feat: live activity panel with SSE event feed and relative timestamps

Replace static item list refresh with real-time event feed:
- Add _relative_time() helper for human-friendly timestamps
- Prepend SSE events (item updates, new revisions, mode changes) instantly
- Seed feed with 10 recent items on first SSE connect (no per-item revision calls)
- Refresh relative timestamps every 60 seconds
- Cap activity feed at 50 events
- Remove expensive list_items + get_revisions calls on every SSE event

freecad/InitGui.py

@@ -35,9 +35,20 @@ class SiloWorkbench(FreeCADGui.Workbench):
         except Exception as e:
             FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"Could not register Silo origin: {e}\n")
 
+        # Silo origin toolbar — shown as an overlay on any context when the
+        # active document is Silo-tracked.  Registered as Unavailable so
+        # EditingContextResolver controls visibility via the overlay system.
+        self.silo_toolbar_commands = [
+            "Silo_Commit",
+            "Silo_Pull",
+            "Silo_Push",
+            "Separator",
+            "Silo_Info",
+            "Silo_BOM",
+        ]
+        self.appendToolbar("Silo Origin", self.silo_toolbar_commands, "Unavailable")
+
         # Silo menu provides admin/management commands.
-        # File operations (New/Open/Save) are handled by the standard File
-        # toolbar via the origin system -- no separate Silo toolbar needed.
         self.menu_commands = [
             "Silo_Info",
             "Silo_BOM",
@@ -68,6 +79,44 @@ class SiloWorkbench(FreeCADGui.Workbench):
 FreeCADGui.addWorkbench(SiloWorkbench())
 FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("Silo workbench registered\n")
 
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Silo overlay context — adds "Silo Origin" toolbar to any active context
+# when the current document is Silo-tracked.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _register_silo_overlay():
+    """Register the Silo overlay after the Silo workbench has initialised."""
+
+    def _silo_overlay_match():
+        """Return True if the active document is Silo-tracked."""
+        try:
+            doc = FreeCAD.ActiveDocument
+            if not doc:
+                return False
+            from silo_origin import get_silo_origin
+
+            origin = get_silo_origin()
+            return origin.ownsDocument(doc)
+        except Exception:
+            return False
+
+    try:
+        FreeCADGui.registerEditingOverlay(
+            "silo",  # overlay id
+            ["Silo Origin"],  # toolbar names to append
+            _silo_overlay_match,  # match function
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"Silo overlay registration failed: {e}\n")
+
+
+from PySide import QtCore as _QtCore
+
+_QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(2500, _register_silo_overlay)
+
+
 # Override the Start page with Silo-aware version (must happen before
 # the C++ StartLauncher fires at ~100ms after GUI init)
 try:
@@ -92,6 +141,4 @@ def _handle_startup_urls():
             handle_kindred_url(arg)
 
 
-from PySide import QtCore
-
-QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(500, _handle_startup_urls)
+_QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(500, _handle_startup_urls)

