We're excited to announce the launch of Robomotion v24.4.0! This version includes crucial bug fixes, visual and usability improvements, and technical adjustments. Key highlights include resolving two significant issues: one related to a PATH problem on Windows that was causing issues with starting robots, and the other addressing a race condition that occasionally froze the robot state when starting pending schedules. Additionally, we've refreshed the visuals of the Flow Designer, fixed and fine-tuned the colors of the Dark Mode.

Here’s what’s new in version 24.4.0:

🚨 [Fixed] We've resolved the Windows Desktop PATH issue that was preventing robots from starting. Our launch.exe workaround has been removed from this release. The root cause of the problem, which we recently discovered, was a breaking change introduced by Golang v1.19 in "PATH lookups." For more information, visit: https://tip.golang.org/doc/go1.19.

🚨 [Fixed] We've resolved a race condition where, in rare instances, a pending schedule combined with the closing of a previous flow's nodes would halt the newly started pending schedule, leaving the robot unable to continue.

✅ [Fixed] Fixed status update notifications for Publishing and Creating versions now accurately reflect the process completion.

🚫 [Fixed] Instances now properly show as stopped when crashed, avoiding misleading 'Running' status.

👀 [Fixed] Admins can now see all running instances, correcting a previous limitation to only workspace Owners.

🔄 [Updated] We've renamed "Desktop Run" to "Local Run" to more accurately represent wide-range of robot installations across VPS, Dedicated Servers, and Desktops.

📈 [Fixed] We've fixed the handling of traffic from non-registered workspace users on "publicly shared" apps, which previously led to consistent flow failures during periods of increased usage.

🌙 [Improved] Flow Designer UI is updated and especially the Dark Mode received fixes and updates.

🆕 [Added] New $RunType$ global variable to distinguish between "cloud" or "local" runs easily.

📧 [Fixed] Invite and Join workspace processes no longer accept email addresses with spaces, preventing login issues.

🔢 [Improved] Cloud Credit multipliers were confusing, particularly for the default apps in our App Store, most of which use 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM. We've adjusted this configuration multiplier to 1x, ensuring usage is deducted based on real-time clock usage. Now, 1 vCPU and 2GB RAM have a 0.5x multiplier, 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM have a 2x multiplier, and 8 vCPU and 16 GB RAM have a 3x multiplier of the real-time clock consumed.

💳 [Added] Cloud Run Pricing information is now accessible through the Admin Console under the Subscriptions "Buy More" option.

🔄 [Added] We've added checkboxes for required add-ons such as Proxy Request and AI Credits on the App Publish page. This update will help checking the requirements essential for a one-click start of the app.

Happy to announce our latest update for Robomotion, version 24.3.1. This release includes fixes and enhancements to the Robomotion Apps infrastructure. These improvements aim to provide a more stable and user friendly app experience for Robomotion users.

Here’s what’s new in version 24.3.1:

🆕 One-Click App Start: To improve the user experience for our first-time users, we have implemented a one-click start feature for app icons. Now, instead of having to navigate through the application instances page, clicking on an app icon automatically creates and starts an instance. This simplifies the process, allowing you to get up and running an app.

 https://www.loom.com/share/01e416dd008848448fd01fd0bbba940a 

The instance that starts will always be the "Default" instance. There can only be one "Default" instance, which can be changed from the application instances screen. To manage instances, you can use the App Icon popup menu, because now clicking the app icon will not open the instances page; instead, it will create (if no instance exists) and start the default instance.

🔒 Enhanced File Transfer Security: We've update the App Upload and App Download nodes. Now featuring session keys for browser-to-robot end-to-end session based encryption, permanent vault-based AES key encryption, and the option for no encryption.

🆕 Cloud Run Usage Details in Admin Console: For better management and oversight, Cloud Run Usage details are now visible within the Admin Console, providing admins with a clearer view of usage and helping to manage resources more effectively.

🔧 Shared Links Issue Fixed: The recent 14-day trial updates introduced a bug with shared links, but we've swiftly addressed and resolved this issue, ensuring shared links work without redirecting to subscription page.

🔄 Sync to Overwrite: We've renamed the "Sync" option in the Versions menu to "Overwrite," clarifying its function and making version management more intuitive.

🔧 Mac Intel Regular Expression Function Crash Fix: Following the fix for ARM versions, we've now resolved a crash issue related to regular expression usage in the Function nodes on Mac Intel versions.

