen, into the note or the description. See Tags, markup, and descriptions.4. Scanning: what the badges mean
As each photo uploads, XBuild scans it and writes an AI title and description.
Videos don’t scan — they upload and that’s it.
5. Taking photos that scan well
- Shoot pairs: wide, then close. Wide establishes where you are; close shows the damage. The AI needs both to size and place the work.
- Get close. Fill the frame — a hail bruise from thirty feet is just a roof.
- Mind light and glare. Shift your angle rather than shooting into the sun.
- Use the level for elevations. Straight-on shots of each face read far better than angled ones.
- Cover every area you’ll estimate. The AI can only price what it can see or what you tell it.
6. Guided checklist capture
Tap the Checklists button at the right edge of the camera and pick one under Start a checklist, or resume one in progress. A step card sits over the preview, and every shutter press attaches to that step — photos and videos alike, tagged with the step’s section and title. Move between steps on the card and check each off; a step still needing an answer or photo says so and opens its questions. When every step is done, the card offers Finish checklist. Photos land in the album like any capture; answers queue offline. Full flow: Running a checklist.7. When you’re done
Tap Done and your photos land in the project’s album to review, filter, tag, and share — see Albums and sharing. Pull in shots from your phone’s own camera via the album’s Add from album menu or Upload → Photo library on the project page.8. Troubleshooting common issues
- The camera shows “Camera access needed.” Camera or microphone permission was declined. Tap Open Settings and turn both on.
- My photos say “Scanning” forever. They’re still waiting to upload — check your connection. See Offline and syncing.
- A photo says “Out of tokens.” Top up, then retry from the album banner. See Manual top-ups.
- The Checklists button isn’t in my camera. It appears only once the project exists — open the camera from the project page, not the New project sheet. If Files has no Checklists card either, contact XBuild Support.
- The date stamp didn’t include a location. The stamp needs location permission granted and a GPS fix at capture time.