freecad/open_search.py

@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+"""Search-and-open widget for Kindred Create.
+
+Provides :class:`OpenItemWidget`, a plain ``QWidget`` that can be
+embedded in an MDI sub-window.  Searches both the Silo database and
+local CAD files, presenting results in a unified table.  Emits
+``item_selected`` when the user picks an item and ``cancelled`` when
+the user clicks Cancel.
+"""
+
+import FreeCAD
+from PySide import QtCore, QtWidgets
+
+
+class OpenItemWidget(QtWidgets.QWidget):
+    """Search-and-open widget for embedding in an MDI subwindow.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    client : SiloClient
+        Authenticated Silo API client instance.
+    search_local_fn : callable
+        Function that accepts a search term string and returns an
+        iterable of dicts with keys ``part_number``, ``description``,
+        ``path``, ``modified``.
+    parent : QWidget, optional
+        Parent widget.
+
+    Signals
+    -------
+    item_selected(dict)
+        Emitted when the user selects an item.  The dict contains
+        keys: *part_number*, *description*, *item_type*, *source*
+        (``"database"``, ``"local"``, or ``"both"``), *modified*,
+        and *path* (str or ``None``).
+    cancelled()
+        Emitted when the user clicks Cancel.
+    """
+
+    item_selected = QtCore.Signal(dict)
+    cancelled = QtCore.Signal()
+
+    def __init__(self, client, search_local_fn, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self._client = client
+        self._search_local = search_local_fn
+        self._results_data = []
+
+        self.setMinimumWidth(700)
+        self.setMinimumHeight(500)
+
+        self._build_ui()
+
+        # Debounced search timer (500 ms)
+        self._search_timer = QtCore.QTimer(self)
+        self._search_timer.setSingleShot(True)
+        self._search_timer.setInterval(500)
+        self._search_timer.timeout.connect(self._do_search)
+
+        # Populate on first display
+        QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(0, self._do_search)
+
+    # ---- UI construction ---------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _build_ui(self):
+        layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout(self)
+        layout.setSpacing(8)
+
+        # Search row
+        self._search_input = QtWidgets.QLineEdit()
+        self._search_input.setPlaceholderText("Search by part number or description...")
+        self._search_input.textChanged.connect(self._on_search_changed)
+        layout.addWidget(self._search_input)
+
+        # Filter checkboxes
+        filter_layout = QtWidgets.QHBoxLayout()
+        self._db_checkbox = QtWidgets.QCheckBox("Database")
+        self._db_checkbox.setChecked(True)
+        self._local_checkbox = QtWidgets.QCheckBox("Local Files")
+        self._local_checkbox.setChecked(True)
+        self._db_checkbox.toggled.connect(self._on_filter_changed)
+        self._local_checkbox.toggled.connect(self._on_filter_changed)
+        filter_layout.addWidget(self._db_checkbox)
+        filter_layout.addWidget(self._local_checkbox)
+        filter_layout.addStretch()
+        layout.addLayout(filter_layout)
+
+        # Results table
+        self._results_table = QtWidgets.QTableWidget()
+        self._results_table.setColumnCount(5)
+        self._results_table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(
+            ["Part Number", "Description", "Type", "Source", "Modified"]
+        )
+        self._results_table.setSelectionBehavior(QtWidgets.QAbstractItemView.SelectRows)
+        self._results_table.setSelectionMode(QtWidgets.QAbstractItemView.SingleSelection)
+        self._results_table.horizontalHeader().setStretchLastSection(True)
+        self._results_table.setEditTriggers(QtWidgets.QAbstractItemView.NoEditTriggers)
+        self._results_table.doubleClicked.connect(self._open_selected)
+        layout.addWidget(self._results_table, 1)
+
+        # Buttons
+        btn_layout = QtWidgets.QHBoxLayout()
+        btn_layout.addStretch()
+        open_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Open")
+        open_btn.clicked.connect(self._open_selected)
+        cancel_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Cancel")
+        cancel_btn.clicked.connect(self.cancelled.emit)
+        btn_layout.addWidget(open_btn)
+        btn_layout.addWidget(cancel_btn)
+        layout.addLayout(btn_layout)
+
+    # ---- Search logic ------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _on_search_changed(self, _text):
+        """Restart debounce timer on each keystroke."""
+        self._search_timer.start()
+
+    def _on_filter_changed(self, _checked):
+        """Re-run search immediately when filter checkboxes change."""
+        self._do_search()
+
+    def _do_search(self):
+        """Execute search against database and/or local files."""
+        search_term = self._search_input.text().strip()
+        self._results_data = []
+
+        if self._db_checkbox.isChecked():
+            try:
+                for item in self._client.list_items(search=search_term):
+                    self._results_data.append(
+                        {
+                            "part_number": item.get("part_number", ""),
+                            "description": item.get("description", ""),
+                            "item_type": item.get("item_type", ""),
+                            "source": "database",
+                            "modified": item.get("updated_at", "")[:10]
+                            if item.get("updated_at")
+                            else "",
+                            "path": None,
+                        }
+                    )
+            except Exception as e:
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"DB search failed: {e}\n")
+
+        if self._local_checkbox.isChecked():
+            try:
+                for item in self._search_local(search_term):
+                    existing = next(
+                        (r for r in self._results_data if r["part_number"] == item["part_number"]),
+                        None,
+                    )
+                    if existing:
+                        existing["source"] = "both"
+                        existing["path"] = item.get("path")
+                    else:
+                        self._results_data.append(
+                            {
+                                "part_number": item.get("part_number", ""),
+                                "description": item.get("description", ""),
+                                "item_type": "",
+                                "source": "local",
+                                "modified": item.get("modified", "")[:10]
+                                if item.get("modified")
+                                else "",
+                                "path": item.get("path"),
+                            }
+                        )
+            except Exception as e:
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"Local search failed: {e}\n")
+
+        self._populate_table()
+
+    def _populate_table(self):
+        """Refresh the results table from ``_results_data``."""
+        self._results_table.setRowCount(len(self._results_data))
+        for row, data in enumerate(self._results_data):
+            self._results_table.setItem(row, 0, QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(data["part_number"]))
+            self._results_table.setItem(row, 1, QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(data["description"]))
+            self._results_table.setItem(row, 2, QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(data["item_type"]))
+            self._results_table.setItem(row, 3, QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(data["source"]))
+            self._results_table.setItem(row, 4, QtWidgets.QTableWidgetItem(data["modified"]))
+        self._results_table.resizeColumnsToContents()
+
+    # ---- Selection ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _open_selected(self):
+        """Emit ``item_selected`` with the data from the selected row."""
+        selected = self._results_table.selectedItems()
+        if not selected:
+            return
+        row = selected[0].row()
+        self.item_selected.emit(dict(self._results_data[row]))

freecad/schema_form.py

@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-"""Schema-driven new-item dialog for Kindred Create.
+"""Schema-driven new-item form for Kindred Create.
 
 Fetches schema data from the Silo REST API and builds a dynamic Qt form
 that mirrors the React ``CreateItemPane`` — category picker, property
 fields grouped by domain, live part number preview, and project tagging.
+
+The primary widget is :class:`SchemaFormWidget` (a plain ``QWidget``)
+which can be embedded in an MDI tab, dock panel, or wrapped in the
+backward-compatible :class:`SchemaFormDialog` modal.
 """
 
 import json
@@ -211,30 +215,29 @@ def _read_field(widget: QtWidgets.QWidget, prop_def: dict):
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Main form dialog
+# Embeddable form widget
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
-    """Schema-driven new-item dialog.
+class SchemaFormWidget(QtWidgets.QWidget):
+    """Schema-driven new-item form widget.
 
-    Fetches schema and property data from the Silo API, builds the form
-    dynamically, and returns the creation result on accept.
+    A plain ``QWidget`` that can be embedded in an MDI subwindow, dock
+    panel, or dialog.  Emits :pyqt:`item_created` on successful creation
+    and :pyqt:`cancelled` when the user clicks Cancel.
     """
 
+    item_created = QtCore.Signal(dict)
+    cancelled = QtCore.Signal()
+
     def __init__(self, client, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
         self._client = client
-        self._result = None
         self._prop_widgets = {}  # {key: (widget, prop_def)}
         self._prop_groups = []  # list of _CollapsibleGroup to clear on category change
         self._categories = {}
         self._projects = []
 
-        self.setWindowTitle("New Item")
-        self.setMinimumSize(600, 500)
-        self.resize(680, 700)
-
         self._load_schema_data()
         self._build_ui()
 
@@ -307,8 +310,18 @@ class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         root = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout(self)
         root.setSpacing(8)
 
+        # Inline error label (hidden by default)
+        self._error_label = QtWidgets.QLabel()
+        self._error_label.setStyleSheet(
+            "background-color: #f38ba8; color: #1e1e2e; "
+            "padding: 8px; border-radius: 4px; font-weight: bold;"
+        )
+        self._error_label.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignCenter)
+        self._error_label.hide()
+        root.addWidget(self._error_label)
+
         # Part number preview banner
-        self._pn_label = QtWidgets.QLabel("Part Number: —")
+        self._pn_label = QtWidgets.QLabel("Part Number: \u2014")
         self._pn_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; padding: 8px;")
         self._pn_label.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignCenter)
         root.addWidget(self._pn_label)
@@ -401,7 +414,7 @@ class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         btn_layout.addStretch()
 
         self._cancel_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Cancel")
-        self._cancel_btn.clicked.connect(self.reject)
+        self._cancel_btn.clicked.connect(self.cancelled.emit)
         btn_layout.addWidget(self._cancel_btn)
 
         self._create_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton("Create")
@@ -506,8 +519,10 @@ class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
         pn = self._generate_pn_preview(category)
         if pn:
             self._pn_label.setText(f"Part Number: {pn}")
+            self.setWindowTitle(f"New: {pn}")
         else:
             self._pn_label.setText(f"Part Number: {category}-????")
+            self.setWindowTitle(f"New: {category}-????")
 
