Smart Search + Smart Actions

In this article:

• Terminology
• Controlling the Scope of Smart Features
• Smart Search
• Smart Actions
• Exporting a Playlist to an AAF
• Indexing and Usage Consumption
• FAQ

When searching for content on Flow Capture, our standard search tool allows users to search for specific asset names, project names, folder names, etc., as well as filter by data points such as duration, episode, file size, and more.

Our Smart Search tool takes search to a new level, enabling users to search all assets for contextual information found in the assets themselves, all while using natural language to find matching media.

In addition, our Smart Actions functionality can scan uploaded assets for content that matches a user-defined description, and automatically trigger a number of effects to help automate your workflows.

Terminology 

Controlling the Scope of Smart Features

Once Smart Search and Smart Actions  are enabled by your Company Admin, they will, by default, be available across all Folders under all Projects within your Company.

You can, however, toggle these features off at the Project level or Folder level to reduce the scope of where they are in play.

To do so, just select the Project or Folder you wish to adjust these settings for, then click the Upload Options icon on the right. There, you'll see a new section called "Smart Features," where you can toggle each of these features ON or OFF for that Project or Folder.

If you don't adjust these settings, they will, by default, inherit the ON/OFF position of the level above it.

Content that is uploaded into a Folder with these features are enabled will be indexed for Smart Features. For more on indexing and usage consumption, click here.

How to Use Smart Search

When the Assets Tab is selected, clicking on the "Search" button along the top will now give you two options: Search, and Smart Search.

With Smart Search selected, simply type in what you're looking to find, and click the blue Search button. You can enter in as little or as much information as you'd like, and our Smart Search will take it into account when searching.

Once you've entered your prompt and clicked Search, all of the search results will appear in the center viewing panel. Any assets with the search terms in the name will be returned alongside any assets which have contextual information that matches your search.

For example, if we search across our Project for the term "nature," Smart Search will show us all footage that contains images related to nature. This is in addition to any assets which have "nature" in the name or metadata.

Note that the thumbnail below each search result will display a white line (or multiple white lines). These indicate where the related content appears in the footage specifically, so you can jump right to what you're looking for.

Video Walkthrough

How to Use Smart Actions

In addition to our Smart Search functionality, Flow Capture now enables users to configure Smart Actions based on contextual information to help automate workflows.

For example, you can create a workflow using Smart Actions that will perform the following task on all   content uploaded to a specific folder:

"If my content contains violence, apply a "Violence" tag, and add it to a Playlist called "Scenes with violence."

To do so, first, navigate to the folder in question, and click the Smart Actions icon on the right. Then, click "Add Action."

When you do, the New Smart Action modal will pop up, allowing you to set up the new automation.

In the open text box, enter in a description of your trigger using plain language.

Below this, you'll see a button labeled 'Add Effect," which will display the different types of effects that you can apply to all matching content:

Selecting any of these effects will allow you to specify in detail the action you'd like to take.

For our example above, select "Apply Tag" and select the "Violence" tag, then select "Create Draft Share" and give it a name + description.

Once you're done, just click "Save Action." Going forward, any newly uploaded assets selected for indexing will scan for content that matches the trigger, and apply the effects to that content.

Video Walkthrough

Exporting a Playlist to AAF 

If you've set up a Smart Action to create a Playlist out of a set of assets that meet a specific criteria, you can then download an AAF file of that Playlist to bring into AVID. This workflow can also apply for Playlists created in the regular way.  

To do so, first, create a Playlist, then open the Playlist from the Playlist section.

From there, simply click the Action Menu attached to that Playlist, and select "Download AAF."

You can then open the exported AAF file in AVID, and every highlighted moment comes through as its own object in the sequence. 

Indexing & Usage Consumption

For any Project or Folder where these features are enabled, all content that is uploaded from that point on will start to be indexed for usage in Smart Search and Smart Actions.

This can be adjusted via the Upload Options, which are available at both the Project level and the Folder level.

Indexing achieves two things:

• It enables the indexed content to be included in Smart Search results
• It scans for any triggers that the user has set up as part of a Smart Action, and, if found, performs the related effects found in that Smart Action

Your Company's allowance for Smart Search and Smart Actions is measured in minutes of footage indexed.

This means that performing a Smart Search does not impact your consumption, as it is only searching through content that has already been indexed.

Smart Actions, on the other hand, will always impact consumption, as indexing occurs when fresh content is uploaded to your Company.

Should your Company run out of usage minutes, Smart Actions will no longer run, but Smart Searches will continue to return results containing indexed material.

Company admins can see current usage against the allowance under Reports in General Settings.

In addition, Flow Capture will flag usage at 75% and 100%, and send notifications to Company Admins when usage reaches these stages. Once the usage limit has been reached, no further indexing can occur.

FAQ

Does Smart Search replace my existing search? 

No. Smart Search is an additional mode in the search bar you already use. Your existing keyword and metadata search still works the same way — use whichever fits what you're looking for, or combine both in the same query. 

