Unit Converter by FlowMattic - Complete Guide

Overview

The Unit Converter integration by FlowMattic is a powerful built-in tool that allows you to convert values between different units of measurement directly within your workflows. This integration supports 13 different conversion categories, making it versatile for various automation needs.

Key Features

• No External API Required: Built directly into FlowMattic, requiring no external service connections
• 13 Conversion Categories: Comprehensive coverage of common unit conversions
• Multiple Unit Variations: Supports various unit name formats (e.g., “kilometer”, “km”, “kilometers”)
• High Precision: Accurate conversion calculations for all supported units
• Dynamic Field Support: Compatible with dynamic values from previous workflow steps

Available Conversion Categories

1. Length Conversion

Convert between various distance and length measurements.

Supported Units:

• Meter (m, meter, meters)
• Kilometer (km, kilometer, kilometers)
• Centimeter (cm, centimeter, centimeters)
• Millimeter (mm, millimeter, millimeters)
• Mile (mi, mile, miles)
• Yard (yd, yard, yards)
• Foot (ft, foot, feet)
• Inch (in, inch, inches)
• Nautical Mile (nm, nautical_mile)

2. Weight Conversion

Convert between different weight and mass units.

Supported Units:

• Kilogram (kg, kilogram, kilograms)
• Gram (g, gram, grams)
• Milligram (mg, milligram, milligrams)
• Pound (lb, lbs, pound, pounds)
• Ounce (oz, ounce, ounces)
• Ton (t, ton, tons, metric_ton)
• Stone (st, stone, stones)

3. Temperature Conversion

Convert between temperature scales.

Supported Units:

• Celsius (c, celsius)
• Fahrenheit (f, fahrenheit)
• Kelvin (k, kelvin)

4. Volume Conversion

Convert between liquid and volume measurements.

Supported Units:

• Liter (l, liter, liters)
• Milliliter (ml, milliliter, milliliters)
• Gallon (gal, gallon, gallons)
• Quart (qt, quart, quarts)
• Pint (pt, pint, pints)
• Cup (cup, cups)
• Fluid Ounce (fl_oz, fluid_ounce, fluid_ounces)
• Tablespoon (tbsp, tablespoon, tablespoons)
• Teaspoon (tsp, teaspoon, teaspoons)
• Cubic Meter (m3, cubic_meter, cubic_meters)
• Cubic Centimeter (cm3, cc, cubic_cm)

5. Area Conversion

Convert between area measurements.

Supported Units:

• Square Meter (sqm, m2, square_meter, square_meters)
• Square Kilometer (km2, square_kilometer, square_kilometers)
• Square Centimeter (cm2, square_cm)
• Square Millimeter (mm2, square_mm)
• Square Mile (mi2, square_mile, square_miles)
• Square Yard (yd2, square_yard, square_yards)
• Square Foot (sqft, ft2, square_foot, square_feet)
• Square Inch (in2, square_inch, square_inches)
• Acre (acre, acres)
• Hectare (ha, hectare, hectares)

6. Speed Conversion

Convert between velocity and speed units.

Supported Units:

• Meter per Second (m/s, mps, meter_per_second, meters_per_second)
• Kilometer per Hour (km/h, kmh, kph, kilometer_per_hour, kilometers_per_hour)
• Mile per Hour (mph, mi/h, mile_per_hour, miles_per_hour)
• Foot per Second (ft/s, fps, foot_per_second, feet_per_second)
• Knot (kn, knot, knots)

7. Pressure Conversion

Convert between pressure measurements.

Supported Units:

• Pascal (pa, pascal, pascals)
• Kilopascal (kpa, kilopascal, kilopascals)
• Bar (bar, bars)
• Millibar (mbar, millibar, millibars)
• Atmosphere (atm, atmosphere, atmospheres)
• PSI (psi)
• Torr (torr)
• Millimeters of Mercury (mmhg)

8. Energy Conversion

Convert between energy units.