     # -- submission ---------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -550,10 +565,12 @@ class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
 
     def _on_create(self):
         """Validate and submit the form."""
+        self._error_label.hide()
         data = self._collect_form_data()
 
         if not data["category"]:
-            QtWidgets.QMessageBox.warning(self, "Validation", "Category is required.")
+            self._error_label.setText("Category is required.")
+            self._error_label.show()
             return
 
         try:
@@ -563,11 +580,47 @@ class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
                 data["description"],
                 projects=data["projects"],
             )
-            self._result = result
-            self._result["_form_data"] = data
-            self.accept()
+            result["_form_data"] = data
+            self.item_created.emit(result)
         except Exception as e:
-            QtWidgets.QMessageBox.critical(self, "Error", f"Failed to create item:\n{e}")
+            self._error_label.setText(f"Failed to create item: {e}")
+            self._error_label.show()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Modal dialog wrapper (backward compatibility)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class SchemaFormDialog(QtWidgets.QDialog):
+    """Modal dialog wrapper around :class:`SchemaFormWidget`.
+
+    Provides the same ``exec_and_create()`` API as the original
+    implementation for callers that still need blocking modal behavior.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, client, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self.setWindowTitle("New Item")
+        self.setMinimumSize(600, 500)
+        self.resize(680, 700)
+        self._result = None
+
+        layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout(self)
+        layout.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        self._form = SchemaFormWidget(client, parent=self)
+        self._form.item_created.connect(self._on_created)
+        self._form.cancelled.connect(self.reject)
+        layout.addWidget(self._form)
+
+    @property
+    def _desc_edit(self):
+        """Expose description field for pre-fill by callers."""
+        return self._form._desc_edit
+
+    def _on_created(self, result):
+        self._result = result
+        self.accept()
 
     def exec_and_create(self):
         """Show dialog and return the creation result, or None if cancelled."""

freecad/silo_commands.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import socket
 import urllib.error
 import urllib.parse
 import urllib.request
+from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
@@ -26,7 +27,28 @@ from silo_client import (
 _PREF_GROUP = "User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/KindredSilo"
 
 # Configuration - preferences take priority over env vars
-SILO_PROJECTS_DIR = os.environ.get("SILO_PROJECTS_DIR", os.path.expanduser("~/projects"))
+SILO_PROJECTS_DIR = os.environ.get(
+    "SILO_PROJECTS_DIR", os.path.expanduser("~/projects")
+)
+
+
+def _relative_time(dt):
+    """Format a datetime as a human-friendly relative string."""
+    now = datetime.now()
+    diff = now - dt
+    seconds = int(diff.total_seconds())
+    if seconds < 60:
+        return "just now"
+    minutes = seconds // 60
+    if minutes < 60:
+        return f"{minutes}m ago"
+    hours = minutes // 60
+    if hours < 24:
+        return f"{hours}h ago"
+    days = hours // 24
+    if days < 30:
+        return f"{days}d ago"
+    return dt.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -64,7 +86,9 @@ class FreeCADSiloSettings(SiloSettings):
         param = FreeCAD.ParamGet(_PREF_GROUP)
         return param.GetString("SslCertPath", "")
 
-    def save_auth(self, username: str, role: str = "", source: str = "", token: str = ""):
+    def save_auth(
+        self, username: str, role: str = "", source: str = "", token: str = ""
+    ):
         param = FreeCAD.ParamGet(_PREF_GROUP)
         param.SetString("AuthUsername", username)
         param.SetString("AuthRole", role)
@@ -122,7 +146,9 @@ def _get_ssl_verify() -> bool:
 def _get_ssl_context():
     from silo_client._ssl import build_ssl_context
 
-    return build_ssl_context(_fc_settings.get_ssl_verify(), _fc_settings.get_ssl_cert_path())
+    return build_ssl_context(
+        _fc_settings.get_ssl_verify(), _fc_settings.get_ssl_cert_path()
+    )
 
 
 def _get_auth_headers() -> Dict[str, str]:
@@ -179,7 +205,9 @@ def _fetch_server_mode() -> str:
 # Icon helper
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-_ICON_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "resources", "icons")
+_ICON_DIR = os.path.join(
+    os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), "resources", "icons"
+)
 
 
 def _icon(name):
@@ -574,7 +602,9 @@ def handle_kindred_url(url: str):
     parts = [parsed.netloc] + [p for p in parsed.path.split("/") if p]
     if len(parts) >= 2 and parts[0] == "item":
         part_number = parts[1]
-        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Silo: Opening item {part_number} from kindred:// URL\n")
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+            f"Silo: Opening item {part_number} from kindred:// URL\n"
+        )
         _sync.open_item(part_number)
 
 
@@ -594,149 +624,44 @@ class Silo_Open:
         }
 
     def Activated(self):
-        from PySide import QtCore, QtGui
+        from open_search import OpenItemWidget
+        from PySide import QtGui, QtWidgets
 
-        dialog = QtGui.QDialog()
-        dialog.setWindowTitle("Silo - Open Item")
-        dialog.setMinimumWidth(700)
-        dialog.setMinimumHeight(500)
+        mw = FreeCADGui.getMainWindow()
+        mdi = mw.findChild(QtWidgets.QMdiArea)
+        if not mdi:
+            return
 
-        layout = QtGui.QVBoxLayout(dialog)
+        widget = OpenItemWidget(_client, search_local_files)
 
-        # Search row
-        search_layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
-        search_input = QtGui.QLineEdit()
-        search_input.setPlaceholderText("Search by part number or description...")
-        search_layout.addWidget(search_input)
-        layout.addLayout(search_layout)
+        sw = mdi.addSubWindow(widget)
+        sw.setWindowTitle("Open Item")
+        sw.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(_icon("open")))
+        sw.show()
+        mdi.setActiveSubWindow(sw)
 
