Applescript, automator, and iCal

Hi - I'm having a lot of trouble finding the right documentation to do a little applescript in an automator workflow.
Our exchange server, for reasons we don't really know in spite of playing with the settings, sends all calendar events to me with calendar "badcal" and with an alarm set 15 minutes before the event (we've tried turning the alarms off in various settings to no avail). So, now, I open each of these up and manually change the calendar to "goodcal" and set the alarm to "None."
I'd like to create a simple automator service so that I can either click on an event and run the workflow or -- even better - just go through all of the entries in "badcal" changing the calendar and alarm setting.
Can someone help me or point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
Gerry

Similar Messages

Applescript/Automator and iWork

Is there any way to script the iWork programs...? I have a basic workflow in which I export a Numbers sheet to CSV, then take one of those files and run a droplet on it to convert it to tab-delimited (an AppleScript droplet I wrote, adapting from code I found).
I tried using Automator's Record function in Leopard, but that doesn't seem to work predictably in this instance since it involves menus and such.
Thanks,
Dov

For these items, you must use the Automator's feature allowing you to record a set of actions then replay them later.
It's really boring but there is no provision to drive text blocks by AppleScript in Numbers.
At this time, I leave the Fonts dialog (cmd + T) and the Colors inspector open so I may apply what you required easily.
select a chunk of text and apply the wanted text color or the wanted striketrough mode.
Highlighting is not so easy because it apply on a full line of text.
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) mardi 17 novembre 2009 19:30:20

Applescript, iMovie and Automator problem

Hi,
Sorry for reposting from another area, but maybe this will fair better in the right section.
I'm trying to convert a .mov file to .mp4 using Visualhub and automator, but a step in my automator file uses an applescript step that just causes the automator flow to stop and the end and not gon one with the rest of the actions.
More specifically:-
1. I use my HD camera to film something.
2. Connect the camera to my mac.
3. Import the video using iMovie.
4. My Automator actions ask me to confirm that iMovie has finished the import
5. Then Ask for finder items, which is get the newly imported .mov into VisualHub
6. Run the problematic Applescript:-
on run {input, parameters}
--we need to unset the default timeout length of two minutes, we'll make it 45
with timeout of (45 * 60) seconds
tell application "VisualHub" to set VisualHub to load script (scripts path of main bundle & "/automation.scpt" as POSIX file)
tell VisualHub
LoadSettings("/Volumes/MyBook/hd.cam.settings.vhub")
--SetSaveLocation("YOURHARDDRIVE:Users:YOURNAME:Desktop:iphonemovies:temp")
AddFiles(input)
StartConversion()
QuitApp()
end tell
end timeout
return input
--delay 15
end run
Which I've used from this site (http://professafresh.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/fun-with-automator/) and just stopped the two lines with a comment marker.
What is supposed to happen after that is that
7. Automator asks to confirm that VisualHub has finished.
8. VisualHub quits
9. Finder finds the .mov that was created when the film was imported
10. Finder then moves the item to the trash.
So there is something going on with the applescript that causes the process to stop after the conversion.
Some points:-
1. I have used the VisualHub import and convert script step but the default settings are not what I'm after as I want the video resized to 960x540.
2. iMovie recognizes and keeps all the head info as long as the file name is the same. So if you skip over the thumbnail in iMovie the timestamp changes to reflect the time that the video was taken. If you convert the .mov to .mp4 the info is retained but with a much smaller video size.
I've tried to give as much info as possible, sorry if it's too much.
Regards,

You can do that all in iMovie
Select 300 photos set the length to 3:15 - Import
Select all in the timeline. Pick your transition. Set it to .29. Apply.
Daniel C. Slagle - Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
http://iMovie.danslagle.com
Quad - 2.5 Ghz G5 Mac OS X (10.4) GeForce 7800 GT, 3G RAM, 250GB & 500GB internals

I've lost half of my icons such as calculator, fonts, chess, automator,ichat,ical it it saying that you can use this version with the OSX. You have version 4.04. And, there is no way to update them. What do you do?

I've lost half of my icons such as calculator, fonts, chess, automator,ichat,ical it it saying that you can use this version with the OSX. You have version 4.04. And, there is no way to update them. What do you do?

