Formulas
FileFlows Formulas offer a simple, form-based approach to media automation. Instead of building flows with individual flow elements, Formulas let you configure processing rules using an intuitive, visual UI with direct drop-downs, sliders, and toggle switches.
Whether you are configuring Video Formulas, Audio Formulas, or Image Formulas, they allow you to set up, edit, and adjust your media processing rules in just a few clicks.
Key Differences: Formulas vs. Flows
While both Formulas and Flows automate media processing in FileFlows, they serve different operational styles depending on your needs.
| Feature | FileFlows Formulas | FileFlows Flows |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Form-Based UI: Simple drop-downs, sliders, and toggle switches. | Flow Canvas: Connect flow elements together to build custom processing paths. |
| Ease of Use | Beginner-Friendly: High-level settings without complex setup. | Advanced: Requires planning logic, outputs, and conditions between flow elements. |
| Editing & Updates | Fast & Easy: Update quality settings or processing rules in seconds without touching flow elements. | Detailed: Reconfigure individual flow elements and their connections. |
| Flexibility | Standardized Tasks: Tailored for core processing, re-encoding, and formatting tasks. | Maximum Control: Modify inner mechanics, write custom scripts, handle complex logic branching, and execute external tools. |
Why Use Formulas?
- Streamlined Form Interface: Easily toggle settings on or off, tweak sliders, and pick options from simple menus.
- Dynamic Options: Settings intelligently adapt based on your choices—hiding irrelevant fields and turning on only the options you need for your active selection.
- Instant Adjustments: Need to tweak a rule? Re-editing a Formula is as fast as updating a form field, removing the need to reorganize flow elements.
- Unified Management: Create reusable presets for Video, Audio, or Images and quickly apply them across your libraries.
When to Use Which?
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Use Formulas when... You want a fast, set-and-forget setup to manage standard re-encoding, formatting, metadata tagging, and media conversions across your library without tinkering with flow elements.
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Use Flows when... You need custom conditional branching (e.g., "If file size > 5GB, run Script A, else copy file to Server B"), complex file-renaming rules, API webhooks, or custom execution scripts.
How to Assign Formulas to a Library
You can assign a Formula when creating a new library or by editing an existing one.
- Open your FileFlows Web Console and navigate to Libraries.
- Create a New Library or edit an existing one.
- In the General section, locate the Process With setting.
- Toggle the selection from Flow to Formula.
- Select your configured Formula Preset from the drop-down menu.
- Save your changes (or complete the setup wizard). All queued and future files for that library will now automatically process using your Formula rules!