🚀 Expanded Robomotion AI Credits Compatibility: Robomotion AI Credits now supports all public Replicate models, broadening the possibilities for AI integration by enabling more models that can be included in your flows.

🔧 Global Variables $InstanceID$ and $AppID$ Initialization: We've fixed an issue where $InstanceID$ and $AppID$ global variables were not being set at the start of a flow unless an App In message was received. Now, these essential GUIDs are initialized correctly, enabling their use right from the start, including after an Inject node.

🔧 Desktop App Icon Fix on Windows: We've addressed and corrected an issue with the desktop app icon on Windows, ensuring it displays correctly for all users.

We are happy to announce the new release of Robomotion, version 24.3.0. This update introduces new features, important bug fixes, and improvements, all designed to enhance your automation experience.

Here's what's new in this version:

🆕 Added JS Scope and Variable Scopes in HTTP In Endpoint: We've added JS Scope and Variable scope to the HTTP In Endpoint property, enhancing the flexibility and setup of the node.

🆙 Plan Info and Upgrade Button: To make it easier for you to see the current plan information and upgrade options, we've added a new section within Robomotion Apps. Now, you can quickly see your current plan and upgrade directly through an upgrade button.

🆙 AI Credits, Cloud Run Minutes, and Instance Counts: The display section have been redesigned for a better experience, making it easier for users to monitor and manage their credits directly within the Robomotion Apps.

🏠 Default Application Instance: Simplifying application management, every application will now have a default instance. The first instance you create becomes the default one automatically. You can also select other instances as default if you add more, this will streamline the app startup process in the upcoming versions.

⚙️ Manage Instances: To address the complexity around the instance creation and startup for the new user, we've added a "Manage Instances" menu item, hiding the complexity from the first time user. In the next release a click to the App Icon will start the default instance only and will open the application.

🔧 Robomotion AI Credits Usage on Windows: We've resolved an issue that was preventing Robomotion AI Credits from being used on Windows machines.

🔧 Runtime Not Initialized Bug in Python Packages: A long-standing issue causing "Runtime not initialized" error in Python packages, such as OpenAI, has been fixed. This error became more frequent recently. It is fixed now.

🆕 Free Plan Counter: To keep you informed about the duration of your free trial, we now display a countdown showing the remaining days. This feature helps you make the most out of your trial period and decide on the best time to upgrade.

We're excited to share the latest enhancements and additions to Robomotion. This release brings significant updates aimed at improving your automation journey, including new pricing plans, security enhancements, and various fixes and improvements across the board.

Known issue on Windows:

In the previous release, we introduced a workaround solution for a problem involving a launcher.exe, which was mistakenly flagged by antivirus software. We have since removed this workaround until we can fully understand and address the root cause of this issue on Windows.

If you can't connect your robot on Windows here is why and how to fix it?

The installer is designed to add the robomotion-deskbot binary path to the PATH environment variables. However, if it is not found for some reason, you will need to manually edit the Environment Variables and re-add it. After this adjustment, your robot should connect. Here is the video explaining how to do this:

 https://www.loom.com/share/660cd46b461c4145940c96788631ef8e 

 https://www.loom.com/share/b3b1c7a9753e4598b7f90790110ad8f2 

Here’s what’s new in 24.2.0:

🆕 [Added] New Pricing Plans: Introducing two distinct pricing plans designed to cater to the specific needs of Developers and Users. User plans are now enriched with AI Credits, Proxy Requests, and Cloud Run Minutes and Storage. The User Plan is designed for running apps from our App Store.

🔐 [Added] Enhanced Security with Passphrase Support: We've bolstered security by adding passphrase support for FTPS and SFTP private key authentications, ensuring your data transfers remain secure.

🍏 [Fixed] Issues with Mac ARM Version: The initial release of our Mac ARM version encountered problems with packages utilized in flows and Function nodes employing regex. We have addressed these issues, along with related signing and permission problems.

🔧 [Fixed] HTTP In Node Issue: Resolved a critical issue where using an empty variable in the HTTP In node could lead to unexpected behavior.

✨ [Updated] msg Properties: Enhanced flexibility by allowing msg properties to start with an underscore (_), accommodating more naming conventions. Previously, only alphanumeric characters were permitted.

🔑 [Added] App Permissions: Introducing permissions for Apps, allowing workspace users to be selectively granted access. If not permitted, users won't see the Workspace App in the Robomotion Apps dashboard, ensuring better control over app usage.

