shots-pipeline
Orchestrate iOS screenshot automation with xcodebuild/simctl for build-run, AXe for UI actions, JSON settings and plan files, Go-based framing (`asc screenshots frame`), and screenshot upload (`asc screenshots upload`). Use when users ask for automated screenshot capture, AXe-driven simulator flows, frame composition, or screenshot-to-upload pipelines.
Best use case
shots-pipeline is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Orchestrate iOS screenshot automation with xcodebuild/simctl for build-run, AXe for UI actions, JSON settings and plan files, Go-based framing (`asc screenshots frame`), and screenshot upload (`asc screenshots upload`). Use when users ask for automated screenshot capture, AXe-driven simulator flows, frame composition, or screenshot-to-upload pipelines.
Teams using shots-pipeline should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/shots-pipeline/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How shots-pipeline Compares
| Feature / Agent | shots-pipeline | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Orchestrate iOS screenshot automation with xcodebuild/simctl for build-run, AXe for UI actions, JSON settings and plan files, Go-based framing (`asc screenshots frame`), and screenshot upload (`asc screenshots upload`). Use when users ask for automated screenshot capture, AXe-driven simulator flows, frame composition, or screenshot-to-upload pipelines.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# asc screenshots pipeline (xcodebuild -> AXe -> frame -> asc)
Use this skill for agent-driven screenshot workflows where the app is built and launched with Xcode CLI tools, UI is driven with AXe, and screenshots are uploaded with `asc`.
## Current scope
- Implemented now: build/run, AXe plan capture, frame composition, and upload.
- Device discovery is built-in via `asc screenshots list-frame-devices`.
- Local screenshot automation commands are experimental in asc cli.
- Framing is pinned to Koubou `0.13.0` for deterministic output.
- Feedback/issues: https://github.com/rudrankriyam/App-Store-Connect-CLI/issues/new/choose
## Defaults
- Settings file: `.asc/shots.settings.json`
- Capture plan: `.asc/screenshots.json`
- Raw screenshots dir: `./screenshots/raw`
- Framed screenshots dir: `./screenshots/framed`
- Default frame device: `iphone-air`
## 1) Create settings JSON first
Create or update `.asc/shots.settings.json`:
```json
{
"version": 1,
"app": {
"bundle_id": "com.example.app",
"project": "MyApp.xcodeproj",
"scheme": "MyApp",
"simulator_udid": "booted"
},
"paths": {
"plan": ".asc/screenshots.json",
"raw_dir": "./screenshots/raw",
"framed_dir": "./screenshots/framed"
},
"pipeline": {
"frame_enabled": true,
"upload_enabled": false
},
"upload": {
"version_localization_id": "",
"device_type": "IPHONE_65",
"source_dir": "./screenshots/framed"
}
}
```
If you intentionally skip framing, set:
- `"frame_enabled": false`
- `"upload.source_dir": "./screenshots/raw"`
## 2) Build and run app on simulator
Use Xcode CLI for build/install/launch:
```bash
xcrun simctl boot "$UDID" || true
xcodebuild \
-project "MyApp.xcodeproj" \
-scheme "MyApp" \
-configuration Debug \
-destination "platform=iOS Simulator,id=$UDID" \
-derivedDataPath ".build/DerivedData" \
build
xcrun simctl install "$UDID" ".build/DerivedData/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/MyApp.app"
xcrun simctl launch "$UDID" "com.example.app"
```
Use `xcodebuild -showBuildSettings` if the app bundle path differs from the default location.
## 3) Capture screenshots with AXe (or `asc screenshots run`)
Prefer plan-driven capture:
```bash
asc screenshots run --plan ".asc/screenshots.json" --udid "$UDID" --output json
```
Useful AXe primitives during plan authoring:
```bash
axe describe-ui --udid "$UDID"
axe tap --id "search_field" --udid "$UDID"
axe type "wwdc" --udid "$UDID"
axe screenshot --output "./screenshots/raw/home.png" --udid "$UDID"
```
Minimal `.asc/screenshots.json` example:
```json
{
"version": 1,
"app": {
"bundle_id": "com.example.app",
"udid": "booted",
"output_dir": "./screenshots/raw"
},
"steps": [
{ "action": "launch" },
{ "action": "wait", "duration_ms": 800 },
{ "action": "screenshot", "name": "home" }
]
}
```
## 4) Frame screenshots with `asc screenshots frame`
asc cli pins framing to Koubou `0.13.0`.