-        # Filters
-        filter_layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
-        db_checkbox = QtGui.QCheckBox("Database")
-        db_checkbox.setChecked(True)
-        local_checkbox = QtGui.QCheckBox("Local Files")
-        local_checkbox.setChecked(True)
-        filter_layout.addWidget(db_checkbox)
-        filter_layout.addWidget(local_checkbox)
-        filter_layout.addStretch()
-        layout.addLayout(filter_layout)
-
-        # Results table
-        results_table = QtGui.QTableWidget()
-        results_table.setColumnCount(5)
-        results_table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(
-            ["Part Number", "Description", "Type", "Source", "Modified"]
-        )
-        results_table.setSelectionBehavior(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SelectRows)
-        results_table.setSelectionMode(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SingleSelection)
-        results_table.horizontalHeader().setStretchLastSection(True)
-        results_table.setEditTriggers(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.NoEditTriggers)
-        layout.addWidget(results_table)
-
-        results_data = []
-
-        def do_search():
-            nonlocal results_data
-            search_term = search_input.text().strip()
-            results_data = []
-            results_table.setRowCount(0)
-
-            if db_checkbox.isChecked():
-                try:
-                    for item in _client.list_items(search=search_term):
-                        results_data.append(
-                            {
-                                "part_number": item.get("part_number", ""),
-                                "description": item.get("description", ""),
-                                "item_type": item.get("item_type", ""),
-                                "source": "database",
-                                "modified": item.get("updated_at", "")[:10]
-                                if item.get("updated_at")
-                                else "",
-                                "path": None,
-                            }
-                        )
-                except Exception as e:
-                    FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"DB search failed: {e}\n")
-
-            if local_checkbox.isChecked():
-                try:
-                    for item in search_local_files(search_term):
-                        existing = next(
-                            (r for r in results_data if r["part_number"] == item["part_number"]),
-                            None,
-                        )
-                        if existing:
-                            existing["source"] = "both"
-                            existing["path"] = item.get("path")
-                        else:
-                            results_data.append(
-                                {
-                                    "part_number": item.get("part_number", ""),
-                                    "description": item.get("description", ""),
-                                    "item_type": "",
-                                    "source": "local",
-                                    "modified": item.get("modified", "")[:10]
-                                    if item.get("modified")
-                                    else "",
-                                    "path": item.get("path"),
-                                }
-                            )
-                except Exception as e:
-                    FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"Local search failed: {e}\n")
-
-            results_table.setRowCount(len(results_data))
-            for row, data in enumerate(results_data):
-                results_table.setItem(row, 0, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(data["part_number"]))
-                results_table.setItem(row, 1, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(data["description"]))
-                results_table.setItem(row, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(data["item_type"]))
-                results_table.setItem(row, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(data["source"]))
-                results_table.setItem(row, 4, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(data["modified"]))
-            results_table.resizeColumnsToContents()
-
-        _open_after_close = [None]
-
-        def open_selected():
-            selected = results_table.selectedItems()
-            if not selected:
-                return
-            row = selected[0].row()
-            _open_after_close[0] = dict(results_data[row])
-            dialog.accept()
-
-        search_input.textChanged.connect(lambda: do_search())
-        results_table.doubleClicked.connect(open_selected)
-
-        # Buttons
-        btn_layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
-        open_btn = QtGui.QPushButton("Open")
-        open_btn.clicked.connect(open_selected)
-        cancel_btn = QtGui.QPushButton("Cancel")
-        cancel_btn.clicked.connect(dialog.reject)
-        btn_layout.addStretch()
-        btn_layout.addWidget(open_btn)
-        btn_layout.addWidget(cancel_btn)
-        layout.addLayout(btn_layout)
-
-        do_search()
-        dialog.exec_()
-
-        # Open the document AFTER the dialog has fully closed so that
-        # heavy document loads (especially Assembly files) don't run
-        # inside the dialog's nested event loop, which can cause crashes.
-        data = _open_after_close[0]
-        if data is not None:
+        def _on_selected(data):
+            sw.close()
             if data.get("path"):
                 FreeCAD.openDocument(data["path"])
             else:
                 _sync.open_item(data["part_number"])
 
+        widget.item_selected.connect(_on_selected)
+        widget.cancelled.connect(sw.close)
+
     def IsActive(self):
         return True
 
 
 class Silo_New:
-    """Create new item with part number."""
+    """Create new item with part number.
+
+    Opens a pre-document MDI tab containing the schema-driven creation
+    form.  Each invocation opens a new tab so multiple items can be
+    prepared in parallel.  On successful creation the tab closes and
+    the real document opens in its place.
+    """
 
     def GetResources(self):
         return {
@@ -746,53 +671,61 @@ class Silo_New:
         }
 
     def Activated(self):
-        from PySide import QtGui
+        from PySide import QtGui, QtWidgets
+        from schema_form import SchemaFormWidget
 
-        from schema_form import SchemaFormDialog
-
-        sel = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()
-
-        dlg = SchemaFormDialog(_client, parent=FreeCADGui.getMainWindow())
-
-        # Pre-fill description from selected object
-        if sel:
-            dlg._desc_edit.setText(sel[0].Label)
-
-        result = dlg.exec_and_create()
-        if result is None:
+        mw = FreeCADGui.getMainWindow()
+        mdi = mw.findChild(QtWidgets.QMdiArea)
+        if not mdi:
             return
 
-        part_number = result["part_number"]
-        form_data = result.get("_form_data", {})
-        selected_projects = form_data.get("projects") or []
+        # Each invocation creates a new pre-document tab
+        form = SchemaFormWidget(_client)
 
-        try:
-            if sel:
-                # Tag selected object
-                obj = sel[0]
-                set_silo_properties(
-                    obj,
-                    {
-                        "SiloItemId": result.get("id", ""),
-                        "SiloPartNumber": part_number,
-                        "SiloRevision": 1,
-                    },
-                )
-                obj.Label = part_number
-                _sync.save_to_canonical_path(FreeCAD.ActiveDocument, force_rename=True)
-            else:
-                # Create new document
-                _sync.create_document_for_item(result, save=True)
+        # Pre-fill description from current selection
+        sel = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()
+        if sel:
+            form._desc_edit.setText(sel[0].Label)
 
-            msg = f"Part number: {part_number}"
-            if selected_projects:
-                msg += f"\nTagged with projects: {', '.join(selected_projects)}"
+        # Add as MDI subwindow (appears as a tab alongside documents)
+        sw = mdi.addSubWindow(form)
+        sw.setWindowTitle("New Item")
+        sw.setWindowIcon(QtGui.QIcon(_icon("new")))
+        sw.show()
+        mdi.setActiveSubWindow(sw)
 
