v3.5.0: STL export settings, serial operation queue, performance improvements

Author: eldinmiller

.cursor/plans/extensible_module_architecture.plan.md

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+# Agent 1 Report: SolidWorks C# Service - STL Export Implementation
+
+## Summary
+
+Successfully implemented STL export functionality in the BluePLM SolidWorks Service with full support for resolution and format options.
+
+## Changes Made
+
+### 1. `SolidWorksAPI.cs` - Added `ExportToStl` Method
+
+**Location:** Lines 977-1143 (new method)
+
+Added a comprehensive `ExportToStl` method with the following features:
+
+- **Multi-configuration export:** Supports exporting single config, specific configs, or all configs
+- **STL quality options:**
+  - `coarse` - Fast, low-poly output
+  - `fine` - Default, good balance of quality and size
+  - `custom` - User-defined deviation and angle tolerances
+- **Binary vs ASCII format:** Binary (smaller files) or ASCII (human-readable)
+- **Filename pattern support:** Uses existing pattern substitution like STEP export
+- **PDM metadata fallback:** Inherits metadata fallback pattern from STEP export
+- **File type validation:** Only allows .sldprt and .sldasm files
+
+**Method Signature:**
+```csharp
+public CommandResult ExportToStl(
+    string? filePath, 
+    string? outputPath, 
+    string? configuration, 
+    bool exportAllConfigs, 
+    string[]? configurations = null,
+    string? resolution = "fine",
+    bool binaryFormat = true,
+    double? customDeviation = null,
+    double? customAngle = null,
+    string? filenamePattern = null, 
+    PdmMetadata? pdmMetadata = null)
+```
+
+### 2. `SolidWorksAPI.cs` - Added `SetStlExportOptions` Helper Method
+
+**Location:** Lines 1145-1179 (new method)
+
+Private helper method that sets SolidWorks user preferences for STL export:
+
+- `swSTLQuality` - Sets quality level (0=Coarse, 1=Fine, 2=Custom)
+- `swExportStlBinary` (preference 73) - Sets binary/ASCII format
+- `swSTLDeviation` - Custom chord deviation in meters (when using custom quality)
+- `swSTLAngleTolerance` - Custom angle tolerance in radians (when using custom quality)
+
+### 3. `Program.cs` - Added `exportStl` Action Routing
+
+**Location:** Line 228-238 (new case in switch statement)
+
+Added routing for the `exportStl` action with all parameters:
+- `filePath`, `outputPath`, `configuration`
+- `exportAllConfigs`, `configurations`
+- `resolution` (defaults to "fine")
+- `binaryFormat` (defaults to true)
+- `customDeviation`, `customAngle`
+- `filenamePattern`, `pdmMetadata`
+
+## Build Status
+
+✅ **Build successful** - Code compiles without errors
+
+```
+BluePLM.SolidWorksService -> bin\Release\BluePLM.SolidWorksService.exe
+
+Build succeeded.
+    6 Warning(s)
+    0 Error(s)
+```
+
+The build completed successfully with 0 errors. The 6 warnings are all pre-existing nullability warnings in other parts of the codebase (DocumentManagerAPI.cs and existing code in SolidWorksAPI.cs), not from the new STL export implementation.
+
+## Testing Notes
+
+To test the STL export:
+
+1. Restart the dev server to pick up the new executable
+2. Right-click a part or assembly configuration
+3. Select "Export STL"
+4. Verify STL file is created with correct quality settings
+
+### JSON Command Format
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "exportStl",
+  "filePath": "C:\\path\\to\\file.sldprt",
+  "outputPath": "C:\\output\\path",
+  "configuration": "Default",
+  "exportAllConfigs": false,
+  "configurations": ["Config1", "Config2"],
+  "resolution": "fine",
+  "binaryFormat": true,
+  "customDeviation": 0.1,
+  "customAngle": 5.0,
+  "filenamePattern": "{partNumber}.stl",
+  "pdmMetadata": {
+    "partNumber": "BR-12345",
+    "revision": "A",
+    "description": "Test part"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Files Modified
+
+| File | Type of Change |
+|------|----------------|
+| `SolidWorksAPI.cs` | Added `ExportToStl` and `SetStlExportOptions` methods |
+| `Program.cs` | Added `exportStl` action routing |
+
+## Dependencies for Other Agents
+
+- **Agent 2 (Electron IPC):** Can now implement `solidworks:export-stl` handler that calls `sendSWCommand({ action: 'exportStl', ... })`
+- **Agent 3 (Frontend):** Can now pass STL settings to the export call
+
+## Notes
+
+- The STL binary format setting uses user preference value 73 (`swExportStlBinary`) rather than an enum constant, as the enum may not be available in all SolidWorks API versions
+- Custom deviation is converted from mm to meters (divide by 1000)
+- Custom angle is converted from degrees to radians (multiply by π/180)

.cursor/reports/AGENT1_REPORT.md

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+# Agent 2 Report: Electron IPC Layer for STL Export
+
+## Summary
+
+Successfully implemented the Electron IPC handler for STL export with full support for resolution and format options.
+
+## Changes Made
+
+### 1. `electron/handlers/solidworks.ts` (lines ~1088)
+
+Added `solidworks:export-stl` IPC handler after the existing `export-iges` handler:
+
+```typescript
+ipcMain.handle('solidworks:export-stl', async (_, filePath: string, options?: { 
+  outputPath?: string; 
+  exportAllConfigs?: boolean; 
+  configurations?: string[]; 
+  resolution?: 'coarse' | 'fine' | 'custom';
+  binaryFormat?: boolean;
+  filenamePattern?: string;
+  pdmMetadata?: { partNumber?: string; tabNumber?: string; revision?: string; description?: string };
+}) => {
+  return sendSWCommand({ action: 'exportStl', filePath, ...options })
+})
+```
+
+### 2. `electron/preload.ts` (lines ~367)
+
+Added `exportStl` function to the preload API (was previously missing!):
+
+```typescript
+exportStl: (filePath: string, options?: { 
+  outputPath?: string; 
+  exportAllConfigs?: boolean; 
+  configurations?: string[]; 
+  resolution?: 'coarse' | 'fine' | 'custom';
+  binaryFormat?: boolean;
+  filenamePattern?: string;
+  pdmMetadata?: { partNumber?: string; tabNumber?: string; revision?: string; description?: string };
+}) => 
+  ipcRenderer.invoke('solidworks:export-stl', filePath, options),
+```
+
+### 3. `src/electron.d.ts` (line 320)
+
+Updated `exportStl` type signature to include STL-specific options:
+
+```typescript
+exportStl: (filePath: string, options?: { 
+  outputPath?: string; 
+  exportAllConfigs?: boolean; 
+  configurations?: string[];
+  resolution?: 'coarse' | 'fine' | 'custom';
+  binaryFormat?: boolean;
+  filenamePattern?: string;
+  pdmMetadata?: { partNumber?: string; tabNumber?: string; revision?: string; description?: string };
+}) => 
+  Promise<{ success: boolean; data?: { inputFile: string; exportedFiles: string[]; count: number }; error?: string }>
+```
+
+**Note:** Also updated the return type from `outputFile: string` to `exportedFiles: string[]` to support multi-configuration export (matching the STEP export pattern).
+
+## STL Options Supported
+
+| Option | Type | Description |
+|--------|------|-------------|
+| `outputPath` | `string` | Custom output directory |
+| `exportAllConfigs` | `boolean` | Export all configurations |
+| `configurations` | `string[]` | Specific configurations to export |
+| `resolution` | `'coarse' \| 'fine' \| 'custom'` | STL mesh quality |
+| `binaryFormat` | `boolean` | true = binary (smaller), false = ASCII |
+| `filenamePattern` | `string` | Filename pattern with placeholders |
+| `pdmMetadata` | `object` | PDM metadata for filename substitution |
+
+## Verification
+
+- ✅ No linting errors in modified files
+- ✅ TypeScript compilation passes for modified files
+- ⚠️ Pre-existing error in `extensionsSlice.ts:269` (unrelated to this change)
+
+## Dependencies
+
+- **Depends on Agent 1:** C# `ExportToStl` method must be implemented for the IPC handler to function
+- **Depended on by Agent 3:** Frontend can now use the updated `exportStl` API with STL options

.cursor/reports/AGENT2_REPORT.md

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+# Agent 3 Report: Frontend Types and UI
+
+## Summary
+
+Successfully implemented STL resolution settings in the frontend, including gap fixes for the Electron layer and complete UI implementation.
+
+## Changes Made
+
+### Part A: Gap Fixes (Missing Electron Parameters)
+
+Added `customDeviation?: number` and `customAngle?: number` to all three files:
+
+1. **`electron/handlers/solidworks.ts`** (line ~1095)
+   - Added parameters to `solidworks:export-stl` handler options
+
+2. **`electron/preload.ts`** (line ~373)
+   - Added parameters to `exportStl` function options
+
+3. **`src/electron.d.ts`** (line ~326)
+   - Added parameters to `exportStl` type signature
+
+### Part B: Frontend Types
+
+**`src/types/pdm.ts`**
+
+Added STL-specific fields to `ExportSettings` interface:
+```typescript
+// STL-specific settings
+stl_resolution?: 'coarse' | 'fine' | 'custom'
+stl_binary_format?: boolean  // true = binary (smaller), false = ASCII
+stl_custom_deviation?: number // mm, only for custom resolution
+stl_custom_angle?: number     // degrees, only for custom resolution
+```
+
+Updated `DEFAULT_EXPORT_SETTINGS` with sensible defaults:
+```typescript
+stl_resolution: 'fine',
+stl_binary_format: true,
+stl_custom_deviation: 0.1,  // mm
+stl_custom_angle: 10        // degrees
+```
+
+### Part C: Frontend UI
+
+**`src/features/settings/system/ExportSettings.tsx`**
+
+Added new "STL Export Options" section with:
+- Resolution quality selector (Coarse/Fine/Custom buttons with descriptions)
+- Custom resolution inputs (Deviation in mm, Angle in degrees) - only visible when Custom is selected
+- Binary format toggle with explanation
+
+**`src/features/source/browser/hooks/useConfigHandlers.ts`**
+
+Updated STL export case in `handleExportConfigs` to pass all settings:
+- `resolution`
+- `binaryFormat`
+- `customDeviation`
+- `customAngle`
+- `filenamePattern`
+- `pdmMetadata`
+
+**`src/features/source/browser/components/ContextMenu/actions/ExportActions.tsx`**
+
+Updated STL export case in `handleExport` to pass all settings.
+
+## Verification
+
+✅ **TypeScript check passed** - `npm run typecheck` completed with no errors
+
+## Files Modified
+
+| File | Change Type |
+|------|-------------|
+| `electron/handlers/solidworks.ts` | Gap fix |
+| `electron/preload.ts` | Gap fix |
+| `src/electron.d.ts` | Gap fix |
+| `src/types/pdm.ts` | Type additions |
+| `src/features/settings/system/ExportSettings.tsx` | UI section added |
+| `src/features/source/browser/hooks/useConfigHandlers.ts` | Export call updated |
+| `src/features/source/browser/components/ContextMenu/actions/ExportActions.tsx` | Export call updated |
+
+## UI Preview
+
+The new STL Export Options section appears after "Additional Options" in Settings → Export Options:
+
+- **Resolution Quality**: Three buttons (Coarse/Fine/Custom) with contextual descriptions
+- **Custom settings**: Only visible when "Custom" is selected, shows deviation (mm) and angle (degrees) inputs
+- **Binary format toggle**: Checkbox with explanation about file size vs readability
+
+All UI follows existing patterns in the component and uses consistent styling (violet accent color for STL to match the STL icon color in context menus).

.cursor/reports/AGENT3_REPORT.md

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+The report file is in the Reports folder in the bluePLM repo.

.cursor/reports/Untitled

@@ -6,6 +6,36 @@ All notable changes to BluePLM will be documented in this file.
 
 ---
 
+## [3.5.0] - 2026-01-12
+
+### Added
+- **STL Export Quality Settings**: New export options in Settings → Export Options for STL files:
+  - **Resolution presets**: Coarse (faster, smaller), Fine (recommended for 3D printing), or Custom
+  - **Custom deviation/angle**: Fine-grained control over mesh quality when using Custom resolution
+  - **Binary/ASCII format**: Toggle between compact binary STL or human-readable ASCII format
+- **File Operation Tracker**: New DevTools panel showing real-time progress of file operations (checkout, checkin, sync) with step-by-step timing breakdowns for debugging performance issues
+- **Serial number race condition protection**: New `update_serialization_settings_safe` RPC function prevents counter overwrites when multiple users generate part numbers simultaneously
+
+### Performance
+- **Serial file operation queue**: Checkout, checkin, sync, download, and discard operations now execute serially through a queue system. This prevents overlapping operations, provides cleaner progress feedback, and eliminates race conditions when rapidly clicking multiple files
+- **Batch setReadonly calls**: File operations now collect all paths and make a single IPC call to set file permissions, instead of one call per file
+- **Incremental flush optimization**: For large batches (50+ files), incremental UI updates are skipped during processing to avoid expensive React re-renders. Final update happens once at completion
+- **Backup panel two-phase loading**: Config loads first (~100ms) so the UI renders immediately, while snapshots load in the background (~30s for large repositories). Previously the entire panel was blocked until snapshots finished loading
+- **Debounced realtime updates**: Local file modifications are tracked for 5 seconds to prevent stale realtime events from reverting local changes
+
+### Fixed
+- **Metadata property priority**: "Number" property is now checked first when extracting part numbers from SolidWorks files. Previously "Base Item Number" was checked first, which could contain legacy/template values that incorrectly overrode user edits saved via "Save to File"
+- **Cross-machine checkout release**: Releasing a checkout from a different machine now properly updates the local UI. Previously, if you checked out a file on Machine A and released it from Machine B, Machine A would still show the file as checked out until refresh
+- **Pending metadata preserved on realtime updates**: Files with unsaved local edits (pending metadata) are now protected from realtime event overwrites. This fixes the bug where typing in a datacard field could be interrupted by a stale database update
+- **Part number not clearing on discard**: Clearing the part number field in the datacard now properly persists `null` instead of being ignored. Previously, clearing a field would revert to the original value on the next update
+- **Metadata merged on clear**: When pending metadata is cleared after save, the values are now merged into pdmData so the UI continues showing the saved values without requiring a refresh
+
+### Changed
+- **hasPendingConfigChanges → hasPendingMetadataChanges**: Renamed function to reflect that it now checks ALL pending metadata (part number, description, revision) not just config-specific changes
+- **Schema version**: Bumped to v42
+
+---
+
 ## [3.4.0] - 2026-01-10
 
 ### Added