Workflow Builder Overview

The Workflow Builder is a visual, node-based editor for creating photo booth experiences in FMX. It is part of Foto Master Cloud and allows you to design the complete guest journey -- from the welcome screen through photo capture, AI processing, sharing, and printing -- by connecting steps together in a flow.

What Is the Workflow Builder?

Every FMX experience is driven by a workflow: a sequence of connected steps that define what happens at each stage of the booth interaction. The Workflow Builder provides a drag-and-drop canvas where you:

• Add steps (capture, preview, share, print, games, etc.)
• Connect steps with edges (transitions between steps)
• Configure triggers (what causes the transition: time, touch, payment, etc.)
• Set options for each step (durations, settings, behaviors)

When you run an experience in FMX, the booth software executes your workflow step by step, following the edges and triggers you defined.

Key Concepts

Workflows

A workflow is the complete definition of a booth experience. It contains:

• Nodes (steps) -- The individual actions in the experience
• Edges -- The connections between steps, defining the flow order
• Triggers -- The conditions that cause a transition from one step to the next
• Metadata -- Name, description, and platform targeting

Steps (Nodes)

Each step represents one screen or action in the booth experience. Steps are categorized into three kinds:

Kind	Purpose	Examples
Animation	Visual media playback (images, videos, slideshows)	Single image, Random slideshow, Timeless animation, Preloader
Feature	Hardware interaction and local device functions	Take Photo, Live View, Preview, Print Copies, Selection Screen, Games
Cloud	Cloud-based AI processing and communication	AI Cartoon, AI Face Swap, Email, SMS, QR Code, Survey

Every step has:

• An ID -- Unique identifier
• A kind -- Animation, Feature, or Cloud
• A label -- Display name shown in the editor
• A position -- X/Y coordinates on the canvas
• A config -- Step-specific settings

Edges

Edges are the arrows connecting one step to the next. Each edge defines:

• Source -- The step the edge comes from
• Target -- The step the edge goes to
• Trigger -- What causes this transition to fire

Triggers

Triggers determine when a transition occurs. Available triggers differ by platform:

Windows triggers:

Trigger	Description
Time	Advances after a set duration (seconds)
Touch	Advances when the guest taps/clicks the screen
AI Processed	Advances when cloud AI processing completes
Media Saved	Advances when media (photo/video) is saved to disk
Payment	Advances when a payment is approved
Proximity	Advances when a proximity sensor detects presence
Scan Done	Advances when a barcode/QR scan completes
Space Bar	Advances when the space bar key is pressed
Playback Ended	Advances when a video or animation finishes playing

iPad triggers:

Trigger	Description
Time	Advances after a set duration
Touch	Advances in screen tap
AI Processed	Advances when AI processing completes
Media Saved	Advances when media is saved
Volume Changed	Advances when a volume button is pressed
Playback Ended	Advances when playback finishes

Creating Your First Workflow

To create a basic photo booth workflow:

1. Log in to Foto Master Cloud (cloud.fotomaster.com).
2. Navigate to your event and open the Workflow Builder.
3. Start with a Selection Screen or Animation step as your welcome/idle screen.
4. Add a Live View step (mode: Start) to show the camera feed.
5. Add a Take Photo step to capture the image.
6. Add a Live View step (mode: Stop) to turn off the camera feed.
7. Add a Preview step so guests can see their photo.
8. Add a Save Final Photo step to render and save the final image with the layout.
9. Add sharing steps as needed: Email, SMS, QR Code.
10. Add a Print Copies step if your booth has a printer.
11. Connect all steps with edges and set appropriate triggers.
12. Save the workflow and sync it to your FMX booth.

Example: Simple Photo Booth Flow

Welcome Screen (Animation, Touch trigger)
    |
Live View Start (Feature, Time trigger - 0s)
    |
Take Photo (Feature, Time trigger - 3s countdown)
    |
Live View Stop (Feature, Media Saved trigger)
    |
Save Final Photo (Feature, Time trigger - 0s)
    |
Preview (Feature, Touch trigger)
    |
Email / SMS / QR Code (Cloud, Touch or Time trigger)
    |
Print Copies (Feature, Time trigger)
    |
[Loop back to Welcome Screen]

Step Types Overview

FMX supports a wide range of step types across all three categories. Here is a summary of the feature and cloud step types:

