Apple-Owned Workflow App Updated With New 'Mask Image' Action

[MacRumors]

Workflow, the automation app that Apple acquired back in March of 2017, was today updated to version 1.7.8, introducing a new Mask Image action, and a long list of other bug fixes and improvements.

As MacStories points out, the Mask Image action added in today's update is a feature Workflow users have been wanting for several years. The new action, which applies a mask to an image and cuts it into any desired shape, is designed to make it easier to simplify image editing workflows that require image masking features.

By default, the masking feature offers rounded rectangle, ellipse, and icon masking options, but custom masks can also be used.

The new Workflow update also introduces new fields for the Add Things To-Do action, it makes items reorderable in the dictionary action, and it adds support for opening workflows to the URL scheme. Extracting text from PDFs has also been improved, as has drag and drop handling. Multiple bug fixes are included, as outlined before:

[*]Workflow names are now case-insensitive
[*]Fixed a crash when running the Edit Image action
[*]Fixed Todoist and Slack authentication when using a Google account
[*]Fixed an issue where icons from Search App Store and Get My Workflows were saved as JPEG, not PNG
[*]Fixed an issue where the Encode Media action may not delete temporary files properly when encoding to MP3
[*]Fixed an issue where the Custom X-Success URL parameter of the Open X-Callback-URL action did not work
[*]Fixed an issue where variables could not be added to arrays in the Dictionary action
[*]Fixed an issue where booleans could not be added to dictionaries inside dictionaries in the Dictionary action
[*]Fixed an issue where a duplicate workflow could appear after searching for a workflow
[*]Fixed an issue where Workflow could crash when deleting many workflows at once
[*]Fixed an issue where double-tapping a variable button cleared the variable
[*]Fixed an issue where the Tweet and Post on Facebook actions did not work from the Today Widget or Apple Watch
[*]Fixed an issue where passing the output of Scan QR Code to Open URL did not work properly
[*]Fixed an issue where workflows could not be edited after being opened via 3D Touch
[*]Performance improvements to workflow running
[*]VoiceOver improvements
[*]Other bug fixes and minor additions

Since purchasing Workflow in March of 2017, Apple has continued to provide regular updates to the Workflow app, allaying fears that it would be discontinued and abandoned.

The last update to the app, introduced a long list of bug fixes for third-party app actions, was released in November of 2017.

Workflow can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Apple-Owned Workflow App Updated With New 'Mask Image' Action

 

[Stella]

Workflow is screaming to have integration with Siri. Must be coming soon.

Create easily your own Siri workflows

 

[dannys1]

Every time an update comes out for this i’m reminded that it’s a brilliant app I still haven’t found a use for.

Then people post their ideas in replies and I think they’re great. Try a few out, totally forget about them and never use it again.

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.

 

[petsounds]

Every time an update comes out for this i’m reminded that it’s a brilliant app I still haven’t found a use for.

Then people post their ideas in replies and I think they’re great. Try a few out, totally forget about them and never use it again.

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.

That's pretty much me right now as well. My work is done on my Mac. I use iOS for focused tasks that can be completed by one app. I transfer stuff between apps sometimes, but generally if I have a more complex task it's quicker to just open my Mac. If I was able to use an iPad for what I do, maybe I'd find it useful there.

In a perfect world where Siri wasn't terrible and it was connected to Workflow, we could say something like, "Siri, translate this PDF into French and send that in an email to Julie at Apple" and it would chain together its own workflow to try to act on requests. That would be very compelling, but I fear we're a long way away from that day.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I need to spend some quality time with this app. It is very intriguing.

 

[robinp]

Workflow plus HomeKit and Siri would be amazing.

Add in iOS system level integration then I might find a way to use it Day to Day.

Also, bring it to the Mac please.

 

[charlituna]

Workflow plus HomeKit and Siri would be amazing.

Add in iOS system level integration then I might find a way to use it Day to Day.

Also, bring it to the Mac please.

in an ideal world I could call my 'siri' whatever I want and be able to trigger it with 'hey x', 'good morning x' 'good evening x' or even 'x i'm home' and yes some of them to have built in actions. like if i say 'good morning x', my lights come up, my home kit coffee maker starts brewing my coffee and my home pod starts my favorite morning jazz playlist'

workflow might be able to make that all happen

 

[smirking]

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.