If I'm understanding you correctly, those apps have stopped working and you are getting a message saying that they won't work with this version of Mac OS X when you try to open them. Is that right? If so, have you moved those apps out of their original locations? That is a bad idea, as it prevents them from being properly updated. If this is what has happened, what version of the system were you running before they stopped working, and what version are you running now, after installing the update that has made them stop working?

Address Book and iCal Server backups

I'm working to implement a company-wide Address Book, iCal, and iChat server via Lion Server where I work, and I've gotten most of the setup figured out (I think), and am approaching the point where I can roll it out to a few users for further testing. However, before I'm allowed to move forward any further w/ it I have to have two means of backing up in place and ready to be rolled out at the same time as the server—so I'm planning on using Time Machine as one so it does the entirety of the server and its data/settings, but they also want me to do one of the Address Book Server and iCal Server databases individually, like back up the folder the data is, so we can, if ever necessary, import the backup databases to another computer, so we at least have the content, if not the full server functionality. And, for obvious reasons, it can't be backed up locally.
So I'm looking for a means of doing this and would love any input anyone has. Ease of use/setup is pretty important as this is my first time setting Server up and I've no programming knowledge. I'm fairly sure I'll be able to find (or write my own, though that's unlikely) or modify and AppleScript that simply copies/duplicates a Finder item, and I know I can have iCal automatically run a script (so I'd just have it run every night at midnight or something), but I have yet to figure out how to get the script to copy the folder to a specified location on a different server (or, for that matter, if it's even possible, though I'm sure it is...right?). But that's not what I'm trying to ask here...though I certainly wouldn't mind if someone had thoughts on it and wanted to share them ! I just really would like to know which folders to back up, since it's not simply making an archive of the local Address Book.app database.
And, since I'm already here writing a post, I'll ask one other question that's been nagging at me: in Server Admin.app, with the server (not the services) selected in the sidebar on the left, the Access pane selected in the primary Server Admin window, and Services selected, and trying to dictate which users/groups can access which services, the user can click the "+" in the lower-left corner of the window where added users would appear, and another window pops up next to the Server Admin window that shows a list of the users (and groups if you click the appropriate button). My question is, why does it show me _krb_anonymous, _krb_changepw, and a total of 81 other items? I understand more or less what they are (in a very general sense), but why are they shown as users? More importantly, do they have to be listed there? Technically I'm probably the only one that's going to be the administrator, and I'll know not to add them or modify them, but I don't want anything related to those items appearing in a directory search in Address Book when I get it set up (as they are showing up now; for instance, one user I created is Sandy, and I have it set to include directory contacts in searches, so on a client machine that is correctly communicating w/ the server (add a user, it appears in a minute on another client machine, and vice versa) if I go to search for that name as soon as I type "s" Sandy, the actual user shows up, but so do five or six other things, all of which are items from the aforementioned list in Server Admin (pretty much anything that has an "s" in it, which of course makes sense)—and that's what I don't want, I don't want the users to search for someone, see something like _krb_anonymous pop up, then think something is screwed up and call me and demand I come fix their computer!).
Any thoughts, suggestions, and such are more than welcome and much appreciated!
Thank you to all...

See the following:
Folders You Can Move to Your new Mac
From the Home folder copy the contents of Documents, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Sites.
In your /Home/Library/ folder:
/Home/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Application Support/iCal (copy the whole folder)
Also in /Home/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need including folders for any third-party applications)
/Home/Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder)
/Home/Library/Preferences/ (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Safari (copy the whole folder)
/Home /Library/Calendars (copy the whole folder)
If you want cookies:
/Home/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
/Home/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
For Entourage users:
Entourage is in /Home/Documents/Microsoft User Data
Also in /Home/Library/Preferences/Microsoft
For FireFox:
/Home/Library/Applications Support/FireFox
/Home/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist
Credit goes Macjack for this information.