🔧 [Fixed] Chrome Webstore Extension Download Issue: Addressed a change in the Chrome Webstore URL that affected extension downloads.

🛠️ [Fixed] "Send Keys" Node Issues Across OS: Resolved problems with the "Send Keys" node for all three operating systems, particularly issues with Ctrl+key combinations not working as expected.

💾 [Added] Instance Storage Options in Plans: Our plans now include instance storage options, allowing running apps to store content securely. A resource cleaner has been added to automatically clear unused resources upon instance deletion, optimizing your resource limits.

⏳ [Updated] Switch to a 14-Day Free Trial: We have transitioned to a 14-day free trial period, after which you will need to switch to a paid plan, ensuring you have time to explore our features.

🔧 [Fixed] FTPS Certificate Path Issue: Resolved an issue where the FTPS Certificate Path was not being utilized correctly, enhancing the security and reliability of file transfers.

🔄 [Added] App Download - App Upload Functionality: Now supporting upload/download capabilities to/from instance storage, making it easier to manage files across runs. Includes options for Run Scope and Instance Scope, with the added security of Vault AES key encryption.

Files can be uploaded either to a Run Scope, allowing you to generate result files for each run and access them from the History, or to an Instance Scope, where files can be shared across different flow runs. Additionally, files can be encrypted using your Vault AES keys.

📐 [Improved] Windows Tray Application Usability: Improved the usability of the Windows Tray application, especially for multi-monitor setups, by moving away from registry-based position storage to prevent issues when switching between monitor configurations. This fixes the issue of tray application starting in an unreachable coordinate.

🚦 [Added] Force Stop for Jobs: Enhanced control for jobs stuck in a "Running" state due to robot or machine issues, with the ability to force stop jobs even if the robot is no longer exists.

📆 [Added] View and Delete Pending Schedules: Added the ability to view any robot's Pending Schedules and delete them as needed, providing better management of scheduled tasks.

🔧 🚨[Fixed] Unhandled Exceptions Issue: Fixed a major issue where Unhandled Exceptions could leave a robot's state stuck, preventing new flows from running. This issue, stemming from recent Stop Ack developments, has now been resolved.

🔄 [Added] Stop Acknowledgement Retry Limit: To improve the handling of Stop events, we've implemented a change where the robot notifies the server and awaits an acknowledgement. A 30-minute wait period has been introduced to account for network delays. Should the network fail to recover within this timeframe, the robot will not wait indefinitely but will instead proceed to stop and switch to idle state.

This release focuses on enhancing user experience with important bug fixes, improvements in existing features, and exciting new additions like Cookie Store support and Mac ARM official release.

Here’s what’s new in 24.1.5:

🔧 [Fixed] Cloud Run Vault Share Issue: We’ve resolved a critical bug where cloud runs were failing when the vault was shared with multiple users.

🔄 [Rewritten] Excel to CSV Functionality: To address the "EOF Error" issues encountered with some Excel files, we’ve completely rewritten the Excel to CSV conversion process. This ensures a more reliable and error-free experience when working with Excel files.

🔧 [Improved] Robomotion Proxy Add-On: We’ve made several fixes to the Robomotion Proxy Add-On, enhancing its stability.

➕ [Added] Support for Packages to use Robomotion Proxy: Expanding our proxy capabilities, we now support packages such as the SERP package to utilize Robomotion Proxy.

🔧 [Fixed] Reading Subflow Error: A bug that occurred when copying any subflow inside a Subflow Library into another one has been fixed.

🍏 [New Release] Official Mac ARM Version: We're excited to announce our official Mac ARM release, now signed with the Apple Developer Certificate for enhanced security and compatibility.

🍪 [Added] Cookie Support for HTTP Requests: You can now chain HTTP requests to simulate a cookie store, mirroring browser behavior and enhancing web automation capabilities. Input cookies are updated with the HTTP response, and received cookies are merged into Output Cookies, just like in a browser.

🍪 [Added] Cookie Support to Download File node: This new feature allows the use of browser cookies for downloading files, providing more seamless integration with web-based resources.

🍪 [Added] Set Cookies in Browser Package: Enhance your automation flows by setting previously saved cookies directly within the browser package.

🍪 [New] Cookie Store Package: Introducing a new package to save and load cookies into an encrypted file, simulating User Data Dir-like behavior without needing a directory profile. You can use the loaded cookies with the Browser -> Set Cookies node.

🚀 [Updated] Parametric 'Characters Per Minute': Now, the 'Characters Per Minute' setting can be dynamically set using values from the msg object, offering more control in your automation scripts.

