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Instructor notes

Wizard Mode

45 min·BASIC·Operator|Studio Manager

Instructor-only material. Not published to academy.photorobot.io public site.

Delivery context

Wizard mode is the bridge module between operator-level capture (m06) and production-line reality. By the end of this module a senior operator (or Studio Manager) should be able to design a wizard for their team, and a junior operator should understand what a wizard does and how to run one.

Two audiences in one room: operators (who will run wizards) and studio managers / consultants (who will design them). Plan the delivery accordingly — first half is operator-level (what is a wizard, how does it differ from full capture), second half is designer-level (how to build one). If the class is operator-only, skip Sections 3-5 and 7 of the textbook.

Calibration: ask up front — “who designs wizards in your studio?” If nobody: this module is conceptual (so they recognize wizard mode when they see it). If multiple: designer-track exercises (4-5 in workbook) become primary deliverable.

Time allocation (45-min textbook + 20-30 min workbook)

Textbook block (45 min)

Min Topic Format
0-5 What Wizard mode is + where it fits Talk + show CAPP wizard launch
5-10 Who creates wizards (role separation) Talk
10-15 Wizard configuration overview + validation Show CAPP Settings → Add Wizard
15-25 5 step types — create-item, select-item, capture-folder, import-images, liveview Whiteboard + show example
25-32 Step JSON format — examples Live edit of a wizard step in CAPP
32-38 Operator’s view + design patterns Show wizard running
38-42 Wizard vs Full Capture decision matrix Talk
42-45 Custom scripting mention + Q&A Talk

Workbook block (20-30 min)

Live demo points

Wizard mode is conceptually simple but visually powerful — the contrast between full capture interface (busy) and wizard interface (focused, “press button when ready”) is the wow moment.

  1. (at minute 0-5) Side-by-side comparison — Open CAPP full Capture interface in one window. Then launch a pre-built wizard in another. Show: 40+ menu options in full Capture vs. 1 button in wizard. Same hardware, same outcome — different UI complexity for different operator skill levels.

  2. (at minute 10-15) Show Settings → Add Wizard — walk through the configuration form (Wizard name, Item name, Presets, Workspace, Wizard steps). Don’t fill it in completely; just show the structure. The validation requirement (presets / workspace / folder names) is critical — demonstrate a wizard that won’t launch and show the error message.

  3. (at minute 15-25) Walk through each of 5 step types — for each, show what the OPERATOR sees:

    • create-item: text fields appear, operator types name + barcode → Next
    • select-item: list of items appears, operator picks → Next
    • capture-folder: prompt with title + instruction note, single big button → operator presses → robot rotates, capture runs
    • import-images: file picker dialog → operator selects files → upload progress → Next
    • liveview: camera preview live → operator confirms framing → Next

  4. (at minute 25-32) Open an existing wizard’s JSON in CAPP editor — show the step objects. Demonstrate: change "title": "Capture interior" to "title": "Foto interiéru", save, re-launch wizard → operator sees the new prompt. The textbook → live impact loop is 30 seconds. Wizard designers can iterate fast.

  5. (at minute 32-38) Run a full wizard end-to-end on the lab setup — pick a simple wizard from the studio’s library. Walk through it slowly, narrating: “Operator sees step 1, creates item, presses Next. Step 2 shows liveview, confirms framing. Step 3 captures 36 frames. End of wizard, item done, ready for next.” Total elapsed: 60-90 seconds.

If delivering online without lab access: use pre-recorded screencast of all 5 step types + 1 full wizard run. Wizards are visual; text descriptions alone don’t convey the simplicity contrast.

Common mistakes / misunderstandings to anticipate

“Wizards are for beginners — I’m senior, I don’t need them”

Reframe: senior operators design wizards; they don’t run them (unless covering for an absent operator). Wizard mode is studio infrastructure, not a beginner badge. The Toyota Production System parallel: senior engineers design the kanban; junior operators run it. Both roles are valued.

“I’ll design one wizard for everything”

Reframe: one wizard per product type / customer / shoot variant. A wizard for handbags has different folders, lights preset, frame count than a wizard for jewelry. Trying to make one wizard cover all variants → either too few steps (operator improvises = wizard’s value lost) or too many conditional steps (designer’s complexity grows linearly). Pattern: 3-10 wizards in a typical studio’s library.

“I’ll skip create-item / select-item — operator already knows what they’re shooting”

Reframe: even if operator knows, the wizard needs item context to attach captures. Skipping identification = captures land “loose” without metadata, downstream editing / publishing breaks. Always front-load identification (create-item OR select-item, never neither).