Time and iCal

I am building an applescript to place some events in my calendar every week. The finished product will not place the event on every day according to the results of filtering the calendar for other events in that week. I am stuck on the placement procedure because the script seems to be working as I intended ( when you read the log ), but the events are all getting piled up in iCal on the day the script runs. Any ideas? Here are the script and the log:
Script:
tell application "iCal"
set myCalendar to "Home"
set today to current date
tell calendar myCalendar
make new todo at end of todos with properties {due date:(today + (7 * days)), summary:"My Todo"}
set n to 7
repeat while n > 0
set todaystime to (time of today) as integer
set starttime to (today + (n * days)) - todaystime + (17 * hours)
set endtime to (today + (n * days)) - todaystime + (17 * hours) + (15 * minutes)
make new event at end of events with properties ¬
{startdate:starttime, enddate:endtime, summary:"My Event"}
set n to n - 1
end repeat
end tell
(*view calendar myCalendar at today*)
end tell
Log:
tell application "iCal"
current date
make new todo at end of every todo of calendar "Home" with properties {due date:date "Tuesday, September 12, 2006 5:15:06 PM", summary:"My Todo"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Tuesday, September 12, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Tuesday, September 12, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Monday, September 11, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Monday, September 11, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Sunday, September 10, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Sunday, September 10, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Saturday, September 9, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Saturday, September 9, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Friday, September 8, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Friday, September 8, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Thursday, September 7, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Thursday, September 7, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
make new event at end of every event of calendar "Home" with properties {summary:"My Event", startdate:date "Wednesday, September 6, 2006 5:00:00 PM", enddate:date "Wednesday, September 6, 2006 5:15:00 PM"}
end tell
As you can see the in the log, the script is doing what I wanted it to, going forward a week and placing events on all the days coming back to the day before the current day. Is there something I am missing? Or could this be a bug in the communication between the script and iCal?
Thanks in avance for any help
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Hi,
Isn't it the property for 'event' 'start date' with the space between start and date. I don't know if they changed this in Tiger, but you might want to check out the dictionary for iCal again.
gl,

I want to create an applescript/automator tool to launch the "Add to library" command in iTunes with a specific path. Need process under the hood

I want to create an applescript/automator tool to launch the "Add to library" command in iTunes with a specific path. I need to know what process is run under the hood to create such a script.
To put you in context, I have an NFS mount point with all my music and with the "add to library" command, I can add more music to the folder and update iTunes without dragging the individual folders or the whole mount point and avoid having the songs show up as doubles.
Anyone know what OS/Unix process is being called for such a command?

I want to create an applescript/automator tool to launch the "Add to library" command in iTunes with a specific path. I need to know what process is run under the hood to create such a script.
To put you in context, I have an NFS mount point with all my music and with the "add to library" command, I can add more music to the folder and update iTunes without dragging the individual folders or the whole mount point and avoid having the songs show up as doubles.
Anyone know what OS/Unix process is being called for such a command?

Do Applescript / Automator work with Final Cut Express?

Hey list,
I'm a nubie in all things Applescript / Automator related. Does Final Cut Express support commands from these? For example, can I tell it to go pick up a batch of photos I created, put them in a seqeunce, and export them as an MOV? If so, it would make my life a lot easier
-Chris
Message was edited by: Chrisryantaz

Hi(Bonjour)!
If you want to drive an appication by applescript or automator, this application has to be "driveable" by script.
If you open Applescript editor, select dictionnary and look if the application appears. If not, it cannot be driven by scripts.
FCE is not scriptable. You can automate the lauching of the app itself (from finder scripts) but no more.
But with select all command, you can drag all your stills (they will be inserted in the same order as they appear in column list view) in timeline.
Also, use the "storyboard tips" by placing them in a diffrent order in icon view (in perfect row and column), select all and drag in timeline. The order will be respected from upper left-corner to lower-right.
Michel Boissonneault
Message was edited by: Michel Boissonneault

Applescript/Automator to import Photoshop Elements Albums?

My husband finally converted to a Mac in January (yay!!!), and all in all everything works beautifully for him, because all of the programs he was using on his Windows PC are on his Mac. Our biggest issue though is that Photoshop Elements will not sync through iTunes on his Mac. While you might think it would be easier for him to just convert his albums to iPhoto or Aperture, we will not discuss the reasons why this is not going to happen :-)
However, I'm trying to see if there isn't a way for me to create some kind of "background" automation that could copy his albums into iPhoto or Aperture. I use Aperture myself, so in using "referenced" files he would only end up with copies of the albums themselves, and not actually duplicate the photo files. I haven't used iPhoto enough to know if this is possible.
Can anyone think of a seemless way I could set this up for him? It wouldn't need to be TOTALLY automatic. I mean I could give him an icon to click occasionally. I just don't see anything in Automator for Elements, so I would have to do an Applescript if even possible, and I while I can take an existing applescript sometimes and modify it to my needs, I'm DEFINITELY not very good at Applescript.
Or should I really just make him move away from Photoshop Elements?
Thanks!
Danita