-            FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Created: {part_number}\n")
-            QtGui.QMessageBox.information(None, "Item Created", msg)
+        # On creation: process result, close tab, open real document
+        def _on_created(result):
+            part_number = result["part_number"]
 
-        except Exception as e:
-            QtGui.QMessageBox.critical(None, "Error", str(e))
+            try:
+                sel_now = FreeCADGui.Selection.getSelection()
+                if sel_now:
+                    obj = sel_now[0]
+                    set_silo_properties(
+                        obj,
+                        {
+                            "SiloItemId": result.get("id", ""),
+                            "SiloPartNumber": part_number,
+                            "SiloRevision": 1,
+                        },
+                    )
+                    obj.Label = part_number
+                    _sync.save_to_canonical_path(
+                        FreeCAD.ActiveDocument, force_rename=True
+                    )
+                else:
+                    _sync.create_document_for_item(result, save=True)
+
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Created: {part_number}\n")
+            except Exception as e:
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintError(f"Failed to process created item: {e}\n")
+
+            # Close the pre-document tab
+            sw.close()
+
+        form.item_created.connect(_on_created)
+        form.cancelled.connect(sw.close)
 
     def IsActive(self):
         return _server_mode == "normal"
@@ -861,7 +794,9 @@ class Silo_Save:
 
         # Try to upload to MinIO
         try:
-            result = _client._upload_file(part_number, str(file_path), properties, "Auto-save")
+            result = _client._upload_file(
+                part_number, str(file_path), properties, "Auto-save"
+            )
 
             new_rev = result["revision_number"]
             FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Uploaded as revision {new_rev}\n")
@@ -894,7 +829,9 @@ class Silo_Commit:
 
         obj = get_tracked_object(doc)
         if not obj:
-            FreeCAD.Console.PrintError("No tracked object. Use 'New' to register first.\n")
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintError(
+                "No tracked object. Use 'New' to register first.\n"
+            )
             return
 
         part_number = obj.SiloPartNumber
@@ -911,7 +848,9 @@ class Silo_Commit:
             if not file_path:
                 return
 
-            result = _client._upload_file(part_number, str(file_path), properties, comment)
+            result = _client._upload_file(
+                part_number, str(file_path), properties, comment
+            )
 
             new_rev = result["revision_number"]
             FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Committed revision {new_rev}: {comment}\n")
@@ -960,7 +899,9 @@ def _check_pull_conflicts(part_number, local_path, doc=None):
             server_updated = item.get("updated_at", "")
             if server_updated:
                 # Parse ISO format timestamp
-                server_dt = datetime.datetime.fromisoformat(server_updated.replace("Z", "+00:00"))
+                server_dt = datetime.datetime.fromisoformat(
+                    server_updated.replace("Z", "+00:00")
+                )
                 if server_dt > local_mtime:
                     conflicts.append("Server version is newer than local file.")
         except Exception:
@@ -990,7 +931,9 @@ class SiloPullDialog:
         # Revision table
         self._table = QtGui.QTableWidget()
         self._table.setColumnCount(5)
-        self._table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(["Rev", "Date", "Comment", "Status", "File"])
+        self._table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(
+            ["Rev", "Date", "Comment", "Status", "File"]
+        )
         self._table.setSelectionBehavior(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SelectRows)
         self._table.setSelectionMode(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SingleSelection)
         self._table.setEditTriggers(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.NoEditTriggers)
@@ -1062,6 +1005,67 @@ class SiloPullDialog:
         return None
 
 
+def _pull_dependencies(part_number, progress_callback=None):
+    """Recursively pull all BOM children that have files on the server.
+
+    Returns list of (part_number, dest_path) tuples for successfully pulled files.
+    Skips children that already exist locally.
+    """
+    pulled = []
+    try:
+        bom = _client.get_bom(part_number)
+    except Exception as e:
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"Could not fetch BOM for {part_number}: {e}\n")
+        return pulled
+
+    for entry in bom:
+        child_pn = entry.get("child_part_number")
+        if not child_pn:
+            continue
+
+        # Skip if already exists locally
+        existing = find_file_by_part_number(child_pn)
+        if existing and existing.exists():
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+                f"  {child_pn}: already exists at {existing}\n"
+            )
+            # Still recurse — this child may itself be an assembly with missing deps
+            _pull_dependencies(child_pn, progress_callback)
+            continue
+
+        # Check if this child has a file on the server
+        try:
+            latest = _client.latest_file_revision(child_pn)
+        except Exception:
+            latest = None
+
+        if not latest or not latest.get("file_key"):
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"  {child_pn}: no file on server, skipping\n")
+            continue
+
+        # Determine destination path
+        child_desc = entry.get("child_description", "")
+        dest_path = get_cad_file_path(child_pn, child_desc)
+        dest_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+        rev_num = latest["revision_number"]
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"  Pulling {child_pn} rev {rev_num}...\n")
+
+        try:
+            ok = _client._download_file(
+                child_pn, rev_num, str(dest_path), progress_callback=progress_callback
+            )
+            if ok:
+                pulled.append((child_pn, dest_path))
+        except Exception as e:
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(f"  Failed to pull {child_pn}: {e}\n")
+
+        # Recurse into child (it may be a sub-assembly)
+        _pull_dependencies(child_pn, progress_callback)
+
+    return pulled
+
+
 class Silo_Pull:
     """Download from MinIO / sync from database."""
 
