Tagged Questions

Automator is a Mac OS X utility first included with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. It allows the creation and execution of linear workflows composed of basic actions provided by Mac OS X or installed applications. This enables users to automate repetitive tasks to save time and effort when using their Mac. ...

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1answer
30 views

Automate subject in Apple's Mail.app

At the company I work with, we use [client-domain.com] prefixes before the actual subject line of emails as kind of a rough tagging system. Is there any way that one could automate this so when I ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views

How do I set up a OSX service to delete the first page of a PDF?

I frequently receive PDF files where the first page is either empty or is just a cover page for which I have no use. Can you suggest a quick and efficient way (Applescript, Service, or ???) for me to ...
1
vote
1answer
20 views

How can I get Automator to open a URL in the current Safari tab?

My current code involves a "Watch Me Do" block recording a ⌘ W keystroke and then opening the new URL, but that's kind of kludgy. Is there any way I can use Automator to open a URL within the current ...
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vote
1answer
38 views

Context menu item to lock/unlock files in Finder more quickly

I can change the file locking ("read only") status in a file's context menu: There's no menu item for this. How can I create a Finder (context) menu item to set, remove, or toggle this flag ...
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0answers
61 views

Creating a shortcut in launcher to run a terminal command with more than one parameter as argument

How do you create a shortcut in launcher that lets you run a terminal command using more than one variable? For example, how do you create a launcher shortcut that will prompt you for varA and varB ...
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1answer
63 views

Automator Workflows How

I'm trying to follow the instructions here http://snowleopardtips.net/tips/everything-you-need-to-know-about-screen-captures.html under "Installing the Folder Action." First it suggests a folder I ...
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0answers
58 views

LSUIElement on Automator application

So I have made an Automator application and put it in my login/startup items. My Automator application is an infinite loop. I didn't want it to display an icon in the dock, so I asked this question. ...
2
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2answers
242 views

How do I run an Automator action, shell script or AppleScript on startup in OS X?

I know you can run applications on startup on a Mac, but can you run an Automator action, a Service, a shell script, or an AppleScript on startup instead? I also know you can save all of these as an ...
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0answers
33 views

Extracting a value from a list of URL's inside a password protected area

I have a list of several hundred URL's, within one password protected account, and having the following format: https://somesite.com/somescript.php?nameA https://somesite.com/somescript.php?nameB ...
3
votes
1answer
185 views

Create bash script to open URL in Mac OS X

I want to OS X to intelligently open git URLs by first trying to open their repo page on GitHub, and then falling back to something like GitBox.app. I found this question extremely helpful, and I ...
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1answer
94 views

How create an OS X service that passes a file's path to a shell script?

I have a shell script that takes two arguments: full file path file name How can I use Automator to add a context menu entry to Finder to run the shell script with a chosen file path and file ...
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1answer
85 views

Automator workflow hangs when run as folder action

I've got an Automator workflow that is supposed to backup the contents of my USB stick whenever I plug it in (after asking for a confirmation). It works if I trigger it manually within the Automator ...
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1answer
30 views

share url and webpage title using Automator

I would like to know how to share url and webpage title by doing the following step. Select URL in Safari Right click and choose Share via Email Automator will open the email program, put the title ...
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1answer
79 views

Mac OS: Automator-script for saving mails to auto-generated folders

I am looking into automator and need it to help me out with the following simple task: I need to have the attachments of a number of messages, which are sorted in a folder in Mail, downloaded and ...
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0answers
58 views

Cannot run automator task from command line

I have created an automator workflow that works fine when I run it from the automator application. The only problem there was I had to force it to use 32-bit mode because HP has only provided the ...
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vote
1answer
76 views

Need an everyday reminder at a specific time of the day on Mac OS X?

Does anyone know how I can create an everyday reminder that pops up every day at a specific time to remind me of doing something? I need to make it remind me everyday at 1:00pm to update my daily ...
1
vote
1answer
70 views

How do I join various images next to each other in OS X?