Danitaz,
Did you ever figure out the problem with your mail that was going out from the wrong server (2 yrs. ago)? I have the same problem from my MacBook Pro, using Mac Mail. I try to send email from my work account and then find to my surprise and dismay that I get an autoreply in my personal gmail account from the person I wrote to. I look in the Sent mail for my work account and it looks like the message went from there but I can see in the reply that it instead went from my gmail account! I tried checking the box in my work account that says "send only from this SMTP server" but that didn't fix the problem. The only way seems to be turning off the gmail in order to send with certainty from my work account. If you have any suggestions I would love to try them. Thanks!
PS Sorry to write off topic here. I wanted to reply to the original posting but I guess since it is so old I couldn't do so.

Automator and sound preferences

Imac Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Is there any way set up an automator script (or Apple script) to change sound preferences. Example, change from Imic output to headphone output, turn off and on Isub. Any help would be appreciated.

Furthermore, I came across this applescript in forums which appears to do switching, it opens the preference panel and selects sound but then stops with the fault.
System Events got an error: NSReceiverEvaluationScriptError: 4
I don't understand the script language yet as I am new to automator and apple script.
i need to switch between imic output(with sub off) and headphone output (with sub on)
Also whats the best place to learn apple script language?
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.sound"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click radio button "Output" of tab group 1 of window "Sound"
repeat until (value of radio button "Output" of tab group 1 of window "Sound") is 1
end repeat
if (selected of row 1 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of tab group 1 of window "Sound") is true then
select row 2 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of tab group 1 of window "Sound"
repeat until (selected of row 2 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of tab group 1 of window "Sound") is true
end repeat
else
select row 1 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of tab group 1 of window "Sound"
repeat until (selected of row 1 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of tab group 1 of window "Sound") is true
end repeat
end if
end tell
quit
end tell
Imac Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Imac Mac OS X (10.4.9)
Imac Mac OS X (10.4.9)

How on EARTH to parameters work in AppleScript Automator Actions for SL?

Prior to Snow Leopard, creating a new AppleScript Automator Action would create a template something like...
on run{input, parameters}
but now, on Snow Leopard, I get:
on runWithInputfromAction_error(input, anAction, errorRef)
where to I get the 'parameters' collection from? If I just reference 'parameters', without it being declared in some way, I get errors....
I assume there is some new mechanism in SL, what is it??
Thanks

Sorry, I misunderstood what you said the first time around. I thought that you wanted to use the +Run AppleScript+ action within Automator but now I see that you are trying to create a new Automator action using applescript. Now that I try it in Xcode I to get the same method/handler signature. Tried to look at the [Mac Dev Center|http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/AppleApplications/C onceptual/AutomatorTutorialAppleScript/Introduction/Introduction.html] but it hasn't been updated lately. Also tried looking at the [Automator Programming Guide|http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/DOCUMENTATION/AppleApplications/Co nceptual/AutomatorConcepts/Articles/ImplementScriptAction.html#//apple_ref/doc/u id/TP40001512] and the documentation for [AMBundleAction|http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/DOCUMENTATION/AppleAppli cations/Reference/AutomatorFramework/Classes/AMBundleAction_Class/Reference/Refe rence.html] but can't figure anything out. Sorry I don't have much experience in Xcode, so can't help you much with that.

Are qt-tracks switchable per Applescript/Automator?

my idea is the following scenario:
I do have a Quicktime.mov containing TWO video tracks.
What I'm looking for is a 'single button'-solution, which allows to switch between both tracks.
possible? how?
any ready-made scripts/actions avail?
to give additional info about my project:
I'm recording soccer games with two (... four) cameras simultanously.
the team's coach needs a 'dumb' solution (no word about soccer-coaches! ) , to see the action from one or the other perspective.
it's simple to stitch the two videos into a single mov, and I do know how to 'select tracks on display' in QT7pro.
but he doesn't.
my idea is, to create a (local, on usb-stick) website, offering that video. (and additional info)
or, even better, a Pages/iBooks document .......
plus a 'switch'-button, which is a kind-of applescript/automator action/whatever, which changes 'priority'. that way both videos are always in synch.-
anybody any idea?
thanks in advance
k.