@@ -1104,14 +1108,18 @@ class Silo_Pull:
 
         if not has_any_file:
             if existing_local:
-                FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Opening existing local file: {existing_local}\n")
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+                    f"Opening existing local file: {existing_local}\n"
+                )
                 FreeCAD.openDocument(str(existing_local))
             else:
                 try:
                     item = _client.get_item(part_number)
                     new_doc = _sync.create_document_for_item(item, save=True)
                     if new_doc:
-                        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Created local file for {part_number}\n")
+                        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+                            f"Created local file for {part_number}\n"
+                        )
                     else:
                         QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
                             None,
@@ -1189,6 +1197,19 @@ class Silo_Pull:
 
         FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Pulled revision {rev_num} of {part_number}\n")
 
+        # Pull assembly dependencies before opening so links resolve
+        if item.get("item_type") == "assembly":
+            progress.setLabelText(f"Pulling dependencies for {part_number}...")
+            progress.setValue(0)
+            progress.show()
+            dep_pulled = _pull_dependencies(part_number, progress_callback=on_progress)
+            progress.setValue(100)
+            progress.close()
+            if dep_pulled:
+                FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+                    f"Pulled {len(dep_pulled)} dependency file(s)\n"
+                )
+
         # Close existing document if open, then reopen
         if doc and doc.FileName == str(dest_path):
             FreeCAD.closeDocument(doc.Name)
@@ -1242,7 +1263,9 @@ class Silo_Push:
                             server_dt = datetime.fromisoformat(
                                 server_time_str.replace("Z", "+00:00")
                             )
-                            local_dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(local_mtime, tz=timezone.utc)
+                            local_dt = datetime.fromtimestamp(
+                                local_mtime, tz=timezone.utc
+                            )
                             if local_dt > server_dt:
                                 unuploaded.append(lf)
                         else:
@@ -1255,7 +1278,9 @@ class Silo_Push:
                 pass  # Not in DB, skip
 
         if not unuploaded:
-            QtGui.QMessageBox.information(None, "Push", "All local files are already uploaded.")
+            QtGui.QMessageBox.information(
+                None, "Push", "All local files are already uploaded."
+            )
             return
 
         msg = f"Found {len(unuploaded)} files to upload:\n\n"
@@ -1273,7 +1298,9 @@ class Silo_Push:
 
         uploaded = 0
         for item in unuploaded:
-            result = _sync.upload_file(item["part_number"], item["path"], "Synced from local")
+            result = _sync.upload_file(
+                item["part_number"], item["path"], "Synced from local"
+            )
             if result:
                 uploaded += 1
 
@@ -1322,9 +1349,7 @@ class Silo_Info:
             msg = f"<h3>{part_number}</h3>"
             msg += f"<p><b>Type:</b> {item.get('item_type', '-')}</p>"
             msg += f"<p><b>Description:</b> {item.get('description', '-')}</p>"
-            msg += (
-                f"<p><b>Projects:</b> {', '.join(project_codes) if project_codes else 'None'}</p>"
-            )
+            msg += f"<p><b>Projects:</b> {', '.join(project_codes) if project_codes else 'None'}</p>"
             msg += f"<p><b>Current Revision:</b> {item.get('current_revision', 1)}</p>"
             msg += f"<p><b>Local Revision:</b> {getattr(obj, 'SiloRevision', '-')}</p>"
 
@@ -1390,7 +1415,9 @@ class Silo_TagProjects:
         try:
             # Get current projects for item
             current_projects = _client.get_item_projects(part_number)
-            current_codes = {p.get("code", "") for p in current_projects if p.get("code")}
+            current_codes = {
+                p.get("code", "") for p in current_projects if p.get("code")
+            }
 
             # Get all available projects
             all_projects = _client.get_projects()
@@ -1501,7 +1528,9 @@ class Silo_Rollback:
             dialog.setMinimumHeight(300)
             layout = QtGui.QVBoxLayout(dialog)
 
-            label = QtGui.QLabel(f"Select a revision to rollback to (current: Rev {current_rev}):")
+            label = QtGui.QLabel(
+                f"Select a revision to rollback to (current: Rev {current_rev}):"
+            )
             layout.addWidget(label)
 
             # Revision table
@@ -1516,8 +1545,12 @@ class Silo_Rollback:
             for i, rev in enumerate(prev_revisions):
                 table.setItem(i, 0, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(str(rev["revision_number"])))
                 table.setItem(i, 1, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(rev.get("status", "draft")))
-                table.setItem(i, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(rev.get("created_at", "")[:10]))
-                table.setItem(i, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(rev.get("comment", "") or ""))
+                table.setItem(
+                    i, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(rev.get("created_at", "")[:10])
+                )
+                table.setItem(
+                    i, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(rev.get("comment", "") or "")
+                )
 
             table.resizeColumnsToContents()
             layout.addWidget(table)
@@ -1543,7 +1576,9 @@ class Silo_Rollback:
             def on_rollback():
                 selected = table.selectedItems()
                 if not selected:
-                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(dialog, "Rollback", "Please select a revision")
+                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                        dialog, "Rollback", "Please select a revision"
+                    )
                     return
                 selected_rev[0] = int(table.item(selected[0].row(), 0).text())
                 dialog.accept()
@@ -1641,7 +1676,9 @@ class Silo_SetStatus:
             # Update status
             _client.update_revision(part_number, rev_num, status=status)
 
-            FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Updated Rev {rev_num} status to '{status}'\n")
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+                f"Updated Rev {rev_num} status to '{status}'\n"
+            )
             QtGui.QMessageBox.information(
                 None, "Status Updated", f"Revision {rev_num} status set to '{status}'"
             )
@@ -1705,7 +1742,9 @@ class Silo_Settings:
         ssl_checkbox.setChecked(param.GetBool("SslVerify", True))
         layout.addWidget(ssl_checkbox)
 
-        ssl_hint = QtGui.QLabel("Disable only for internal servers with self-signed certificates.")
+        ssl_hint = QtGui.QLabel(
+            "Disable only for internal servers with self-signed certificates."
+        )
         ssl_hint.setWordWrap(True)
         ssl_hint.setStyleSheet("color: #888; font-size: 11px;")
         layout.addWidget(ssl_hint)
@@ -1982,7 +2021,9 @@ class Silo_BOM:
 
