We’re updating the behaviour of AQS Join queries to ensure that all join attributes are exported correctly in a particular scenario.

This will change the output of the Export API endpoint for some AQS Join queries. However, rest assured that none of your saved queries will be affected!

Who will be affected?

Anyone who uses:

• the Data Explorer’s export feature in Alloy Web
• the Export API endpoint

Details

The change will only affect AQS Join queries where all the following are true:

• the queried design contains a Link attribute to an interface
• the query includes a join attribute from the interface
• the query includes one or more join attributes from a child design/interface that implements the interface

Currently, in this scenario, the join attributes from the child design/interface are incorrectly included within the interface’s path group. As a result, these join attributes are omitted from the export files because their paths are invalid.

The change will correct this issue. Therefore, if you regularly export joined data, be aware that export files may start to contain attributes that were missing before.

Expected release

30th May 2024 as part of the Alloy v2.59 release.

If you use Alloy’s Reports feature, you’re going to love this month’s update! It took place during the evening of the 25th April. For a full list of changes in v2.58, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Report Table Totals 🧮

This is a big new feature that many of you have been anticipating!

When editing flow documents in the Report Builder, we’ve added a new edit mode for Table controls. Among other things, this lets you add summary rows to the table that display calculated data values!

New Edit mode

To get started, select a Table control in the Document Layout Editor, and then select Edit in the toolbar.

The new edit mode makes it much easier to configure your table and includes some cool new features.

Easier header configuration

Previously, configuring a header was a somewhat laboured affair 😐. You had to select Headers in the toolbar, select the listed header, select a property field, and then supply either a Constant value or a Dynamic value from a data source.

Now, you simply select the header column and then select a property in the toolbar. No more Constant vs Dynamic, just choose an option or type something!

Reorder columns

Previously, you had to select Headers and drag them up and down a list. Now, you can simply drag columns by their header to reorder them.

Summary rows

Select + Add summary row to add one to the table. You add as many as you like and position them before or after the table’s data. Like the columns, you can reorder them by dragging.

Select a summary cell to configure it. Either input a Static text value or choose a Dynamic source, which can be any header in the table or another data source.

You then have the option of performing a calculation on the Dynamic source, e.g. Average, Count, Sum, Product, Standard Deviation. When the report is run, the calculated value will be displayed!

For more detail on the new edit mode for Table controls, check out Alloy Help.

Improved Title/Subtitle editor ⚡

When editing a design, you can select its Title or Subtitle property to show this editor. It lets you specify how items of the design are labelled. To include an attribute variable in either label, type { in its box and a list of suggested attributes appears.

Further down the list are parent Link attributes that either connect to the current design, or to an interface it implements. They may be located on a single parent design, or on an interface that's implemented by multiple parent designs.

The list now shows only valid parent attributes and clearly indicates which design(s) they’re located on. Additionally, the list no longer shows invalid child attributes, which were wrongly included before.

Longer passwords 🔑

Acting on the results of our yearly security tests, the minimum length for new passwords has increased from 8 to 12 characters. This only applies to passwords set from today (new accounts and password resets). Your existing passwords are unaffected.

Yes, it’s April now! 😅 This month’s update was delayed by a couple of days to account for the Easter weekend. We’ve continued to focus on quality and reliability in March, with a number of engine and mobile issues fixed.

The update took place during the evening of the 2nd April. For a full list of changes in v2.57, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Exclude Text attributes from search 🔍

When you perform a keyword search, Alloy searches the contents of all Text attributes on applicable items to find any full or partial matches.

Going forward, it’s now possible to exclude Text attributes from being searched. This is ideal for attributes that may store sensitive data!

When adding a new Text attribute to a design/interface, there is a new Searchable property that you can disable. However, be aware that this property can't be edited after the attribute has been created (due to underlying database limitations).

Default workflow log retention 🗃️

Following a previous announcement, we can confirm that workflow logs (past and present) are no longer retained indefinitely.

As the log files were rarely viewed past a certain point, we’ve implemented a sensible default retention period that should cover most requirements, while improving Alloy’s health and performance:

• Manual and Event workflows - 14 days
• Schedule workflows - 45 days

To set a custom retention period for individual workflows, you can use the Alloy API. When creating or editing a workflow via the Workflow endpoint, supply a value for the optional logsRetentionDays parameter. For more detail, see ReDoc / Swagger.