What languages does Smart Search support? 

In it's current iteration, English-language queries, on web only.

What counts against our usage allowance — searching or indexing? 

Indexing. Your company's allowance is measured in minutes of footage indexed, not by how many searches you run. The meter runs when new content is added to a folder with indexing turned on — not when someone runs a search. Search as much as you like. 

Why does this matter? 

Because usage is driven by whoever uploads to an indexed folder, not by whoever searches, a company can use up its indexing allowance without anyone on the team running a single search — for example, if a high-volume production uploads heavily to an enabled folder. It's worth being intentional about which folders you turn indexing on for. 

How do we know how much of our allowance we've used? 

Company admins can see current usage against the allowance under Reports in General Settings. Flow Capture also flags usage at 75% of the allowance so your team has advance warning before hitting the limit. 

Does our video content leave Flow Capture to power search results? 

No. Video is processed entirely within Flow Capture's secure environment, under the same DRM and watermarking protections you already rely on elsewhere on the platform. 

Is this the same thing as the Autodesk Assistant? 

No. Smart Search and Smart Actions are separate from the Autodesk Assistant, which has its own opt-in and its own icon in the product. This FAQ covers Smart Search and Smart Actions only. 

Can I select just one moment from an asset to add to a playlist, instead of all matched moments? 

Not yet. Today, all matched moments from an asset come along when you add it to a playlist. Selecting individual moments is planned for later. 

Does Smart Search work inside Rooms? 

Not yet. Search context currently persists into playlists; Rooms support is a planned follow-on. 

What happens to a Smart Action rule I set up if I turn indexing off for that folder? 

The rule stops running against new content once indexing is off for that folder.

Who do I contact if I have an issue with a search result — is that a bug or something else? 

All feedback should be submitted via the feedback form in the Tech Preview section of the app, or here.  

Can we turn it on for only a few users?

No. By enabling this on your Company, it will be available for all users.

Tech Preview FAQ

Smart Search and Smart Actions are currently only available in Tech Preview. Below, you'll find answers to a number of questions you may have about how the Tech Preview works.

What kinds of feedback are you looking for specifically?

1. How intuitive is the natural-language search experience compared to existing search?
2. How confident are you in the relevance of returned results?
3. Does the workflow improve editorial efficiency?
4. Would your team adopt Smart Search at GA based on this preview?
5. For Smart Actions: what rule types are most useful? What prompts are you creating?
6. Any gaps in indexing coverage or search scope that block your workflow?

Any other feedback is, of course, also encouraged. All feedback will be sent to our Product team to consider during future development phases.

How much can I Index during Tech Preview?

During Tech Preview, each participating company receives a predefined amount of indexing capacity for evaluation purposes. Once this usage limit is met, no further indexing can occur. Smart Search and Smart Actions will only look at indexed content.

What future improvements are you planning?

A few things aren't available yet during Tech Preview but are on our product roadmap: 

• Selecting individual moments. Today, all matched moments from an asset come along when you add it to a playlist. Selecting individual moments is planned for later. 
• Language and platform coverage.  Search covers English-language queries on web only. 
• Rooms. Search context currently persists into playlists; Rooms support is a follow-on. 

None of these affect the core workflow — search, build a playlist, export to Avid — which works end to end today. 

Who can enable the Tech Preview of Smart Search and Smart Actions? 

Only a company admin can enable them, from Settings → Tech Preview catalog. If you don't see either feature, ask your admin. 

Do I need both features enabled to use either one? 

No. Smart Search and Smart Actions are enabled independently, with separate in-product terms. 

Is there a cost during Tech Preview? 

No, there is no charge for using Smart Search or Smart Actions as part of the Tech Preview.

Is there a fixed time window? 

Yes. Tech Preview runs on a fixed 90-day window aligned to a target general-availability date, rather than starting the clock separately for each customer. If your company enables Smart Search or Smart Actions later in the preview, your effective trial window may be shorter than 90 days.  

We exceeded our allowance - who do we talk to? 

If you have a dedicated CS contact, please reach out to them to discuss options. If you don't, please contact support.  

What kind of support do I get during Tech Preview? 

Smart Search and Smart Actions are supported through Flow Capture's public help documentation (this article and the help guide) plus the in-product feedback link. If your company has a dedicated Customer Success or sales contact, they can also help with Tech Preview questions. 

How do I report a problem or share feedback? 

Look for the feedback link inside the Tech Preview panel. Feedback goes directly to the team shaping the path to general availability. 

Who do I contact if I have an issue with a search result — is that a bug or something else? 

Report it through the in-product feedback link or your usual support channel. Support routes issues to the right team internally. 

Can we turn it on for only a few users?

Not in the first Tech Preview. By enabling this on your Company, it will be available for all users. As mentioned in the "how to" section above, there are controls in the UI that allow you to turn this on or off at the Project or Folder level.

What happens when the preview ends?

We will tell you the confirmed next step and what will happen to access. Stay tuned.

How can I submit feedback?

Users will find a link to the feedback form in app or here.