Skip to main content

6.1.6 Step 6 — Add ball to the arsenal section

Step 6 — Add ball to the arsenal section

6.1.6   workflow

 

Before drilling begins, Step 6 takes a short detour from the spec sheet to register the ball itself in Spectre Cloud's Arsenal section. The Arsenal is the bowler's equipment inventory — a permanent record of every ball they own, past and present, each linked to its drilling history. Adding the ball to the Arsenal now, while the spec sheet is still open, creates the connection between the physical equipment and the drilling record before anything is cut. It takes less than a minute and means the bowler's inventory is always current.

🎳 What the Arsenal Is

The Arsenal in Spectre Cloud is a per-bowler ball inventory. Each entry represents one physical ball and stores identifying information about that ball alongside links to its associated spec sheets. Over time, a bowler's Arsenal becomes a complete picture of their equipment history — what they have had drilled, how each ball was set up, and what is currently in their bag.

  • ✅ Each Arsenal entry belongs to one bowler and represents one ball.
  • ✅ A ball can have multiple spec sheets linked to it — one for each time it has been drilled or re-drilled.
  • ✅ Arsenal entries persist even after a ball is retired or sold — the history stays on the record.
  • ✅ With the Arsenal Plus plugin ($5 USD/month), entries are enriched with data from the bowlingdatabase.com integration, barcode scanning, suggested layouts, layout conversion, and 3D layout rendering.

📋 Information Recorded in an Arsenal Entry

When you add a ball to the Arsenal, Spectre Cloud asks for the key identifying details of the physical ball. At minimum you need the ball name — the same identifier used on the spec sheet — but a complete entry includes:

  • ✅ Ball name — brand, model, and weight (e.g., Storm Proton Physix 15lb). Should match the ball name entered on the spec sheet for easy cross-reference.
  • ✅ Serial number — the manufacturer's serial number printed on the ball surface. Useful for warranty claims, ball returns, and distinguishing between two identical models in the same bag.
  • ✅ Purchase date — when the bowler acquired the ball. Helpful for tracking equipment age and warranty periods.
  • ✅ Status — whether the ball is Active (currently in the bag), Retired (no longer in use), or Sold. Keeping status current means the bowler's active bag is always accurate at a glance.
  • ✅ Notes — free-text field for surface maintenance history, weight hole details, or any other ball-specific information worth retaining.

🔌 Arsenal Plus: Barcode Scanning and Database Lookup

With Arsenal Plus active, adding a ball to the Arsenal gains two significant time-saving features:

  • ✅ Barcode scanning — scan the barcode on the ball's box or surface and Spectre Cloud looks up the ball automatically in the bowlingdatabase.com integration, pre-filling the brand, model, weight, and core specifications without manual entry.
  • ✅ Database lookup — search by ball name if scanning is not available. The bowlingdatabase.com integration returns full ball specifications including core type, RG, differential, and MB differential — all stored against the Arsenal entry for use in layout suggestions and 3D rendering.

🔌 Note: Barcode scanning is available on any device with a camera — desktop with webcam, tablet, or smartphone. On mobile it uses the device camera directly; on desktop it opens a camera input prompt. If the ball is not found in the database, the entry is completed manually as normal.

🖥️ Adding a Ball to the Arsenal on Desktop

  1. From the bowler's profile, locate the Arsenal section.
  2. Click + Add Ball.
  3. If Arsenal Plus is active, choose whether to scan a barcode, search the database, or enter manually. Without Arsenal Plus, proceed directly to manual entry.
  4. Enter the ball name — use the same name entered on the spec sheet created in Step 2.
  5. Enter the serial number, purchase date, and any relevant notes.
  6. Set the ball's status to Active — it is going into the bag.
  7. Click Save. The ball appears in the bowler's Arsenal immediately.
  8. Return to the spec sheet and confirm the ball name matches the Arsenal entry — this is how the two records stay linked.

📱 Adding a Ball to the Arsenal on Mobile

  1. Navigate to the bowler's profile and tap the Arsenal section.
  2. Tap + Add Ball.
  3. If Arsenal Plus is active, tap Scan Barcode to open the camera, or tap Search to look up the ball by name. Otherwise proceed to manual entry.
  4. Enter or confirm the ball details — name, serial number, purchase date, status, and notes.
  5. Tap Save.

📱 Tip: On mobile, barcode scanning is the fastest way to add a new ball — point the camera at the barcode on the ball box and the entry fills itself in within seconds. Keep the ball box nearby during the fitting for exactly this reason.

🔗 How the Arsenal Entry and Spec Sheet Stay Connected

Spectre Cloud links Arsenal entries and spec sheets through the ball name. When a spec sheet is saved with a ball name that matches an Arsenal entry, the two records are associated — the spec sheet appears in the ball's drilling history within the Arsenal, and the Arsenal entry is accessible from the spec sheet. To keep this connection clean:

  • ✅ Use identical ball names on both the Arsenal entry and the spec sheet. A minor variation — Storm Proton 15lb vs. Storm Proton Physix 15lb — can break the association.
  • ✅ When a ball is re-drilled, create a new spec sheet and link it to the existing Arsenal entry — do not create a new Arsenal entry for the same physical ball.
  • ✅ When a ball is retired or sold, update its status in the Arsenal rather than deleting the entry. The associated spec sheets remain accessible in the bowler's history.
  • ❌ Do not create duplicate Arsenal entries for the same physical ball — if an entry already exists for a re-drill visit, open the existing entry and add the new spec sheet to it.

⚖️ Core Plan vs. Arsenal Plus — What Each Includes

Feature Core plan Arsenal Plus
Add balls to Arsenal ✅ ✅
Link spec sheets to Arsenal entries ✅ ✅
Ball status tracking (Active / Retired / Sold) ✅ ✅
Barcode scanning ❌ ✅
bowlingdatabase.com integration ❌ ✅
Suggested layouts ❌ ✅
Layout conversion ❌ ✅
3D layout rendering ❌ ✅

▶️ What Comes Next

The ball is now in the bowler's Arsenal and the spec sheet is open with grip type, finger measurements, thumb details, and layout all recorded. Step 7 returns to the spec sheet to enter span and pitch values — the final measurements needed before the Oval Calculator can be run and the drilling can begin.

  • 6.1.5 — Step 5: Select layout (VLS, 2LS, PAL, or manual)
  • 6.1.7 — Step 7: Enter span and pitch values
  • 6.1.8 — Step 8: Run the Oval Calculator
  • 07.x — Arsenal: managing your bowler's ball inventory
  • 07.x — Arsenal Plus: barcode scanning and database integration

✨ Tip: If the bowler brought in an existing ball for a re-drill rather than a new purchase, check the Arsenal before creating any new entries — the ball may already be registered from a previous visit. Open the existing entry, confirm the details are still accurate, and create a new spec sheet linked to it rather than starting a duplicate record from scratch.

Back to top