         wu_table = QtGui.QTableWidget()
         wu_table.setColumnCount(5)
-        wu_table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(["Parent Part Number", "Type", "Qty", "Unit", "Ref Des"])
+        wu_table.setHorizontalHeaderLabels(
+            ["Parent Part Number", "Type", "Qty", "Unit", "Ref Des"]
+        )
         wu_table.setSelectionBehavior(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SelectRows)
         wu_table.setSelectionMode(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.SingleSelection)
         wu_table.setEditTriggers(QtGui.QAbstractItemView.NoEditTriggers)
@@ -2011,12 +2052,16 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 bom_table.setItem(
                     row, 1, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("child_description", ""))
                 )
-                bom_table.setItem(row, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("rel_type", "")))
+                bom_table.setItem(
+                    row, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("rel_type", ""))
+                )
                 qty = entry.get("quantity")
                 bom_table.setItem(
                     row, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(str(qty) if qty is not None else "")
                 )
-                bom_table.setItem(row, 4, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("unit") or ""))
+                bom_table.setItem(
+                    row, 4, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("unit") or "")
+                )
                 ref_des = entry.get("reference_designators") or []
                 bom_table.setItem(row, 5, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(", ".join(ref_des)))
                 bom_table.setItem(
@@ -2038,12 +2083,16 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 wu_table.setItem(
                     row, 0, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("parent_part_number", ""))
                 )
-                wu_table.setItem(row, 1, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("rel_type", "")))
+                wu_table.setItem(
+                    row, 1, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("rel_type", ""))
+                )
                 qty = entry.get("quantity")
                 wu_table.setItem(
                     row, 2, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(str(qty) if qty is not None else "")
                 )
-                wu_table.setItem(row, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("unit") or ""))
+                wu_table.setItem(
+                    row, 3, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(entry.get("unit") or "")
+                )
                 ref_des = entry.get("reference_designators") or []
                 wu_table.setItem(row, 4, QtGui.QTableWidgetItem(", ".join(ref_des)))
             wu_table.resizeColumnsToContents()
@@ -2096,7 +2145,9 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 try:
                     qty = float(qty_text)
                 except ValueError:
-                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(dialog, "BOM", "Quantity must be a number.")
+                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                        dialog, "BOM", "Quantity must be a number."
+                    )
                     return
 
             unit = unit_input.text().strip() or None
@@ -2175,7 +2226,9 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 try:
                     new_qty = float(qty_text)
                 except ValueError:
-                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(dialog, "BOM", "Quantity must be a number.")
+                    QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                        dialog, "BOM", "Quantity must be a number."
+                    )
                     return
 
             new_unit = unit_input.text().strip() or None
@@ -2199,7 +2252,9 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 )
                 load_bom()
             except Exception as exc:
-                QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(dialog, "BOM", f"Failed to update entry:\n{exc}")
+                QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                    dialog, "BOM", f"Failed to update entry:\n{exc}"
+                )
 
         def on_remove():
             selected = bom_table.selectedItems()
@@ -2225,7 +2280,9 @@ class Silo_BOM:
                 _client.delete_bom_entry(part_number, child_pn)
                 load_bom()
             except Exception as exc:
-                QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(dialog, "BOM", f"Failed to remove entry:\n{exc}")
+                QtGui.QMessageBox.warning(
+                    dialog, "BOM", f"Failed to remove entry:\n{exc}"
+                )
 
         add_btn.clicked.connect(on_add)
         edit_btn.clicked.connect(on_edit)
@@ -2264,7 +2321,9 @@ class SiloEventListener(QtCore.QThread):
 
     item_updated = QtCore.Signal(str)  # part_number
     revision_created = QtCore.Signal(str, int)  # part_number, revision
-    connection_status = QtCore.Signal(str, int, str)  # (status, retry_count, error_message)
+    connection_status = QtCore.Signal(
+        str, int, str
+    )  # (status, retry_count, error_message)
     server_mode_changed = QtCore.Signal(str)  # "normal" / "read-only" / "degraded"
 
     _MAX_RETRIES = 10
@@ -2338,7 +2397,9 @@ class SiloEventListener(QtCore.QThread):
         req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers=headers, method="GET")
 
         try:
-            self._response = urllib.request.urlopen(req, context=_get_ssl_context(), timeout=90)
+            self._response = urllib.request.urlopen(
+                req, context=_get_ssl_context(), timeout=90
+            )
         except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
             if e.code in (404, 501):
                 raise _SSEUnsupported()
@@ -2409,6 +2470,8 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
 
         self.widget = QtGui.QWidget()
         self._event_listener = None
+        self._activity_events = []  # list of (datetime, text, part_number)
+        self._activity_seeded = False
         self._build_ui()
         self._refresh_status()
 
@@ -2416,6 +2479,11 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
         self._timer.timeout.connect(self._refresh_status)
         self._timer.start(30000)
 
+        # Refresh relative timestamps every 60s
+        self._ts_timer = QtCore.QTimer(self.widget)
+        self._ts_timer.timeout.connect(self._rebuild_activity_feed)
+        self._ts_timer.start(60000)
+
     # -- UI construction ----------------------------------------------------
 
     def _build_ui(self):
@@ -2618,8 +2686,11 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
             self._sse_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 11px; color: #4CAF50;")
             self._sse_label.setToolTip("")
             FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage("Silo: SSE connected\n")
+            self._seed_activity_feed()
         elif status == "disconnected":
-            self._sse_label.setText(f"Reconnecting ({retry}/{SiloEventListener._MAX_RETRIES})...")
+            self._sse_label.setText(
+                f"Reconnecting ({retry}/{SiloEventListener._MAX_RETRIES})..."
+            )
             self._sse_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 11px; color: #FF9800;")
             self._sse_label.setToolTip(error or "Connection lost")
             FreeCAD.Console.PrintWarning(
@@ -2629,7 +2700,9 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
             self._sse_label.setText("Disconnected")
             self._sse_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 11px; color: #F44336;")
             self._sse_label.setToolTip(error or "Max retries reached")
-            FreeCAD.Console.PrintError(f"Silo: SSE gave up after {retry} retries: {error}\n")
+            FreeCAD.Console.PrintError(
+                f"Silo: SSE gave up after {retry} retries: {error}\n"
+            )
         elif status == "unsupported":
             self._sse_label.setText("Not available")
             self._sse_label.setStyleSheet("font-size: 11px; color: #888;")
@@ -2638,6 +2711,8 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
         global _server_mode
         _server_mode = mode
         self._update_mode_banner()
+        if mode != "normal":
+            self._append_activity_event(f"Server mode: {mode}")
 
     def _update_mode_banner(self):
         _MODE_BANNERS = {
@@ -2668,18 +2743,59 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
         mw = FreeCADGui.getMainWindow()
         if mw is not None:
             mw.statusBar().showMessage(f"Silo: {part_number} updated on server", 5000)
-        self._refresh_activity_panel()
+        self._append_activity_event(f"{part_number} updated", part_number)
 
     def _on_remote_revision(self, part_number, revision):
-        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(f"Silo: New revision {revision} for {part_number}\n")
+        FreeCAD.Console.PrintMessage(
+            f"Silo: New revision {revision} for {part_number}\n"
+        )
         mw = FreeCADGui.getMainWindow()
         if mw is not None:
-            mw.statusBar().showMessage(f"Silo: {part_number} rev {revision} available", 5000)
-        self._refresh_activity_panel()
+            mw.statusBar().showMessage(
+                f"Silo: {part_number} rev {revision} available", 5000
+            )
+        self._append_activity_event(
+            f"{part_number} Rev {revision} created", part_number
+        )
 