This month has been focused on quality and reliability improvements. While there are no new features to showcase, we’ve fixed a number of issues that were affecting Alloy’s engine and Alloy Mobile iOS users.

The update took place during the evening of the 29th February. For a full list of changes in v2.56, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Alongside this, we’re continuing to work on some cool stuff that represents the future of Alloy. It’s coming along very nicely, though it’s a little too early to share the details just yet. Stay tuned, 2024 is going to be an exciting year for Alloy! 😎

To help beat those January blues 😰, we have a second update for you this month! The update took place during the evening of the 25th January. For a full list of changes in v2.55, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Identify computed attributes when editing workflows 🔍

Using the Alloy API, it's possible to build workflows that use advanced computation methods to generate values for certain workflow action attributes.

For example, compute the area and volume of a pothole from its recorded length, width and depth.

When editing a workflow's actions in Alloy Web, there's now a clear indication of which action attributes are set to be populated by a workflow computation. This reduces the chances of accidentally overwriting the computation, while still letting you set a new value for the attribute if you need to.

Optimised Filter list on Android 📱

In Alloy Mobile, the Filters screen lets you manage the display of different types of task, defect and asset.

On Android, the assets list originally included designs that implement the Asset Components interface. However, as components typically don't have their own geometry, they're now excluded from the list (the same as on iOS).

Additionally, the Filters screen now excludes designs that your user account doesn't have permission to view. This behaviour is coming to iOS in the next update.

Both changes will result in a significantly shorter list of filters for most users, making it easier to scroll and toggle designs on/off as needed.

Whenever a workflow triggers, a run log is created to record a summary of the actions performed and the items involved. By default, these logs are stored indefinitely.

However, after several years of unchecked growth, the logs now occupy over a terabyte of database storage! This in turn produces larger indexes that consume extra server memory and generally slow things down.

As these log files are rarely viewed past a certain point, we've decided to implement a sensible default retention period that should cover most requirements:

• Manual and Event workflows - 14 days
• Schedule workflows - 45 days

This will improve the health and performance of Alloy for everyone.

Who will be affected?

All customer projects that have ever run a workflow.

Details

After the release date, all workflow logs older than 14/45 days will be routinely deleted. This will affect both new and existing workflow logs.

Set a different retention period

It remains possible to set the retention period of individual workflows via the Alloy API.

When creating or editing a workflow via the Workflow endpoint, you can supply a value for the optional logsRetentionDays parameter. For more detail, see ReDoc / Swagger.

Expected Release Date

The end of January 2024.

And we're back, with a nice gentle start to the year 🙂. The update took place during the evening of the 4th January. For a full list of changes in v2.54, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Reworked Routing 🏁

The Routing Editor lets you plot a journey between the locations of tasks within a project. Once you've added the required locations and any custom waypoints, you can optimise the route in two ways:

• Fastest - find the quickest path between the waypoints in their current order, based on road data.
• Shortest - reorder the waypoints to minimise overall travel distance.

If you choose the shortest option, the Routing Editor now updates automatically to reflect the (possibly) reordered waypoints.

Show layers in read-only Geometry Editor 🗺️

When viewing an item's details, you can switch to the Geometry tab and select the Item Location thumbnail to view the item's geometry in the Geometry Editor.

Previously, it wasn't possible to display other items in the Geometry Editor when in this "read-only" mode.

However, you can now open the menu and select Show layers just the same as when editing the item's geometry. This toggles the display of items according to which layers are currently enabled for the main map area.

Add parent links on Android✔️🔗

Following on from last month, you can now add parent links in Alloy Mobile Android as well as remove them.

To manage the parents of any item, select the 3-dot icon beside Originates From and choose Add or Remove as needed. For more detail, see last month's release.

It's been a relatively quiet month in terms of new features. However, rest assured that we're working on something rather cool, which we'll be sharing with you as soon as it's ready! 😎 The update took place during the evening of the 30th of November. For a full list of changes in v2.53, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Add parent links on iOS ✔️🔗

Following on from last month, you can now add parent links in Alloy Mobile iOS as well as remove them.

When viewing an item's details, the Originates From section lists any parent items that link to it. For instance, when viewing a defect, you can see the asset it applies to.