I would like to join various PNG images horizontally in Mac, either using the console or Automator. Is this possible? How? An example: Given these two images: The result would be: The images ...
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0answers
141 views

Play video files in VLC media player from behind HTTP basic authentication URLs without a password

I regularly open HTTP URLs and play them directly in VLC media player, using the "Open Network..." option. Unfortunately, the URLs are behind HTTP basic authentication (they require a username and ...
2
votes
4answers
206 views

Automate sequence of key strokes in Mac

I want to automate a long sequence of keystrokes that I have to type every time I use a specific web site. How can I do it in Mac OS X. I've tried the Automator. I record the sequence, but when I run ...
4
votes
1answer
153 views

OS X Lion Inverted Scrolling Automation Shortcut

As everyone will know (who has Mac OS X Lion), by default, scrolling is inverted to make it a bit like the iPhone. Problem: There is no way to have "normal scrolling" for a USB mouse, and ...
3
votes
1answer
125 views

Automated Interaction with Google Chrome

All right SU, I have a fun nut to crack. I have 8 screens set up in a line, all hooked into one beefy G5 running Snow Leopard (yes, 4 graphics cards; about 15,000 pixels wide!). I am setting up a ...
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0answers
80 views

Adjust Mac OS X workflow to recursively scan directory

Hi the image below is a screenshot of a workflow i have set up to use Handbrake. The problem is that it only acts on AVI's that are in the root of Movies, it doesn't say, grab an AVI inside ...
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0answers
18 views

Automator won't change finder item names of photoshop automation exports

I made a folder action that monitors a folder and changes the name of anything put in it. Then I automate a photoshop action that exports images to the folder. for some reason I have to move the ...
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2answers
217 views

Batch-Resizing images in OS X to a certain height

How can I resize a batch of images using Automator, so that all images will have a fixed height, e.g. I want to resize all images to be 60px high while width can be anything.
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votes
3answers
516 views

Automatic PDF renaming based on title

I have thousands of scientific PDFs that i need to rename, many do not have metadata. I would like to be able to create an automator action that could open a folder then open each PDF, copy the title ...
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1answer
143 views

Explore the steps to create & run scheduled task

I am newbie to Mac Mini. Can you explore the steps to schedule a task & how to run it. I am trying to schedule a software i.e. BucketCommander.jar, its a command line version of Bucket Explorer. ...
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2answers
144 views

Encode mp3 from Finder in OS X

I'd like to convert a WAV or AIFF to MP3 with a right click in Finder. Not seeing any actions in automator I could use. I don't want to add it to iTunes to do it (and also duplicate it). I ...
0
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1answer
268 views

How to use Automator to give a GUI to ditto?

How do I create an Automator workflow, service or folder action to use ditto. The intention here is to use ditto to merge folders and/or files avoiding the unacceptable Finder's behavior of replacing ...
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2answers
337 views

In OSX, can I launch, position and scale an application using applescript/automator?

I am looking to automate the launching of my workspace. I use several applications, carefully positioned across two monitors, and I would like to be able to launch my prefered layouts with a single ...
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2answers
655 views

How to record a “macro” that saves web pages as PDF in OSX

I frequently save pages as PDF from Chrome on OSX. The page is apple-P then click the PDF button and the "Save as PDF.." menu item. I always use the pre-filled filename and save in the default ...
3
votes
3answers
653 views

Automating telnet login and commands on a Mac

Currently I do something like this: telnet 192.168.0.3 23 username password cd /dir/ programname -s -g dosomething I want to do this with one step, the coolest would be to compile a program for ...
1
vote
1answer
306 views

Mac Automator Save to Current Directory

I am creating a basic Automator service so that I can select a group of images and resize them for our CMS. The thing that keeps messing me up is that I can't find a good way to make the resized ...
3
votes
1answer
431 views

How to show specific hidden file in file browser dialog - Mac OS X

I need to use Automator to backup some of config files in my Mac. But I don't know how to get a hidden file in the file browser dialog. I chose "Get Specified Finder Items" task then click Add, but ...
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2answers
490 views

How to I use Apple Script to change the keyboard layout on Snow Leopard? [closed]

Possible Duplicate: Switch TO specific input source I want to do something like: set keyboard layout to 'QWERTY' or something like that.
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3answers
651 views

Is Automator's “Filter Finder Items” action broken?