Install and verify before running framing steps:
```bash
pip install koubou==0.13.0
kou --version # expect 0.13.0
```
List supported frame device values first:
```bash
asc screenshots list-frame-devices --output json
```
Frame one screenshot (defaults to `iphone-air`):
```bash
asc screenshots frame \
--input "./screenshots/raw/home.png" \
--output-dir "./screenshots/framed" \
--device "iphone-air" \
--output json
```
Supported `--device` values:
- `iphone-air` (default)
- `iphone-17-pro`
- `iphone-17-pro-max`
- `iphone-16e`
- `iphone-17`
## 5) Upload screenshots with asc
Generate and review artifacts before upload:
```bash
asc screenshots review-generate --framed-dir "./screenshots/framed" --output-dir "./screenshots/review"
asc screenshots review-open --output-dir "./screenshots/review"
asc screenshots review-approve --all-ready --output-dir "./screenshots/review"
```
Upload from the configured source directory (default `./screenshots/framed` when framing is enabled):
```bash
asc screenshots upload \
--version-localization "LOC_ID" \
--path "./screenshots/framed" \
--device-type "IPHONE_65" \
--output json
```
List or validate before upload when needed:
```bash
asc screenshots sizes --output table
asc screenshots list --version-localization "LOC_ID" --output table
```
## Agent behavior
- Always confirm exact flags with `--help` before running commands.
- Re-check command paths with `asc screenshots --help` because screenshot commands are evolving quickly.
- Keep outputs deterministic: default to JSON for machine steps.
- Prefer `asc screenshots list-frame-devices --output json` before selecting a frame device.
- Ensure screenshot files exist before upload.
- Use explicit long flags (`--app`, `--output`, `--version-localization`, etc.).
- Treat screenshot-local automation as experimental and call it out in user-facing handoff notes.
- If framing fails with a version error, re-install pinned Koubou: `pip install koubou==0.13.0`.
## 6) Multi-locale capture (optional)
Do not use `xcrun simctl launch ... -e AppleLanguages` for localization.
`-e` is an environment variable pattern and does not reliably switch app language.
For this pipeline, use simulator-wide locale defaults per UDID. This works with
`asc screenshots capture`, which relaunches the app internally.
```bash
# Map each locale to a dedicated simulator UDID.
# (Create these simulators once with `xcrun simctl create`.)
declare -A LOCALE_UDID=(
["en-US"]="UDID_EN_US"
["de-DE"]="UDID_DE_DE"
["fr-FR"]="UDID_FR_FR"
["ja-JP"]="UDID_JA_JP"
)
set_simulator_locale() {
local UDID="$1"
local LOCALE="$2" # e.g. de-DE
local LANG="${LOCALE%%-*}" # de
local APPLE_LOCALE="${LOCALE/-/_}" # de_DE
xcrun simctl boot "$UDID" || true
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLanguages -array "$LANG"
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale -string "$APPLE_LOCALE"
}
for LOCALE in "${!LOCALE_UDID[@]}"; do
UDID="${LOCALE_UDID[$LOCALE]}"
echo "Capturing $LOCALE on $UDID..."