Supported Units:

• Joule (j, joule, joules)
• Kilojoule (kj, kilojoule, kilojoules)
• Calorie (cal, calorie, calories)
• Kilocalorie (kcal, kilocalorie, kilocalories)
• Watt Hour (wh, watt_hour, watt_hours)
• Kilowatt Hour (kwh, kilowatt_hour, kilowatt_hours)
• BTU (btu, btus)
• Electron Volt (ev, electron_volt)

9. Power Conversion

Convert between power measurements.

Supported Units:

• Watt (w, watt, watts)
• Kilowatt (kw, kilowatt, kilowatts)
• Megawatt (mw, megawatt, megawatts)
• Horsepower (hp, horsepower)
• Metric Horsepower (ps, metric_horsepower)
• BTU per Hour (btu/h, btu_per_hour)
• Foot-Pound per Second (ft_lb/s, foot_pound_per_second)

10. Data Size Conversion

Convert between digital storage units.

Supported Units:

• Bit (b, bit, bits)
• Byte (byte, bytes)
• Kilobyte (KB, kb, kilobyte, kilobytes)
• Megabyte (MB, mb, megabyte, megabytes)
• Gigabyte (GB, gb, gigabyte, gigabytes)
• Terabyte (TB, tb, terabyte, terabytes)
• Petabyte (PB, pb, petabyte, petabytes)

11. Angle Conversion

Convert between angular measurements.

Supported Units:

• Degree (deg, degree, degrees)
• Radian (rad, radian, radians)
• Gradian (grad, gon, gradian, gradians)
• Arc Minute (arcmin, arc_minute, arc_minutes)
• Arc Second (arcsec, arc_second, arc_seconds)
• Turn/Revolution (turn, turns, rev, revolution, revolutions)

12. Frequency Conversion

Convert between frequency units.

Supported Units:

• Hertz (hz, hertz)
• Kilohertz (khz, kilohertz)
• Megahertz (mhz, megahertz)
• Gigahertz (ghz, gigahertz)
• RPM (rpm, revolutions_per_minute)
• BPM (bpm, beats_per_minute)

13. Fuel Economy Conversion

Convert between fuel efficiency measurements.

Supported Units:

• Miles per Gallon (mpg, miles_per_gallon, mile_per_gallon)
• Kilometers per Liter (km/l, kilometers_per_liter, kilometer_per_liter)
• Liters per 100 Kilometers (l/100km, liters_per_100km, liter_per_100km)

How to Use the Unit Converter

Step 1: Add the Unit Converter Action

1. In your workflow editor, click on the “+” button to add a new action step
2. Search for “Unit Converter” in the applications list
3. Select “Unit Converter” from the list

Step 2: Choose Conversion Type

Select the appropriate conversion type from the available actions:

• Length Conversion
• Weight Conversion
• Temperature Conversion
• Volume Conversion
• Area Conversion
• Speed Conversion
• Pressure Conversion
• Energy Conversion
• Power Conversion
• Data Size Conversion
• Angle Conversion
• Frequency Conversion
• Fuel Economy Conversion

Step 3: Configure Conversion Parameters

Each conversion requires three parameters:

1. Value (Required)

   • The numeric value you want to convert
   • Can be a static number or dynamic value from previous steps
   • Example: 100, {temperature_value}, {step_1.data.measurement}

2. From Unit (Required)

   • The unit of the input value
   • Enter the unit abbreviation or full name
   • Example: km, kilometer, fahrenheit, f

3. To Unit (Required)

   • The desired output unit
   • Enter the unit abbreviation or full name
   • Example: miles, mi, celsius, c

Step 4: Test the Conversion

1. Click the “Test Action” button
2. Enter sample values to verify the conversion works correctly
3. Review the output to ensure accuracy

Response Format

The Unit Converter returns a JSON response with the following structure:

{
  "status": "success",
  "converted_value": 62.137,
  "from_unit": "km",
  "to_unit": "miles",
  "original_value": 100
}

Response Fields:

• status: Indicates success or error
• converted_value: The converted result
• from_unit: The source unit used
• to_unit: The target unit used
• original_value: The original input value

Use Cases and Examples

Example 1: E-commerce Product Dimensions

Convert product dimensions from inches to centimeters for international customers:

• Value: {product_length}
• From Unit: inches
• To Unit: cm

Example 2: Weather Data Processing

Convert temperature readings from Fahrenheit to Celsius:

• Value: {weather_api.temperature}
• From Unit: fahrenheit
• To Unit: celsius

Example 3: Shipping Weight Calculations

Convert package weight from pounds to kilograms:

• Value: {order.total_weight}
• From Unit: lbs
• To Unit: kg

Example 4: Real Estate Area Conversion

Convert property size from square feet to square meters:

• Value: {property.area}
• From Unit: sqft
• To Unit: m2

Example 5: Data Storage Monitoring

Convert storage usage from bytes to gigabytes:

• Value: {storage.used_bytes}
• From Unit: bytes
• To Unit: GB

Integration with Other Applications

The Unit Converter works seamlessly with other FlowMattic integrations:

1. API Integrations: Process data from APIs that use different unit systems
2. Database Operations: Convert units before storing or after retrieving data
3. Email Notifications: Include converted values in automated emails
4. Webhook Processing: Convert incoming webhook data to preferred units
5. CSV/Excel Processing: Standardize units when processing spreadsheet data

Best Practices

1. Input Validation

• Always ensure the input value is numeric
• Use conditional logic to handle non-numeric inputs
• Consider adding error handling for invalid unit names

2. Unit Name Consistency

• Use consistent unit naming throughout your workflow
• Document which unit format you’re using (abbreviation vs. full name)
• Consider standardizing on abbreviations for cleaner workflows

3. Precision Handling

• Be aware that some conversions may result in floating-point numbers
• Use rounding or formatting functions if needed for display
• Consider the required precision for your use case

4. Dynamic Values

• Use the plus icon to insert dynamic values from previous steps
• Ensure dynamic values are properly formatted before conversion
• Test with various input values to verify workflow reliability

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: “Invalid unit specified” error

• Solution: Check that the unit name is spelled correctly and matches supported units
• Refer to the supported units list for each conversion type
• Unit names are case-insensitive but must match exactly

Issue 2: “Value field is required and must be numeric” error

• Solution: Ensure the value field contains only numbers
• Remove any non-numeric characters (currency symbols, commas, etc.)
• Use text manipulation steps if needed to clean the input

Issue 3: Unexpected conversion results

• Solution: Verify you’re using the correct “from” and “to” units
• Check that units are not reversed
• Test with known values to verify accuracy

Issue 4: Dynamic values not working

• Solution: Ensure the dynamic field reference is correct
• Check that the previous step is outputting numeric values
• Use the test feature to debug the data flow

Advanced Tips

1. Chaining Conversions

You can chain multiple unit conversions for complex calculations:

1. Convert meters to feet
2. Calculate area in square feet
3. Convert square feet to acres

2. Conditional Conversions

Use conditional logic to apply different conversions based on criteria:

• If country is “US”, convert to imperial units
• If country is “EU”, keep metric units

3. Batch Processing

Process multiple values efficiently:

• Use iterators to convert arrays of values
• Store conversion results in variables for reuse
• Aggregate converted values for reporting

4. Custom Formatting

Format converted values for display:

• Round to specific decimal places
• Add unit labels to the output
• Format for currency or percentage display

Performance Considerations

• The Unit Converter operates locally within FlowMattic
• No external API calls means faster processing
• Suitable for high-volume conversions
• No rate limits or usage restrictions

Summary

The Unit Converter by FlowMattic is a versatile and reliable tool for handling unit conversions within your automation workflows. With support for 13 conversion categories and hundreds of unit combinations, it can handle virtually any conversion requirement. The integration’s built-in nature ensures fast, reliable conversions without dependency on external services.

Whether you’re processing e-commerce data, scientific measurements, or everyday conversions, the Unit Converter provides the flexibility and accuracy needed for professional automation workflows.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or need assistance with the Unit Converter integration:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Review your workflow configuration
3. Contact FlowMattic support with specific error messages
4. Visit the FlowMattic documentation for updates

Remember to test your conversions thoroughly before deploying workflows to production environments.