An application developed by Apple for Mac OS X that implements the creation of workflows.
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2answers
62 views
automator: get a folder if it dropped or ask for one otherwise
I'm building an automator application that acts on a folder that needs to be specified.
Until now, I've been using the "Ask for Finder items" action to ask for a the folder to be used, but I would ...
0
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2answers
68 views
Compress files with the output name same as Parent Folder with Automator
I've been searching the internet for a solution to this. I would like to create an Automator workflow that will zip the selected files, name the zip the name of the Parent directory and save that zip ...
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2answers
106 views
Get text from multiple webpages doesnt work if one URL is down
I have creating a simple workflow in Automator which will extract text from a list of URLs and save them into one text file.
The actions are:
Get Specified Text
Get Text from Webpage
New Text File
...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
One-click automated USB trash delete
Is there any way I can create an automator service or app to delete ALL trash from any USB drive (my own account's trash plus everybody else's)?
I've read several solutions involving Terminal, ...
2
votes
1answer
157 views
Calendar Alarm While Machine Sleeps
I have a handful of Calendar Alarms I created in Automator to run at various times on my MacBook Pro (mainly overnight). However, it looks like if the machine is sleep then the Calendar Alarm is ...
1
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1answer
27 views
Transfer podcasts
I just switched from iMac to Macbook Pro and I wanted to transfer all my podcasts to it without downloading them all over again.
Copy/Pasting the podcasts folder won't list it in iTunes.
A found a ...
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1answer
32 views
How to save half-made service in Automator?
How to save half-made service in Automator without making it active, as it is not finished?
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1answer
63 views
Automator turning well-aligned PDF documents upside-down, flipped — unreadable in OSX?
I have PDFs that are readable. When I combine the PDFs, the pages go randomly up-side-down and left-and-right. I have fixed this issue manually in Preview app but I would like to get the pages as ...
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1answer
71 views
Automator-generated apps - Backwards compatibility
In my experience apps created with automator on Mountain Lion don't work on a Snow Leopard machine. The opposite isn't true though: apps created with automator on Snow Leopard do work on a Mountain ...
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1answer
316 views
Automator: Using Cmd F in a “watch me do” and trying to make decisions based on the results
Using automator, I have navigated to a website that required a password, pulled up a page and need to search that page for a word. Let's say the word is "flowmaster" for example. I had Automator do ...
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vote
1answer
87 views
Automator throws an error when trying to quit Mail.app
I've created a calendar event in Automator that creates and sends an email message then quits Mail. It creates and sends the message fine but then gives an error when attempting to quit Mail. I've had ...
1
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1answer
188 views
how to create daily task for GMVault in automator
I just moved to Apple, being an experienced (i'd like to think so) Windows user.
Recently I started using GMvault (gmvault.org) to backup my Gmail account locally, but it's become a pain having to ...
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1answer
160 views
Launch Final Cut Pro, make a new project and name it with Automator
I want to make an Automator app that will do a couple of things for me with Final Cut Pro:
I want it to ask me to name a the new project (we will call it test1)
Then I want it to make a new folder ...
1
vote
1answer
271 views
An Automator workflow for extracting text as speech from PDF files
I get PDFs to revise course content which I want to convert to MP3 files and take with me as spoken audio.
Automator offers 'text to speech' conversion and it's great. When I try and build a workflow ...
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vote
1answer
148 views
Automator and Batch Adding Keywords to Images?
Is there a way to use automator (or something else) to batch add keywords to photos selected in finder?
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votes
1answer
18 views
Using AppleScript to modify contacts not working
I'm trying to use applescript to clean up various problems a large address book, to large to fix by hand. I've been able to find and observe contacts and groups in AppleScript successfully. However, ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
Why does my Automator service work in Automator but not when called from the OS?
I have made an Automator service that runs an Applescript with the Run Applescript module. This is the script:
# Press ^F8
tell application "System Events"
key code 100 using control down
end ...
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votes
1answer
36 views
System Services in Automator won't start
For about a week it occurs that System Services created in Automator suddenly refuse to work.
It happens on all Services, system-wide, i.e.:
Open in Marked in Byword
Create Symlink in Finder
...
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votes
1answer
90 views
How to get iTunes to play an iPhone playlist automatically when connected to iPhone
I have a habit of working/studying while listening to music. And since the Mac I am connected to at work doesn't have all the songs I want, I normally listen to the songs via iTunes from the iPhone ...
0
votes
1answer
172 views
using automator/applescript to upload files to a web form?
I have a bunch of files I want to upload to web page. Unfortunately the web form for uploading only allows me to specify one at a time (it spawns and 'open file' dialog). Is there an easy way to do ...
0
votes
1answer
136 views
How to use automater to run mongo db and node.js app on startup
I'm trying to use Automater(first attempt of using this software) to create a sequence that will automatically run ./usr/mongo/bin/mongod and ./usr/mongo/bin/mongo then run my node.js server app at ...
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1answer
124 views
Apple Automator Question Copy and Paste
How would I copy all of the text from a powerpoint presentation and paste it into a word document?
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1answer
102 views
Execute a folder action on a schedule
I am completely new to Automator. I have a folder action setup to copy my Camera Uploads folder from DropBox to iPhoto. Currently, this only occurs when I open Automator and execute it. Can I set this ...
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1answer
158 views
Why is my Automator Print Plugin Only Running Every Other Time?
I have set up a simple Print Plugin in Automator. It renames the file, then moves the file to a particular directory. No matter how simple I make the plugin, it only triggers every other time I run ...