🔧 [Fixed] Critical Stop Sync Bug: We've resolved a significant issue where, due to the introduction of Stop acknowledgement in the latest version, Pending Schedules were either not starting or being missed. This fix ensures more reliable execution of scheduled tasks.

🔐 [Added] Passphrase Support in FTP Package: Enhance your file transfers with added security. The FTP package now supports a passphrase for private keys requiring it.

This is an emergency fix applicable only to Windows. It appears that a change in our CI/CD pipeline for Windows builds has occurred, likely related to the version of Inno Setup used in the windows-latest runner image from GitHub Actions.

The issue emerges post-installation: while %LOCALAPPDATA%/Robomotion/bin is added to the PATH, it does not become immediately active. Opening a new Command Prompt and verifying with echo %PATH% does not reveal this path, although it is listed in the PATH under Environment Variables when checked manually. The path becomes active only after either rebooting the system or by adding any other entry to the PATH variable, which also triggers the activation of the PATH added by the Robomotion Installer.

The problem did not occur if your PATH already included %LOCALAPPDATA%/Robomotion/bin.

Incorporating ChangesEnvironment=yes into the Inno Setup script has resolved the issue of PATH resolution when a new Command Prompt process is initiated following installation.

To further address this issue, we have developed an additional launcher binary. This launcher internally adds the PATH before launching robomotion-tray.exe. This solution allows the launcher to function immediately after installation or when double-clicked, without encountering any PATH issues.

The 24.1.3 release mostly covers fixes for Robomotion Apps and includes additions to credit support, along with some bug fixes.

Here is the Changelog for this release:

⚡️ [Added] Custom App URL Support in Robomotion Apps: You can now seamlessly integrate the URL of your custom Flutter application, enhancing flexibility and customization in your automation projects.

💡 [Activated] AI and Proxy Credits Activation: Robomotion AI and Proxy Credits are now active, introducing a new dimension to your automation capabilities. Currently, Open AI and Replicate Add-Ons are supported, but we are continuously adding more third-party services that you can use without registering on each platform.

🔧 [Fixed] Minor Fixes for Application Instance Creation: We have fixed a minor bug in the process of creating Application Instances. Now, the name of the created Application Robot matches the Instance name.

🔧 [Fixed] Job Status Updates and Fixes:

Immediate Failure on Manual Disconnect or Stop:

When a robot is manually disconnected or stopped, the subsequent initial connection will promptly transition the previously running Job Status to Failed, ensuring accurate status updates.

Improved Stop Node Execution Handling:

Addressed a scenario where the server might miss the stop signal, leaving the Job in a Running state until the robot runs another flow. Now, the robot seeks acknowledgment from the server, even in network challenges, ensuring correct Job status updates.

⚡️ [Added] Proxy and AI Credits Usage Reporting: Credits usage details screens added.

The 24.1.0 release of Robomotion RPA brings a host of fixes and enhancements, improving functionality and user experience. Some key updates include enhanced integrations with FlutterFlow, AWS S3 backed sFTP support, improved node property handling, and proxy support for the robomotion-agent. Additionally, new system variables have been introduced to enrich user workflows.

Here is the Changelog for this release:

🛠️ [Fixed] sFTP Private Key Support: Resolved issues with AWS S3 backed managed FTP servers. Previously, 'Upload File' was opening a descriptor with ReadWrite permissions, which is not allowed by S3.

🛠️ [Fixed] Numeric Variable Handling Regression: Addressed a regression from version 23.12.1 that caused failures when passing numeric variables to node properties.

🛠️ [Fixed] Progress Popup Race Condition: Solved an issue where a race condition occasionally left the progress popup on the screen while starting a new flow. Now, it is immediately hidden when a flow starts.

🛠️ [Fixed] Robot Health Check and Flow Start Race Condition: Resolved a race condition between the on-close events and the robot health check logic that was prematurely stopping flows immediately after they started.

⚡️ [Added] Proxy Support in robomotion-agent: Enabled screenshot capture and element inspection from the Designer through corporate proxies, facilitating communication with external Robomotion servers.

⚡️ [Added] New System Variables: Introduced a range of system variables for enhanced workflow customization, including $WorkspaceDomain$, $WorkspaceName$, $WorkspaceID$, $MachineUser$, $WorkspaceUserID$, $WorkspaceUserEmail$, $WorkspaceUsername$, and $TempDir$.