I'm recording soccer games with two (... four) cameras simultanously.
the team's coach needs a 'dumb' solution (no word about soccer-coaches! ) , to see the action from one or the other perspective.
it's simple to stitch the two videos into a single mov, and I do know how to 'select tracks on display' in QT7pro.
but he doesn't.
Hi Karsten, it's been while since I last saw a posting by you here.
Simplest approach would be to create a file containing side-by-side or over-and-under display of two angle cameras or a combination of the two to display four simultaneous camera angles. If you combine, align, and offset the video tracks in QT 7 Pro and then compress to your target diplay file, then the sync alignment of the source tracks will be locked in the combined frames of your final output file unlike individual source tracks each of which might drop frames independently during playback in a multiple video track standalone file. This, of course, means that all viwing angles are displayed simultaneously and the viewer must switch his or her attention to the specific angle of interest but does allow you to play the file in any compatible media player, on a web site or on any compatible mobile device without having to program track switching which may or may not be compatible will all of the viewing options previously mentioned.
A second approach would be to key your video tracks to alternative language options and have the viewing angle (track) change when the associated language is selected. Unfortunately, this only works in apps/on devices which support built-in alternate languages and/or multiple video track control. For instance, it QT X and QT 7 will switch the video track when the appropriate language is selected but VLC has separate built-n video track switching controls and iTunes doesn't recognize alternative video tracks. Unfortunately, there is a secondary problem with this approach. Playback can sometimes become jittery after switching tacks. This problem can be correctly by momentarily stopping playback and then restarting it but this can be a pain.
A third option might be the use of sprite buttons to script switching between tracks. Unfortunately, I can't say how difficult or successful this approach may be based on any personal experience.

New discussion category request -- Applescript & Automator

Dear Administrators, Jay T. et. al,
I think it would be a nice addition to the Aperture Discussion if you added a new sub-category for us: Applescript & Automator.
Scripting and automation will be a big part of Aperture's future success. It will make it easier for us propeller heads to monitor developments it we have a dedicated category we can subscribe too. I won't subscribe to the entire General Usage cagegory because there would be to much daily traffic on unrelated topics.
I don't think this will prevent the general audience from seeing interesting posts on these topics.

It would be nice to have a good location for more technical posts along those lines. Don't let the lack of one stop you though!

Problems with OSX Yosemite and iCal not running workflows to back up documents folder.

I am trying to get my workflow I created to automatically back up to a SD Flash card I have in my Macbook Pro. I have the workflow set up as an event on iCal but all the forums I have seen say to set the alert as "run the script" and I do not have that option. In order for me to run my workflow I manually have to go into automator and run it. Plus many times when I want the program to run, my computer is sleeping/closed. Any Ideas on how to get this process running automatically?
Thanks!

http://www.macworld.com/article/1157339/automate_backup.html is the link I used originally for the workflow.
I just tried what you said in making the workflow into an application and then use it to run as an iCal alarm. The application works great when I manually select it, but iCal still will not open it when it is set to open that specific application at the alarm time.

Using applescript to get iCal to open a file

I'm trying to use AppleScript to get iCal to open a Word doc at a specified date/time.
As a complete novice to AppleScript, I'm sure I have misunderstood how the syntax and grammar of the language work. Would you please advise me how to change this script --
set filepath to POSIX path of "Microsoft Word:Users:mtmanner:Documents:Family JY & Friends:Craig:Craigs Goals:Socializing:Being with people.doc"
try
set command to "open Users/mtmanner/Documents/Family JY & Friends:Craig/Craigs Goals/Socializing/Being with people.doc"
do shell script command
end try
Thanks for your help.

There is a useful book called 'AppleScript for Dummies'. Don't be put of by the irritating title: it's actually quite sensibly written and informative (just ignore the occasional facetiousness designed not to frighten nervous readers off). When I was looking for a manual the other books available were much more expensive; I've found this one covers most requirements.
We had three weeks of heatwave: not it's gone unsettled again with rain (which we needed) and temperatures up and down loke the proverbial yo-yo - typical British summer, in other words.

Applescript, automator, and iCal

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for