I've been trying to make an Automator droplet that removes files of a particular extension from a directory. My Workflow has 3 actions (when I'm not debugging): Get Folder Contents (Repeating for ...
1
vote
1answer
527 views

Mac Automator — mount a network volume

I am writing an Automator "script" that rsyncs media on my 10.6.3 MacBook Pro to my Ubuntu 10.10 HTPC. I can make Automator run my shell script for rsync commands, but I can't make Automator mount the ...
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2answers
680 views

OS X Automator action for url in Safari

I have created an automator workflow for urls in Safari. The workflow is available when I select the url in the toolbar and right-click on it. However, when I right-click on an anchor tag anywhere on ...
2
votes
1answer
208 views

Is there a way to change may keyboard layout before a program opens, and then change it back when the program exits?

All without me telling it to do anything after I invoke the fist thing. I have a mac. And an automator service that changes from dvorak to qwerty before starcraft 2 launches... but is there a way to ...
3
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2answers
308 views

Mac OS X: how do I change to Qwerty / Dvorak with a terminal command?

I want to use Automator to change to Qwerty before it opens StarCraft2. Any suggestions?
0
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2answers
150 views

Automator for Vista

Is a there a similar program for Vista like the Mac application Automator? Specifically I'm looking for a Vista app that can control timed clicks. For example, in Automator, I can specify which ...
0
votes
1answer
387 views

Running an Automator task at night

I've just created an Automator workflow and I'm using crontab to execute it at night. The problem is that, after a while, the machine is going to sleep and a password is required (this is the intended ...
0
votes
1answer
119 views

OS X Automator empty, blank or null value

I have some data files mostly excel, word and pdf files most of the files have no extension on them. So they are missing the .doc .xls. This data needs to be used in a Windows environment now. I ...
2
votes
2answers
720 views

What is the best way to make Calculate SHA1 as a context menu option in Mac OS X?

In order to calculate the SHA1 checksum of a downloaded file, I could type /usr/bin/openssl sha1 in Terminal and then drag there the file which I want check. To make it simpler, one could enable a ...
2
votes
2answers
145 views

Send files to Automator in Snow Leopard

I remember in Tiger, you could always select a bunch of files in Finder and right click them, there was an option to open the selection in Automator. However, it seems that option has been lost ...
2
votes
2answers
235 views

Automator, display all search results in one window

I have created an automator application that searches a shared folder on another mac within the network. I want to show all the results in one window. I have tried using Reveal Find Items, but it ...
0
votes
1answer
408 views

Excel; exporting/importing different columns to different csv files

Is there a way to batch export different columns to different csv files in excel on an OSX, I'm thinking something along the lines of possibly automator, applescript or bash. I've had a look play ...
0
votes
1answer
344 views

How do I automate the adding of hidden photos to iPhoto using a folder action?

I'm trying to find away to create an automator action that puts photos into iPhoto but also adds the hidden tag to them. I've started with the folder action template because I'd like to save the files ...
1
vote
3answers
449 views

Can Automator or Applescript copy the number of items in a folder to the clipboard?

In Automator or Applescript, is there a way to get the number items in a folder and save result to the Clipboard or Automator Variable so I can use it in the next Action?
4
votes
5answers
3k views

OS X Snow Leopard: Finder automator item for creating a new text file

how can I create a Finder automaton item that appears in 'Services' for creating a new text file inside a file folder? I use TextMate, so better if the solution is editor-agnostic (rather than using ...
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votes
2answers
965 views

Automatically empty a folder on Mac OS X

I'd like to find a way to automatically move all the files from the Downloads folder to the trash. Ideally I'd like to trigger this with a keyboard short cut. How should I try this - Automator ...

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