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votes
1answer
33 views
Keeping a VMWare View session alive?
On OS X 10.8, I have the VMWare View client installed, and frequently use it to log into a remote Windows machine. Unfortunately, the way the infrastructure is set up, it frequently times out very ...
-3
votes
1answer
345 views
Automator Group Email problem
I am at the end of my tether. I want to send an email to a group of about 50 people, which is personalised at the very least with their name. (so that each email says "Dear Bob" or their name, and ...
2
votes
0answers
409 views
Automator Application as 'Login Items' to 'Connect to Servers' - Servers don't display in Finder Side Bar?
Have an Automator Application as a 'Login Items' to 'Connect to Servers' (AFP).
On login it runs, connects the servers, but does not add them to the Finder Side Bar under 'Devices'.
Once logged in, ...
2
votes
0answers
461 views
Run Shell Script action outputs the result as NSAppleEventDescriptor
I'm trying to save the output of a command in a variable, i.e:
Run Shell Script
Set Value of Variable
This has suddenly stopped working because the output from the shell script is no longer plain ...
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vote
0answers
52 views
Can I find and replace Core Text/Cocoa text strings in any application?
My scenario:
I use an app called Antetype for UI design.
Antetype uses OS X-native technologies for text rendering (it uses the system-standard text palette).
Antetype does not have a find and ...
1
vote
0answers
50 views
Have OS X auto-search for WiFi
My school has installed PowerCloud, which does not officially support OS X. It works sometimes, sometimes it doesn't. I've tried to narrow it down but it's impossible. I was wondering if there is a ...
1
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0answers
200 views
Can't send commands in ARD/Automator
I work at a school that manages various computer labs, some of which are iMacs. To manage our iMac labs we use Automator/Apple Remote Desktop on a Mac Server.
Recently we updated ARD to the latest ...
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0answers
180 views
In a Service, how to get a URL from rich text?
I'm interested in making a Service (using Automator if possible) that allows me to perform an action on a URL.
If the URL exists as plain text, this works just fine.
However, if the URL is a link in ...
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0answers
13 views
Automator: Rename Powerpoint footer with file names?
I have a bunch of different pictures that I need to import to Powerpoint, and I need someway to label them once they're there. I know how to import them and make a Picture Slide Show, but I'm stuck on ...
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0answers
50 views
How to search PDFs and extract matching pages with Automator?
I am trying to make an Automator workflow that will alllow me to:
Specify a folder to run the actions on
Search all PDF files in that folder for a certain word (my client's name)
Create a new PDF ...
0
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0answers
34 views
Automator “watch me do” without moving the cursor?
Using Automator's "watch me do" feature, I recorded my cursor closing a small google chat window in Safari. I saved this as an application, so i can open the application with another program when it ...
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votes
0answers
79 views
Automator crashes on Lion, error: Exited abnormally: Broken pipe: 13
I wrote a workflow to check battery duration, on osx 10.8.3 works perfectly and on 10.7.5 crash after a random time.
In console I get this error:
com.apple.launchd.peruser.501: ...
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0answers
55 views
How to make shortcut for changing desktop picture?
I have big set of Desktop pictures in Library and in System Preferences I have set to change Desktop Picture every 30 mins. Now I want to make keyboard shortcut for Finder for loading next desktop ...
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0answers
24 views
Further question automate QT movie script
I have a time lapse camera running for 3 years and it takes a jpeg every 2 minutes 24 hrs/ day. it puts 10,000 jpegs in one folder and then when that is full it creates another folder.
Rob has ...
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0answers
118 views
How to set codec for Quicktime 7 export with AppleScript
I'm new to applescript and I'm having some trouble with a batch export of video files.
I'm trying to transcode several image sequences into .mov using QT 7, via Automator.
I found this code that ...
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0answers
111 views
Find multi-line block using grep and/or automator with BBEdit
I have an xml file output from WordPress.
I have BBEdit as my main search tool.
I am on a Mac running 10.7.4
I am trying to find a muli-line block of text that starts with <item> and end with ...
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0answers
199 views
Mac OS X Lion xterm service behaves differently between Automator and keyboard shortcut
I created the following "Run Shell Script" service in Automator under Mac OS X Lion 10.7.4:
export DISPLAY=:0
/usr/X11/bin/xterm -title "Kevin's Xterm" -sb -sl 500000 -geometry 150x25 &
and ...
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votes
0answers
50 views
Printing emails automatically
I have a flash quizing system for my students in which the result is emailed to an email ID. I wish to have a system in which the emails are printed automatically as soon as they arrive in the inbox.
...
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votes
0answers
254 views
Automator: How to copy the contents of local folder to a linux smb share?
I use Lion and I'm trying to make a folder action that copies the content of a local folder to a Samba share, but when I execute the action at Automator it copies the folder and not only its contents ...
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0answers
142 views
Automate highlight text and add note annotations in Preview
When annotating a PDF in Preview I regularly highlight text then add a note to that highlight. This is a frustrating process as I can do the first bit with a keyboard shortcut, but must then ...
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0answers
142 views
Automator background (watch me do)
Can I make watch me do it feature work in the background? so that it doesnt take my mouse controle.
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0answers
116 views
How to toggle closeViewZoomFollowsFocus in com.apple.universalaccess via shell script with instant activation?
I created a Service with Automator on a Mac running "Lion 10.7.3". The Service toggles via a shell script the visibility of hidden files in the Finder and works like a charm. Here's the script:
...