set_simulator_locale "$UDID" "$LOCALE"
xcrun simctl terminate "$UDID" "com.example.app" || true
asc screenshots capture \
--bundle-id "com.example.app" \
--name "home" \
--udid "$UDID" \
--output-dir "./screenshots/raw/$LOCALE" \
--output json
done
```
If you launch manually (outside `asc screenshots capture`), use app launch arguments:
```bash
xcrun simctl launch "$UDID" "com.example.app" -AppleLanguages "(de)" -AppleLocale "de_DE"
```
## 7) Parallel execution for speed
Run one locale per simulator UDID in parallel:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# parallel-capture.sh
declare -A LOCALE_UDID=(
["en-US"]="UDID_EN_US"
["de-DE"]="UDID_DE_DE"
["fr-FR"]="UDID_FR_FR"
["ja-JP"]="UDID_JA_JP"
)
capture_locale() {
local LOCALE="$1"
local UDID="$2"
local LANG="${LOCALE%%-*}"
local APPLE_LOCALE="${LOCALE/-/_}"
echo "Starting $LOCALE on $UDID"
xcrun simctl boot "$UDID" || true
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLanguages -array "$LANG"
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale -string "$APPLE_LOCALE"
xcrun simctl terminate "$UDID" "com.example.app" || true
asc screenshots capture \
--bundle-id "com.example.app" \
--name "home" \
--udid "$UDID" \
--output-dir "./screenshots/raw/$LOCALE" \
--output json
echo "Completed $LOCALE"
}
for LOCALE in "${!LOCALE_UDID[@]}"; do
capture_locale "$LOCALE" "${LOCALE_UDID[$LOCALE]}" &
done
wait
echo "All captures done. Now framing..."
```
Or use `xargs` with `locale:udid` pairs:
```bash
printf "%s\n" \
"en-US:UDID_EN_US" \
"de-DE:UDID_DE_DE" \
"fr-FR:UDID_FR_FR" \
"ja-JP:UDID_JA_JP" | xargs -P 4 -I {} bash -c '
PAIR="{}"
LOCALE="${PAIR%%:*}"
UDID="${PAIR##*:}"
LANG="${LOCALE%%-*}"
APPLE_LOCALE="${LOCALE/-/_}"
xcrun simctl boot "$UDID" || true
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLanguages -array "$LANG"
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale -string "$APPLE_LOCALE"
xcrun simctl terminate "$UDID" "com.example.app" || true
asc screenshots capture --bundle-id "com.example.app" --name "home" --udid "$UDID" --output-dir "./screenshots/raw/$LOCALE" --output json
'
```
## 8) Full multi-locale pipeline example
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# full-pipeline-multi-locale.sh
declare -A LOCALE_UDID=(
["en-US"]="UDID_EN_US"
["de-DE"]="UDID_DE_DE"
["fr-FR"]="UDID_FR_FR"
["es-ES"]="UDID_ES_ES"
["ja-JP"]="UDID_JA_JP"
)
DEVICE="iphone-air"
RAW_DIR="./screenshots/raw"
FRAMED_DIR="./screenshots/framed"
# Step 1: Parallel capture with per-simulator locale defaults
for LOCALE in "${!LOCALE_UDID[@]}"; do
(
UDID="${LOCALE_UDID[$LOCALE]}"
LANG="${LOCALE%%-*}"
APPLE_LOCALE="${LOCALE/-/_}"
xcrun simctl boot "$UDID" || true
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLanguages -array "$LANG"
xcrun simctl spawn "$UDID" defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleLocale -string "$APPLE_LOCALE"
xcrun simctl terminate "$UDID" "com.example.app" || true
asc screenshots capture \
--bundle-id "com.example.app" \
--name "home" \
--udid "$UDID" \
--output-dir "$RAW_DIR/$LOCALE" \
--output json
echo "Captured $LOCALE"
) &
done
wait
# Step 2: Parallel framing
for LOCALE in "${!LOCALE_UDID[@]}"; do
(
asc screenshots frame \
--input "$RAW_DIR/$LOCALE/home.png" \
--output-dir "$FRAMED_DIR/$LOCALE" \
--device "$DEVICE" \
--output json
echo "Framed $LOCALE"
) &
done
wait
# Step 3: Generate review (single run, aggregates all locales)
asc screenshots review-generate \
--framed-dir "$FRAMED_DIR" \
--output-dir "./screenshots/review"
# Step 4: Upload (run per locale if needed)
for LOCALE in "${!LOCALE_UDID[@]}"; do
asc screenshots upload \
--version-localization "LOC_ID_FOR_$LOCALE" \
--path "$FRAMED_DIR/$LOCALE" \
--device-type "IPHONE_65" \
--output json
done
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