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Changes in Workflows
Workflows is a functionality that was introduced in a beta form from Media Manager 5.3 and improved upon in Media Manager 5.4. For the features introduced in those versions, please refer to MM5.3.0 Major new features and MM5.4 Major new features .
Workflow editor
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There are several design-related changes made to the Workflow editor in order to make the experience of working with it more user-friendly, intuitive and visually appealing.
First of all, we have introduced a number of UI-related changes, both to accommodate new features and to make the Workflow editor easier to understand. These involve, among others:
The ability to edit the names of stages and transitions only in the right-hand edit panel
The ability to open the edit panel by simply clicking on a stage or transition
More user-friendly naming of several elements in the editor.
Moreover, metadata for transitions are now fully implemented. The following types of metadata constraints are supported:
IsEmptyMetaField | Bit Metadata Constraint | Combo Metadata Constraint | Datetime Metadata Constraint | Edit Combo Metadata Constraint |
Edit Multi Combo Metadata Constraint | Float Metadata Constraint | Int Metadata Constraint | Link Metadata Constraint | Multi Combo Metadata Constraint |
Note Metadata Constraint | String Metadata Constraint | Tree Metadata Constraint |
It is also possible to configure metadata fields on stages. With this, the user who is assigned to a task can view the metadata relevant for the task, in the task details module.
Furthermore, we have made a functional addition to the way the upload constraints work by introducing so-called “secret attachments”. Secret attachments are meant for sensitive material (like, for example, a consent form) which will only be visible to key individuals you’ve decided. This means that even though other users have access rights to the task, these other users will not be able to actually see the secret attachment, as they’re missing the role to do so.
Overall, all users will fall in either one of the following categories:
They cannot see any attachments
They can only see ordinary attachments
They can see all attachments, i.e. including those marked as “sensitive”.
Last but not least, the labels used to visually represent the Workflow stages are now customizable. Users can either choose one of the standard labels or create a new one by selecting a icon and color from the list.
Task list
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The most pronounced new functionality related to the task list, is the ability to view tasks either in the list view or as a collection of cards in the card view.
With this, users will benefit from the distinct advantages of each view type. When using the list view, it is possible to see more tasks at the same time, which might be especially useful when you, for example, select multiple tasks for a transition. Conversely, when using the card view, the user will be able to get a comprehensive overview of which assets are linked to the task, meaning that you don’t have to waste time with accessing the task’s details page.
In addition to this, the data in the task list have been enriched with the following:
The task list icon/color
The name and badge of the instance owner
The created date
The current stage.
Lastly, we’ve added the ability to transition multiple tasks at once. The approving user can now select multiple tasks at once and then take an action on all of them in one fell swoop. In order to be able to do this, all of the selected tasks need to belong to the same Workflow and be at the same stage.
The are also several smaller changes introduced:
The task details view can be closed with an “X” on the module or by pressing “Esc” on the keyboard
After transitioning, a confirmation notification appears in the lower right corner
In the filter panel, you now have the ability to search for tasks by their names
When the system is configured to show assets in infinite scrolling mode, the task list will also utilize infinite scrolling.
More flexibility when using the Download Request Workflow
We have introduced a new functionality, timed transitions, in order to support the approval expiry in Download Request Workflows. Thanks to this, it is now possible to configure the deadline for the requesting user to download the assets that have been approved for this purpose. This can be configured either as a specific date (e.g. May 20th, 2021) or time period (e.g. 14 days).
Until version 5.4, users were only able to request one single variant of an asset at a time. As of version 5.5 we support two additional scenarios.
First of all, users can make several requests of one asset at a time.
Secondly, the users can request multiple assets at once.
New use case: Custom Signup Workflow
We support a new use for the Workflow functionality, requested by our users. It is now possible to create a custom signup form. It is up to the administrator to create the workflow, and fill in what type of information a person requesting a Media Manager user has to provide.
The signup request is then submitted as a workflow task that can be either approved or rejected.
This type of workflow would usually be combined with automations in order to handle further related tasks, such as providing newly-approved users with the correct roles.
UI/UX enhancements
The cropping tool
Until now all cropped images inherited the name of the original asset. This often caused confusion when multiple crops of an asset all appeared under the same name in the Related assets section. Now the name of the selected cropping preset will be displayed to make working with multiple versions of an asset much easier.
User collaboration
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It will now be easier to access the section for comments and annotations. The user can now click on Comments shortcut available on the list of actions on the asset card. This will take them directly into the asset’s commenting section.
Moreover, the timestamps of past comments are now more accurate. While the time of the comments remains approximate at first glance, an accurate timestamp will be displayed upon hovering the mouse pointer over it.
Working with multiple assets
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When users prepare the selection of multiple assets, they can now continue working with the unselected assets without cancelling their selection. For example, a user who meticulously selected assets for multi-edit from multiple different pages in the Media Manager can safely download an asset that’s not the part of that tasks without losing the selection pool.
Quality-of-life improvement in metadata editor
We have replaced the Cancel button in the metadata editor with Discard to make the experience of working with metadata more intuitive.
Profile and settings
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(1) We have now improved the section for changing profile information. It is no longer necessary to write the email address of the user twice.
(2) We have introduced a new section in the Settings menu, concerning configuration. The first functionality that can be configured here is the ability to add and edit email templates.
The user with the highest administrative clearance can now edit email templates directly from the Media Manager. The templates can be found under Settings → ConfigManager. The templates created here can be used, among others, in setting up automations, where one of the desired outcomes is for the system to send an email to a user.
For more information concerning email templates, please refer to DC 5.5 Major new features
(3) There is also a new section under the General settings sub-menu: Users. Here, the administrator of the system can enable the previously mentioned Custom Signup Workflow.