Automation Studio

Automation Studio is a hot-folder processor. Point it at a folder, and every photo that lands there is run through one of your templates, one after another, without anyone touching the computer. It does not create templates; it applies one you already made.

2:12

Video tutorial · 2:12 Automated Roaming Photographer Workflow With a Hot Folder

Chapters (8)

1. 0:00Intro · when to use it
2. 0:24Choose a template
3. 0:45Folders
4. 0:59Output and overlay
5. 1:11Upload, print and timing
6. 1:25Start
7. 1:39Watching the folder
8. 1:55Stop · tips

Also in: Bahasa Indonesia · 中文

Available in Advanced Pro

When to use it

• A camera or tethering app that saves photos into a folder.
• A roaming photographer whose photos arrive in a shared or network folder.
• Reprocessing a large batch of existing photos with the same template.

Which templates work

The template must also:

• need exactly one photo as input;
• need no typed text from the guest;
• produce an image, not a video (an AI Online template ending in video is rejected).

Set it up

Open Studio › Automation. Settings are on the left, the Source and Result folder lists in the middle, and the Preview / Log tabs on the right. The badge at the top right shows Automation is OFF or Automation is ON.

1. Template

1. Under Template, click Open.
2. Choose From Gallery..., Browse File... or Recent Files.
3. If the template does not meet the rules above, Q-Booth tells you why (for example "Template must need exactly one photo input to be used in Automation").

2. Folders

1. Click Source Folder › Select Folder... and pick the folder where photos arrive. Recent Folders lists folders you used before.
2. Click Result Folder › Select Folder... and pick where finished pictures go.

• Q-Booth reads .jpg, .jpeg and .png files in the top level of the Source Folder, oldest first.
• Each processed photo is moved into a done folder inside the Source Folder, so nothing is processed twice. A photo that fails is moved into an error folder and the queue continues.

3. Output (file names)

4. Overlay

• Auto: follows the template's own overlay setting.
• Custom: replaces the template overlay with an image you pick (required in this mode).
• Off: no overlay at all, even if the template has one.

5. Options: auto upload and auto print

• Auto Upload Web QR: uploads every result for its QR link, using the upload method set in Settings › QR Share.
• Auto Print Result: prints one copy of each result on the Auto printer. Video results are skipped. Set up the printer first in printer settings.

6. Timing

Delay Between Process is the pause, in Seconds, before each photo is processed (minimum 1, default 5). A short delay keeps the computer from being overloaded and gives the operator time to pause.

Start Automation

1. Click Start Automation. Q-Booth first checks your settings and refuses to start if the template, a folder, the prefix (for Input Name) or the custom overlay image is missing, or the delay is invalid.
2. The badge turns green: Automation is ON.
3. Before each photo, a countdown window shows Last Result, Next Image and Processing in N. Click Process Now to skip the wait, or Pause Automation to stop.
4. The photo then goes through the normal processing window, exactly as in the studio.

Watch it work

• One by one, photos leave the Source Folder list and their results appear in the Result Folder list. Each list shows its file count.
• The Preview tab shows the file you click, and jumps to the newest result after every successful process.
• The Log tab records every step with a time: template loaded, Automation started (ON), Processing, Process success, upload and print entries, errors, Automation stopped (OFF).
• When the folder is empty, Automation keeps watching. Drop in a new photo and it is processed right away.

Stop Automation

Click Stop Automation. Processing stops at the next safe point, not in the middle of a photo. The badge returns to Automation is OFF. Reset clears all Automation settings; Share opens the sharing window for the selected result.

Tips

• Work on copies: the source photos are moved.
• Test with print and upload off, then switch them on.
• Use templates that need one photo and no typing.
• Use Input Name with a prefix when you need to match results to the original camera files.
• Check the error folder and the Log after a run.

Troubleshooting

Next steps