There are times when you need to change an item's parent(s). It could be wrong to begin with, or you might find that the circumstances are different after travelling to its location.

For example, imagine a graffiti defect that is raised against a building asset. But when you arrive at the scene, you discover that the graffiti is actually on an adjacent building. Or it could be scrawled across both!

Being able to change an item's parent(s) on the spot helps to keep data accurate and makes it easier for workers to carry on with the task at hand.

To manage the parents of any item in Alloy Mobile iOS, select the 3-dot icon beside Originates From and choose Add or Remove as needed. This functionality is coming to Android next month.

This month, we've concentrated on bug fixes and behind-the-scenes enhancements, though there are some new features to mention! The update took place during the evening of the 26th October. For a full list of changes in v2.52, please visit the Alloy Changelog.

Remove parent links on Mobile ❌🔗

When viewing an item's details in Alloy Mobile, the Originates From section lists any parent items that link to it. For instance, when viewing a defect, you can see the asset it applies to.

Sometimes, an item gets linked to the wrong parent. This can happen due to changing circumstances, insufficient data, or good old human error. If left unremedied, the problem can multiply.

For example, imagine an inspection scheduled for a street, based on a report by a member of the public. When the inspector arrives, they discover the defects are on an adjacent street. The completed inspection raises two defects, which in turn spawn two jobs, all of which point to the wrong street.

Therefore, you can now remove a parent link from an item in Alloy Mobile, while out in the field. Simply select the 3-dot icon beside Originates From and choose Remove. On Android, you can alternatively swipe the parent item to the left.

The ability to add a parent link is also coming to Alloy Mobile, so keep an eye out for future announcements 👀

Resume map position on Android 🗺️

Previously, after editing an item in Alloy Mobile Android, the map would reset to the default zoom level. While this behaviour was sometimes useful, it was counterproductive if you wanted to edit multiple items close together.

Now, the map remembers its last position, enabling you to resume from where you left off.

New API features 👩‍💻

Sometimes, new features are initially available only on the Alloy API. This lets us add new functionality more quickly, without having to make any user interface changes. In general, we seek to introduce the same features in Alloy Web, once we determine the best way of integrating them into Alloy Web's user interface.

This month, we've added three notable features to the API:

• In a workflow computation, you can now compute a time offset from a specific value (rather than the workflow's start time). In your WorkflowSyntaxNodeRelativeTimeWebModel, set offsetOrigin to Specified and supply an itemValue model. To learn more, see ReDoc.
  
  
• You can now include an entire manual workflow within another workflow! Simplify your workflows and reduce redundancy by creating distinct, reusable action sequences that can be referenced in other workflows. To learn more, see Goodbye Workflow Action Groups 👋. Coming soon to Alloy Web!
  
  
• When importing or exporting geometry data, you can now apply a custom transformation by specifying an uploaded grid shift file. To learn more, see Custom Grid Transformation 🌐.

By default, Alloy uses a simple Helmert transformation when converting geometry from the British National Grid coordinate system (EPSG:27700) to WGS 84 (EPSG:4326). This works well most of the time and requires no user input.

However, it can result in slight misalignment in a handful of cases, and we do like to give you choices where we can!

Therefore, as of the October 2023 update, you can now specify a grid shift file for a particular transformation (e.g. OSTN02, OSTN15) when importing or exporting geometry data via the API.

To use a different transformation, first upload its grid shift file to Alloy. The max size is 100MB and the supported formats are:  GSB, LLA, DAT.

Using the API

When using the Alloy API to import or export data, just add +nadgrids=<fileid> to the proj4 string (where <fileid>is the Item ID of your uploaded grid shift file).

When importing data using the ImportSettingsDataWebModel, you can specify the proj4 string as part of its geometry property.

When importing NSG/NLPG data using one of the two ImportSettingsStandardFormatWebModels, no proj4j string is specified. Instead, you can populate its gridFileItemID property with the Item ID of the grid shift file.

Using Alloy Web

When configuring a custom import in Alloy Web, you can configure the Geometry in step 3.

After choosing the Type, select the magnifier icon in the Coordinate system field and choose one of those listed. This populates the field with a proj4 string, which you can then suffix with +nadgrids=<fileid>.