I completely concur. I had Workflow on my phone for like three years and I finally accepted that I'd never find a practical use for it and deleted it last year. If I'm doing something that requires a complex workflow, I'll pull out my laptop. My idea of workflow on an iOS device, is limited to "swipe, tap, press."

 

[Moakesy]

...If I'm doing something that requires a complex workflow, I'll pull out my laptop. My idea of workflow on an iOS device, is limited to "swipe, tap, press."

I find Workflow is great for simple tasks, rather than complex. I use it for things like travel time home, or to the office...so instead of

- Open Google Maps
- Enter the postcode
- Click search

I simple swipe & tap and it's done. Also have similar ones for phoning my girlfriend, son etc. Swipe & tap and it's done.

I know neither of these use cases are particularly onerous, but as I do them pretty much every day I appreciate both the simplicity and the fact I have one place for very different tasks.

The complex flows I do struggle with. I want to set up a workflow that will open a radio app and then airplay it to the HomePod, but I'm struggling with that one.

 

[MrGimper]

That's pretty much me right now as well. My work is done on my Mac. I use iOS for focused tasks that can be completed by one app. I transfer stuff between apps sometimes, but generally if I have a more complex task it's quicker to just open my Mac. If I was able to use an iPad for what I do, maybe I'd find it useful there.

In a perfect world where Siri wasn't terrible and it was connected to Workflow, we could say something like, "Siri, translate this PDF into French and send that in an email to Julie at Apple" and it would chain together its own workflow to try to act on requests. That would be very compelling, but I fear we're a long way away from that day.

"Here's a list of french paedophiles called Julie who like Apples I found on the web", replies Siri.

 

[urbanslaughter1997]

Glad to know I'm in the same boat as a lot of you. I keep wanting to use this, but haven't gotten around to figuring out how to take advantage of it.

 

[jonnysods]

I completely concur. I had Workflow on my phone for like three years and I finally accepted that I'd never find a practical use for it and deleted it last year. If I'm doing something that requires a complex workflow, I'll pull out my laptop. My idea of workflow on an iOS device, is limited to "swipe, tap, press."

Same. It's just a comms decide and basic handling of work and pic taking until I can get to my beloved macbook pro.

I don't even like using my phone for texts. Imessage saw an end to that!!

 

[dannys1]

I find Workflow is great for simple tasks, rather than complex. I use it for things like travel time home, or to the office...so instead of

- Open Google Maps
- Enter the postcode
- Click search

I find Siri automatically does this for me. I get in the car and it knows i'm wanting to go to work and gives me the time and traffic.

Failing that you can force touch Apple Maps and it gives you home/work. Or my car has it in one press too. Or even easier I just ask Siri to take me home/to work.
[doublepost=1520766171][/doublepost]I think one of the worst things with Workflow (or at least what I don't like) is when you run a routine it opens the app and shows you all the steps in the background. It feels like you're just pressed play in Script Editor on the Mac. I think it should run the task as if it's running it as an app, or at least hide the programming page once it's done. Maybe that's just me but psychologically it feels a bit messy.

Weirdly on the other hand if you run it as a widget it does it all within the widget and it looks really nice and native.

 

[shly0718]

Every time an update comes out for this i’m reminded that it’s a brilliant app I still haven’t found a use for.

Then people post their ideas in replies and I think they’re great. Try a few out, totally forget about them and never use it again.

I dunno, I guess I’ll just never get Workflow to work in my “workflow” and probably because I use iOS as little as I can.

I guess instead of see what others do in workflow, you should think of workflow when you have a new demand.
I bought workflow when it first came out, then found it's powerful but never used it for a year (I didnt know how to use variable). Then one day, there was a demand: my colleagues and I always go out for dinner several times a week (fixed ppl in total, but each dinner who is going varies), normally one guy paid, next day skype in a group. But sometimes, ppl forgot to skype or forgot to pay. Then I created a workflow, which ask my input the total money, select ppl attended in a list, it calculates the split fare and skype in group says " XX, XX, XX pay XX $XX.X for date" tru IFTTT, and create reminder for each ppl which alert me next day noon, when I check off, IFTTT bot in skype say "XX paid XX for $XX.X on date". Just a few taps, the automation is not huge time saver, but reduces my frustration.