Company knowledge does not come in one shape. It lives in PDFs, spreadsheets, CAD files, past proposals, and compliance archives. RenderDraw's five knowledgebase types are each tuned for a different data shape — so retrieval is precise regardless of where the knowledge lives.
Document KBs are the most common knowledgebase type. They ingest prose-heavy files — technical specifications, product manuals, standards documents, service bulletins, and engineering guides — and make them retrievable by semantic meaning, not just keyword match.
When a workflow AI block queries a Document KB, it sends the current task context (e.g. "what are the tensile strength requirements for Grade 5 bolts in this assembly?") as a natural language embedding query. The KB returns the most semantically similar paragraphs — not just pages containing the word "tensile" — enabling the AI to generate precise, citation-grounded answers.
Document KBs support OCR for scanned PDFs, structured heading extraction for section-level retrieval, and table detection for simple tabular data embedded in prose documents. For predominantly tabular files (Excel pricing sheets, CSV catalogs), use a Structured Data KB instead.
Structured Data KBs treat tabular data as first-class knowledge. Instead of flattening rows and columns into prose chunks (which destroys the relational context that makes tabular data useful), RenderDraw preserves row-column structure during ingestion and supports both semantic and SQL-style querying at runtime.
A pricing table KB, for example, lets an AI block query: "What is the unit price for a 2-inch Schedule 40 carbon steel elbow in quantity 500 with next-day delivery?" The KB returns the exact row matching those parameters — not a paraphrased estimate drawn from general training data. This is the difference between a workflow that prices quotes correctly and one that hallucinates plausible-looking numbers.
Structured Data KBs support schema definition (you specify column names, data types, and units), column mapping (rename ambiguous headers to semantically meaningful labels), and live sync with ERP and CRM systems via the datasource integration layer. See the Structured Data guide for the full technical reference.
CAD Asset KBs are unique to RenderDraw. The platform's native CAD pipeline — built on HOOPS Exchange and processing over 30 major CAD formats — extracts structured knowledge from 3D models: part metadata, assembly hierarchies, dimensional tolerances, material assignments, surface areas, volumes, and BOM relationships.
This extracted metadata becomes a queryable knowledgebase. When a takeoff workflow needs to determine the surface area of a component for a coating estimate, or an RFP workflow needs to confirm that an assembly meets a specific dimensional requirement, the CAD Asset KB provides the answer from the actual model — not from a PDF approximation that may be out of sync with the current design revision.
CAD Asset KBs update automatically when new model revisions are processed. The KB version history tracks every model version, so you can always trace a workflow output back to the exact CAD revision it used.
STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, Inventor, CATIA, PTC Creo, Siemens NX, Parasolid, JT, OBJ, STL, and 25+ additional formats via HOOPS Exchange.
Response Template KBs store your organization's best-performing written outputs: winning RFP responses, executive summaries, proposal introductions, qualification statements, project narratives, and cover letters. The AI learns not just what to say, but how your organization says it — your industry vocabulary, your proposal structure, your value proposition framing.
When a workflow AI block is generating a new response section, the Response Template KB retrieves the most relevant examples from your historical library. These examples ground the AI in your actual voice and proven patterns, rather than generating from scratch in a generic style that doesn't represent your brand or align with evaluator expectations from previous submissions.
Template KBs benefit enormously from rich metadata tagging. Tag each template with: industry vertical, project type, project size, client type, win/loss outcome, and year. This metadata drives faceted filtering — a workflow responding to a $15M industrial HVAC RFP can specifically retrieve winning proposals from similar projects, not generic construction examples.
For template KBs, increase topK to 5–8 to surface multiple strong examples per section. The AI uses retrieved examples as structural anchors and voice calibration, not as direct copy — each output is original and tailored to the current document context.
Compliance KBs store the regulatory and standards documents that workflow outputs must be checked against. Building codes, industry standards (ASHRAE, ASTM, ISO, OSHA), environmental regulations, internal quality procedures, and certification requirements all belong here.
Compliance KBs are typically attached to workflow blocks that perform checklist validation: "Does this response address all mandatory submission requirements?" or "Does this scope of work include the required safety disclosures?" The AI block retrieves the relevant standard, cross-references it against the current document, and flags gaps — before a human reviewer sees the output.
Compliance KBs require the strictest versioning discipline of all KB types. When a standard is updated — a new code cycle, a regulation amendment, a revised internal policy — the KB must be updated before workflows run. RenderDraw supports notification rules: when a compliance KB document is updated, all workflows using that KB receive an alert that a review of their context rules is recommended.
A compliance KB citing a superseded standard is worse than no compliance KB — it gives false confidence. Set quarterly re-sync schedules and configure version-change notifications. Audit KB document dates before every major submission cycle.
Most organizations end up using all five types. Here's a quick decision guide to get started.
Technical manuals, spec sheets, standards documents, RFP requirements → Document KB
Pricing tables, BOMs, supplier catalogs, compatibility matrices → Structured Data KB
Product assemblies, component libraries, CAD archives → CAD Asset KB
Winning bids, executive summaries, qualification statements → Response Template KB
Building codes, industry standards, internal policies → Compliance KB