“I’ll make every step optional so operator has flexibility”

Reframe: defeats the wizard’s purpose. Operator picks what to skip → consistency lost → downstream pipeline breaks. Optional should be exception (e.g., “include handheld macro shots if customer requested”), not norm.

“Why can’t I script branching logic — if barcode starts with ‘A’ do this, if ‘B’ do that?”

Reframe: you CAN, but it’s PhotoRobot consultant territory. The standard 5 step types cover 80%+ of production wizards. Branching = custom JavaScript-like logic, requires testing, breaks the “operator just follows steps” principle. If you find yourself needing branches, consider: two separate wizards are usually cleaner than one branching wizard.

“My wizard won’t launch — what’s wrong?”

Walk through validation: presets assigned? workspace complete? folder names in steps match folder names that exist or will be created? CAPP gives an error message, but operators sometimes miss it.

“Can the operator edit the wizard mid-shoot?”

No — and that’s the point. Operator clicks through steps; only the designer (in CAPP Settings) modifies the wizard config. Mid-shoot changes = production inconsistency. If operator hits a real edge case, fall back to Full Capture mode for that one item.

Q&A anticipation

  1. “How many wizards should a typical studio have?” Answer: 3-10. One per product category (handbags / shoes / cosmetics) × variant (standard / hero shot / 3D). Fewer than 3 = probably under-utilizing wizard mode. More than 10 = library maintenance becomes its own problem; consolidate similar ones.

  2. “Can a wizard run on PhotoRobot Touch (iOS app)?” Answer: Touch app is fundamentally wizard-driven — every workflow in Touch uses the same wizard step infrastructure. m18 covers Touch in detail. If a studio uses Touch for handheld/mobile capture, they’re already running wizards (just don’t see CAPP’s wizard config UI).

  3. “What happens if a capture inside a wizard fails (camera disconnect mid-sequence)?” Answer: CAPP shows the capture error in the wizard UI, operator can retry or skip. The item is preserved up to the failed step. After fixing hardware, operator restarts the wizard for that item from the failed step (or from start, depending on wizard config).

  4. “Can two operators run the same wizard on the same item simultaneously?” Answer: No. One workspace, one operator, one wizard run at a time. For parallel production, separate workspaces / separate stations.

  5. “How do I version-control a wizard?” Answer: CAPP doesn’t have built-in wizard versioning. Common pattern: export wizard JSON (Settings → Wizard → Export), store in your studio’s internal repo / shared drive with name like apparel-spin-v2.json. When importing, give the wizard a new name with version suffix.

  6. “My junior operator complains the wizard is too rigid — can I add a ‘skip step’ option?” Answer: Mark the specific step "optional": true. But push back gently — if operator feels everything should be skippable, the wizard design is wrong (either too granular OR doesn’t match production reality).

Workbook discussion plan

Min Exercise Format What to watch for
0-3 Exercise 1 (wizard vs full capture) Quick verbal Match scenario to mode
3-7 Exercise 2 (step types) Quick fill-in Recall after 25-min lecture
7-10 Exercise 3 (validation requirements) Checklist Recall reasons CAPP blocks launch
10-22 Exercise 4 (designer-track wizard design) Whiteboard together THE designer diagnostic
22-28 Exercise 5 (JSON writing) Individual + review Format literacy
28-30 Exercise 6 (pre-flight) Diagnostic Identify students not ready for designer work

If the class is operator-only (no designer-track students), skip exercises 4-5 entirely. Replace with extended discussion of Exercise 1 scenarios from each student’s studio experience.

Diagnostic — is the student ready for designer work?

Operator-track readiness signal: Exercises 1-3 fluent. Student recognizes when wizard is appropriate, knows step types by name, knows what blocks wizard launch.

Designer-track readiness signal: Exercise 4 fluent. Student designs a 4-5 step wizard for the cosmetics scenario without prompting, justifies each design choice, can read/write Exercise 5 JSON. Send to: hands-on wizard design session with their own studio’s production line as the design problem.

If hesitant on Exercise 4: not yet ready to design production wizards. Recommend shadowing an existing studio manager for 1-2 wizard design sessions before solo work.

Materials needed

Notes for refresh delivery

Wizard mode is not daily skill for most operators (they run wizards designed by others, don’t think about the structure). Refresh targets:

Refresh delivery: 20-30 min, mostly Exercise 4 redo with the operator’s studio’s actual production line.

Cross-references