-    def _refresh_activity_panel(self):
-        """Refresh the Database Activity panel if it exists."""
-        from PySide import QtCore, QtGui, QtWidgets
+    def _append_activity_event(self, text, pn=""):
+        """Prepend an event to the activity feed and rebuild the display."""
+        self._activity_events.insert(0, (datetime.now(), text, pn))
+        self._activity_events = self._activity_events[:50]
+        self._rebuild_activity_feed()
+
+    def _seed_activity_feed(self):
+        """One-time: populate the feed with recent items from the database."""
+        if self._activity_seeded:
+            return
+        self._activity_seeded = True
+        try:
+            items = _client.list_items()
+            if isinstance(items, list):
+                for item in reversed(items[:10]):
+                    pn = item.get("part_number", "")
+                    desc = item.get("description", "")
+                    if desc and len(desc) > 40:
+                        desc = desc[:37] + "..."
+                    text = f"{pn} \u2013 {desc}" if desc else pn
+                    updated = item.get("updated_at", "")
+                    ts = datetime.now()
+                    if updated:
+                        try:
+                            ts = datetime.fromisoformat(
+                                updated.replace("Z", "+00:00")
+                            ).replace(tzinfo=None)
+                        except (ValueError, AttributeError):
+                            pass
+                    self._activity_events.insert(0, (ts, text, pn))
+                self._activity_events = self._activity_events[:50]
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        self._rebuild_activity_feed()
+
+    def _rebuild_activity_feed(self):
+        """Render _activity_events into the Database Activity QListWidget."""
+        from PySide import QtCore, QtWidgets
 
         mw = FreeCADGui.getMainWindow()
         if mw is None:
@@ -2701,64 +2817,18 @@ class SiloAuthDockWidget:
             )
             activity_list._silo_connected = True
 
-        # Collect local part numbers for badge
-        local_pns = set()
-        try:
-            for lf in search_local_files():
-                local_pns.add(lf.get("part_number", ""))
-        except Exception:
-            pass
+        if not self._activity_events:
+            item = QtWidgets.QListWidgetItem("(No activity yet)")
+            item.setFlags(QtCore.Qt.NoItemFlags)
+            activity_list.addItem(item)
+            return
 
-        try:
-            items = _client.list_items()
-            if isinstance(items, list):
-                for item in items[:20]:
-                    pn = item.get("part_number", "")
-                    desc = item.get("description", "")
-                    updated = item.get("updated_at", "")
-                    if updated:
-                        updated = updated[:10]
-
-                    # Fetch latest revision info
-                    rev_num = ""
-                    comment = ""
-                    try:
-                        revs = _client.get_revisions(pn)
-                        if revs:
-                            latest = revs[0] if isinstance(revs, list) else revs
-                            rev_num = str(latest.get("revision_number", ""))
-                            comment = latest.get("comment", "") or ""
-                    except Exception:
-                        pass
-
-                    # Truncate long descriptions
-                    desc_display = desc
-                    if len(desc_display) > 40:
-                        desc_display = desc_display[:37] + "..."
-
-                    # Build display text
-                    rev_part = f" \u2013 Rev {rev_num}" if rev_num else ""
-                    date_part = f" \u2013 {updated}" if updated else ""
-                    local_badge = " \u25cf local" if pn in local_pns else ""
-                    line1 = f"{pn} \u2013 {desc_display}{rev_part}{date_part}{local_badge}"
-
-                    if comment:
-                        line1 += f'\n  "{comment}"'
-                    else:
-                        line1 += "\n  (no comment)"
-
-                    list_item = QtWidgets.QListWidgetItem(line1)
-                    list_item.setData(QtCore.Qt.UserRole, pn)
-                    if desc and len(desc) > 40:
-                        list_item.setToolTip(desc)
-                    if pn in local_pns:
-                        list_item.setForeground(QtGui.QColor("#4CAF50"))
-                    activity_list.addItem(list_item)
-
-            if activity_list.count() == 0:
-                activity_list.addItem("(No items in database)")
-        except Exception:
-            activity_list.addItem("(Unable to refresh activity)")
+        for ts, text, pn in self._activity_events:
+            label = f"{text}  \u00b7  {_relative_time(ts)}"
+            list_item = QtWidgets.QListWidgetItem(label)
+            if pn:
+                list_item.setData(QtCore.Qt.UserRole, pn)
+            activity_list.addItem(list_item)
 
     def _on_activity_double_click(self, item):
         """Open/checkout item from activity pane."""
@@ -3196,7 +3266,9 @@ class Silo_StartPanel:
         dock = QtGui.QDockWidget("Silo", mw)
         dock.setObjectName("SiloStartPanel")
         dock.setWidget(content.widget)
-        dock.setAllowedAreas(QtCore.Qt.LeftDockWidgetArea | QtCore.Qt.RightDockWidgetArea)
+        dock.setAllowedAreas(
+            QtCore.Qt.LeftDockWidgetArea | QtCore.Qt.RightDockWidgetArea
+        )
         mw.addDockWidget(QtCore.Qt.LeftDockWidgetArea, dock)
 
     def IsActive(self):
@@ -3230,9 +3302,9 @@ class _DiagWorker(QtCore.QThread):
             self.result.emit("DNS", False, "no hostname in URL")
             return
         try:
-            addrs = socket.getaddrinfo(hostname, None, socket.AF_UNSPEC, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-            first_ip = addrs[0][4][0] if addrs else "?"
-            self.result.emit("DNS", True, f"{hostname} -> {first_ip}")
+            addrs = socket.getaddrinfo(
+                hostname, None, socket.AF_UNSPEC, socket.SOCK_STREAM
+            )
         except socket.gaierror as e:
             self.result.emit("DNS", False, f"{hostname}: {e}")
         except Exception as e: