Exploring Plugins

Now that you’ve chosen a POD Template and are familiar with the editor, it's important to understand the different plugins. Plugins are the core building blocks of POD customization. Plugins fall into several types: Layout plugins, Elements plugins, and manufacturing process specific plugins. You can also extend existing plugins or develop custom ones to add features or integrate with external systems.

Layout plugins define the structure and organization of pages and dialogs in your POD. They control positioning, alignment, spacing, nesting, and responsive behavior, so you can build clear, consistent interfaces that adapt to different screen sizes.

Listed below are the layout plugins Horizontal and Vertical Box, Icon Tab Bar and Toolbar, that can be dragged and dropped onto the canvas. Additional layout plugins are available. Further information about these layout plugins can be found here.

You can configure Horizontal and Vertical Boxes on pages or dialogs in your POD. You can then drag and drop other plugins into these boxes to organize the layout of your POD. Horizontal boxes align items side‑by‑side in a row, while vertical boxes stack items in a column. These boxes are the primary method for dividing POD space and can be nested to create complex layouts. You can adjust sizing, alignment, and spacing in the Properties panel.

You can configure Icon Tab Bars on pages or dialogs in your POD. Add one or more Icon Tab Filter plugins to an Icon Tab Bar to create individual tabs. Each tab hosts other plugins, allowing you to group related content such as work instructions and quality inspections. Tabs let operators switch quickly between distinct information sets without leaving the screen. Configure the appearance and behavior of the Icon Tab Bar and its filters in the Properties panel to optimize usability and performance.

Toolbar plugins let you create a toolbar on a page or dialog to give production operators quick access to frequently used actions and information. Add items such as buttons, text, icons, or a clock, and drag Toolbar Spacer plugins between them to create visual separation and improve readability and clickability. Configure appearance, dimension and behavior of the toolbar and the items in the Properties panel, so the toolbar adapts cleanly to different screen sizes and use cases.

Elements plugins enable you to add basic UI and interactive building blocks to POD pages and dialogs.

Listed below are the Elements plugins Button, Menu Button, Label, Text and Link, that can be dragged and dropped onto the canvas. Additional Elements plugins are available. Further information about these Elements plugins can be found here.

Use the Button plugin to add a clickable control to a page or dialog that executes one or more actions when pressed from the POD. Common uses include starting or ending an activity, navigating to another page, opening a dialog, scan and log data, or calling an API. You can configure the button’s label, icon, enabled/disabled state, visibility rules, color, size, and alignment in the Properties panel.

Use the Menu Button plugin to add a button that opens a dropdown menu of related actions. Menu buttons let operators access multiple commands from a single control such as clock in, clock out, split SFC, serialize SFC or relabel SFC. You can configure the menu button’s label, icon, enabled/disabled state, visibility rules, and ordering of actions in the Properties panel.

Use the Label and Text plugins to present static or read‑only information in your POD. Text elements deliver instructions, status messages, or contextual details for production operators, while labels describe or identify adjacent fields and controls, so users understand what to read or enter. You can configure dimensions, font size, colour, alignment, and other formatting options for label and text to improve readability and contrast.

Use the Link plugins to add a clickable link to a page or dialog. Links allow operators to quickly access external resources, documentation, or related applications directly from the POD. You can configure them to open in a new browser tab or window and set the display text, optional icon and target URL in the Properties panel.

The specific plugins are named according to the parts of the manufacturing process they're intended to support and add target manufacturing functionality to your POD. Drag these plugins onto the Canvas to include process‑aware controls and data views that are ready to bind to SFCs, orders, materials, and resources. These plugins speed implementation by providing prebuilt UI and behavior for common shop‑floor tasks while remaining configurable in the Properties panel.

Common examples include the Work List Table, Operation Activity Table, and the Data Collection Group Table, which are presented below. Additional manufacturing process specific plugins are available. Further information about these manufacturing plugins can be found here.

Use the Work List Table plugin to display a filtered list of work items (SFCs) for an operator’s work center, giving quick access to essential details such as order, operation activity, material information, quantity, and SFC status.

Use the Operation Activity Table plugin to display the status of all operation activities for the current order or SFC, enabling operators to see immediately which steps are completed, in progress, or not started.

Use the Data Collection Group Table plugin to display the data collection groups for the current order or operation and to record parameter values directly from the POD. The table shows required parameters, their current values, and completion status for each group, and lets operators open parameter dialogs to enter or edit readings, attach evidence such as photos or documents, and add comments.