Feature Steps

Step	Purpose
Selection Screen	Multi-option menu with clickable areas (choose experiences, backgrounds, etc.)
Take Photo	Triggers the camera shutter to capture a photo
Live View	Starts or stops the live camera preview on screen
Preview	Shows captured photos/videos to the guest with a retake option
Disclaimer	Displays a terms/consent screen that the guest must accept
Print Copies	Sends photos to the printer (with optional copy count selection)
Save Final Photo	Renders and saves the final composited photo with layout
Record Video	Starts or stops video recording from the camera
Video from Photos	Creates an animated GIF or MP4 from captured photos
Screen Recording	Records the screen output (Windows only)
Screen Capture	Takes a screenshot of the booth display (Windows only)
Sign & Draw	Lets guests draw or sign on a touch canvas
Games	Interactive games (Tic Tac Toe, 3 Shell Game)
Access Code	Requires a code to proceed (gating/access control)
Scan	Waits for a barcode or QR code scan (Windows only)
External Script	Launches an external program (Windows only)
LED Ring	Controls an LED ring via serial connection (Windows only)
iPad LED Light	Uses the iPad screen as a flash (iPad only)
Draw Me Offline	Offline drawing/doodling canvas
V180	180-degree video booth mode

Cloud Steps

Step	Purpose
AI Background Removal	Removes photo backgrounds using AI
AI Cartoon	Transforms photos into cartoon styles
AI Draw Me	AI artistic rendering of photos. Six models: Monet, Donatello, Raphael, da Vinci, Picasso, Michelangelo
AI Face Cutout	Extracts faces from photos
AI Face Swap	Swaps faces between photos
AI Face Switch	Switches faces within a group photo
AI Headshot	Generates professional headshot variations
AI Line 2 Life	Converts line drawings to realistic images
AI Oldify	Ages or de-ages faces in photos
AI Palm Reading	AI-generated palm reading from hand photos
AI Style Pop	Applies artistic style effects
AI Sharpener	Enhances photo sharpness and detail
AI Modify	Custom AI image modifications with a text prompt. 8 model options (Nano Banana, GPT-Image, Grok Imagine families)
AI Combine	Combines a guest photo with a text prompt and optional reference images. Same 8-model lineup as AI Modify
AI Image to Video	Generates a video from a still image
Email	Sends photos via email to guests
SMS	Sends photos via text message
QR Code	Displays a QR code linking to the online gallery
Survey	Collects guest feedback with various question types

AI Workflow Builder

Foto Master Cloud includes an AI Workflow Builder that can help you create workflows faster:

• Describe your desired booth experience in natural language.
• The AI generates a complete workflow with appropriate steps, edges, and triggers.
• Review and customize the generated workflow in the visual editor.
• Fine-tune individual step configurations as needed.

The AI Workflow Builder is a great starting point, especially if you are new to the Workflow Builder or want to quickly prototype a new experience.

Saving and Sharing Workflows

Saving

• Click Save in the Workflow Builder to save your workflow to the event.
• The workflow is stored as a workflow.json file in your event's cloud storage.
• When you sync the event in FMX, the workflow file is downloaded to the booth computer.

Sharing

• Workflows can be duplicated between events in Foto Master Cloud.
• Export your workflow configuration to reuse it across multiple events.

Branching and Conditional Logic

Workflows support branching through multiple edges from a single step:

• Selection Screen -- Each clickable area can route to a different branch of steps, creating multiple experience paths.
• Disclaimer -- The agree and disagree actions can route to different steps.
• Access Code -- Valid and invalid codes can route differently.
• Print Copies -- The "0 copies" / skip action can route to a different step than the print action.

This allows you to create complex, multi-path experiences within a single workflow.

Best Practices

• Start simple. Build a basic flow first, test it, then add complexity.
• Always include Save Final Photo. This step renders the final composited image with your layout. Without it, sharing and printing will not have a properly composed photo.
• Pair Live View Start and Stop. Always add a Live View Stop step after your capture phase to release camera resources.
• Use Time triggers for automatic transitions. Set short Time triggers (0-1 second) for steps that should transition immediately after completion (like Save Final Photo).
• Test on device. Always sync and test your workflow on the actual booth hardware before an event.
• Consider offline scenarios. If the internet may be unreliable, place cloud-dependent steps (AI, Email, SMS) after Save Final Photo so the guest's photo is always saved locally regardless of connectivity.
• Use the Preview step. Letting guests see their photo and optionally retake it reduces wasted prints and improves satisfaction.
• Loop back to the start. Connect the final step back to your welcome screen to create a continuous loop for the next guest.

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See also: Step Types Quick Reference

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AI Workflow Generator

The AI Workflow Generator is an optional chat mode inside the Workflow Builder that lets you describe an experience in plain language — and the AI builds the full workflow for you.

Instead of placing nodes manually, you type something like "A photo booth for a corporate event with three AI style options, a print step, and email sharing" and the AI generates the complete workflow structure, including steps, logic, animations, and features.

Three Editor Modes

The Workflow Builder supports three modes — switch between them at any time:

• List Mode — a simple, linear view. Familiar and easy to follow for standard step sequences.
• Node View — a visual canvas where steps appear as connected nodes. Ideal for complex branching logic.
• AI Chat View — describe the experience you want and let the AI build the workflow. Best for starting from a unique concept or client brief.