$WorkspaceDomain$: The internet domain associated with the current workspace.

$WorkspaceName$: The name assigned to the current workspace.

$WorkspaceID$: A unique identifier for the current workspace.

$MachineUser$: Represents the user or entity operating the machine or system.

$WorkspaceUserID$: A unique identifier for the user within the current workspace.

$WorkspaceUserEmail$: The email address of the user in the current workspace.

$WorkspaceUsername$: The username of the individual using the workspace.

$TempDir$: A directory designated for temporary storage of files.

🛠️ [Fixed] Admin Console Monitoring: Fixed an issue in the Admin Console's Monitoring section where updating the Slack Webhook URL for alerts was not functioning correctly.

🛠️ [Fixed] Applications App Out Default Value: Resolved an exception issue when the 'msg.out' default value is empty or null.

🛠️ [Fixed] Tray Robot Version Display: Corrected an issue where the tray robot was displaying an outdated version number.

🛠️ [Added] FlutterFlow Integrations: Upgraded the platform to include integration capabilities between the Flutter UI frontend and the robot flow backend. This enhancement significantly broadens the potential for automations, allowing for the incorporation of sophisticated UI applications. It enhances both functionality and user interactivity. This development is a crucial step towards realizing our vision for the App Store, which will feature a diverse range of applications powered by Robomotion.

🛠️ [Fixed] Get Mail Node Exception with Outlook: Corrected a problem where the Get Mail node would throw an exception with Outlook when the inbox was empty.

🛠️ [Improved] File System Move Performance: Enhanced the performance of File System -> Move. The system now attempts to rename the file on the same file system before resorting to the slower copy and write method for different drives.

This is an emergency fix that fixes a bug in the Browser -> Run Script node.

Here is the changelog:

🛠️ [Fixed] Run Script node without LargeMessageObjects feature enabled in the robot was deleting the whole message objects.

Thanks to @Arif from our Discord community ( https://community.robomotion.io ) for reporting this.

The 23.12.0 release of Robomotion RPA introduces a new flag ( --enable-features ) for experimental features similar to the Chromium project. The feature added in this version is LargeMessageObjects which supports very large objects to be passed between the nodes. Other updates include new features in the Subflow Library, enhanced Debug node functionalities, and improvements in the Excel package and FTP connections.

Here is the Changelog for this release:

⚡️ [Added] Subflow Library Tagging: Introduced tagging support for the Subflow Library feature.

🛠️ [Fixed] Subflow Library Shared Import: Resolved issues with shared subflow library imports.

🛠️ [Fixed] Subflow Library Overwrite Version: Addressed overwriting issues in the Subflow Library versioning.

⚡️ [Improved] Debug Extra Fields: Additional fields have been added to the Debug node. Previously, if you needed to debug only 2 or 3 fields in a crowded message object, it required multiple Debug nodes. Now, a single Debug node suffices for this purpose.

🔄 [Moved] Forgot Workspace option: Relocated the 'Forgot Workspace' feature to the main sign in page.

⚡️ [Added] Tray Already Connected Dialog: Implemented a warning message box for scenarios where the robot is already connected.

⚡️ [Improved] Exception Dialog: Added robot name, robot version, and package version to the exception dialog for quicker issue resolution.

⚡️ [Added] Excel Clear Range: Introduced a 'Clear Range' node in the default Excel package.

⚡️ [Improved] Get Sheets: Enhanced the 'Get Sheets' node with more metadata information.

⚡️ [Added] $MachineName$ Variable: Added a new global system variable for machine name.

⚡️ [Added] FTP Private Key: Enabled SFTP and FTPS connections using a private key file.

🔁 [Renamed] HTML Template: Changed 'HTTP Template' to 'HTML Template'.

⚡️ [Added] Excel Create Pivot Table: Added a 'Create Pivot Table' node to the default Excel package.

⚡️ [Improved] Browser -> Type Text: Updated the 'Type Text' feature to simulate human typing.

⚡️ [Added] --enable-features=LargeMessageObjects Flag: Introduced a new experimental flag for activating advanced features.

⚡️ [Improved] Large Message Objects: Enhanced message object handling for larger sizes and better flow performance. A test flow is available at

 https://acme.robomotion.io/designer/shared/DT3e2JUtXvAAhjmkQqeQTq  

(Note: This feature requires the '--enable-features=LargeMessageObjects' flag and is only compatible with the Cryptography package and 23.12.0 version of the robot - older robot versions will fail to run this test flow).