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Asset

An Asset is a file or image kept securely by IMOS and referenced from a Record.

type: platform-surface · status: draft · abstraction: entity

What it is​

An Asset is a file or image kept by IMOS. Common examples include drawings, certificates, photographs, PDFs and machine exports.

An Asset is an internal platform entity, not an Object, Record or Value Type. It represents one item of supporting content and its saved versions. A File value references an Asset to attach it to a Record. Rich Text may also contain references to Assets, but the Rich Text itself remains Markdown on the Record.

Each Asset belongs to one Workspace. Every saved version remains unchanged so IMOS can identify exactly which content was used. The owning Record, Property and Workspace determine who may upload, view or download an Asset. The same rules apply to people, Automations, integrations and AI Agents.

IMOS keeps Assets private and provides temporary access after approval. It records basic details such as filename, file type and size, and checks uploads for damage or malware. Work such as reading text from a document, converting a file or preparing a drawing viewer is handled separately through Capabilities.

Why it exists​

Manufacturing Records often need supporting content such as drawings, certificates and photographs. Keeping binary content directly inside Record data would make Records heavy and difficult to manage. Ordinary public web links would make ownership, versions and access harder to control.

Asset gives IMOS one consistent model for this content. File and Rich Text can both refer to Assets without becoming the same Value Type: File attaches an Asset to a Record, while Rich Text stores Markdown that may contain an Asset reference.

Asset is part of the stable core contract because every Module, interface and Automation must use the same identity, version and access rules for uploaded content. Storage providers, delivery networks and file-processing tools are implementation details rather than part of this concept.

Access continues to follow the Record, Property and Workspace rules used throughout IMOS. This avoids a separate permission model for files and gives the UI, Automations, integrations and AI Agents the same guardrails.

Relationships​

Outgoing

  • belongs to → Workspace (many-to-one) — Every Asset belongs to one owning Workspace.

Incoming

  • is referenced by ← File — A File value references an Asset to attach it to a Record without placing the binary content inside Record data.
  • is referenced by ← Rich Text — Rich Text remains Markdown on the Record and may contain internal references to Assets.

Neighbourhood​

Stakeholder summaries​

  • Product — Gives File Properties and Rich Text one consistent way to use uploaded content while keeping their purposes distinct.
  • Investor — A shared Asset model avoids separate file-handling systems across product areas and keeps access under the platform's existing rules.
  • Marketing — Keeps drawings, certificates, photographs and other uploaded content private, versioned and connected to the right business Record.
  • Engineering — An internal platform entity representing one item of versioned binary content outside Record data. File and Rich Text hold references; Record, Property and Workspace rules govern access.