Automated Timelapse Project

Question

Hi all
I'm not entirely new to AppleScript, although I have very little experience with it, so please be gentle!
I'm trying to do two things:
1. Automatically generate a 720x576 res quicktime movie on a daily basis from a sequence of 1280x1024 res images (1200 of) that were saved into a dated directory on the day before (date format along these lines: ThuJun_072007) that is named as per the source folder. The images are being put there by a network camera via ftp.
2. Automatically copy a down-sized version of the latest image (supplied by the network camera) to a webserver.
With the first I am having limited success by using an Automator workflow - limited in that I have to manually drop the folder of images onto the application I have produced, and then have to manually save the resulting movie file.
The second I have used folder actions, again using automator, but have reached a hurdle I simply have not been able to clear in the last two days.
I'm stuck on both.
I have ordered books to teach myself AppleScript - something I have been putting off for years now - however, I was hoping someone here might be able to shine some light on how I might accomplish either of these tasks? Or could point me in the right direction?
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi
For part two, you could use built in image events. This should get you started. Try this script with an image you have, open it from one place (the script will prompt you) save it somewhere else - again it will prompt you.
Once you are happy that it works, you can change it to a folder action and tweak as necessary.
set this_file to choose file with prompt "where is your original file"
set this_destin to choose folder with prompt "which folder must I dropped the scaled image into"
set this_destin to this_destin as string
try
    tell application "Image Events"
        launch
        -- open the image file
        set this_image to open this_file
        --get the name so we can keep it for saving in new place
        set the_name to name of this_image
        --tell it where to scaled image
        tell application "System Events"
            set thisdestinnew to (this_destin & the_name)
        end tell
        -- perform action factor .5 = 50%
        scale this_image by factor 0.5
        --save to new place     
        save this_image in file thisdestinnew with icon
        -- purge the open image data
        close this_image
    end tell
on error error_message
    display dialog error_message
end try