Automator application

hi
i have been using macbook for quite a long time now. but i am still unfamiliar with its automator application and isync. can anyone tell me what it is used for and how?

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How to run an "Automator" application at regular time intervals

I would like to find out how to run an "Automator" application at regular time intervals, say at every 5 minutes.
Is there any program, AppleScript or any method to do this?
I would very much appreciate a help.
Suwan

save your workflow as an ical plugin, this will automatically insert the workflow into ical,and create a workflow category for it, then just set to repeat every 5 minutes, or save as an APP and use a program called CRONIX (freeware) to run the schedule.

Using ARD through automator application to set startup disks

I am attempting to create an automator application/workflow that sets the startup disk of a group of remote computers and then restarts the machines. I also need to make sure that it does not pop up on the screen to enter an admin password as my university's policy is that no teachers or students have access to the password.
My current unix command I send to the machines is
do shell script “bless -mount /Volumes/DiskName/ -legacy -setBoot -nextonly” password “yourPassword” with administrator privileges
do shell script “shutdown -r now” password “yourPassword” with administrator privileges
When I send that a dialog box pops up asking for and admin password. Wondering where I am going wrong. Any input would be much appreciated

In ARD use the Manage menu to set startup disk...
You can force a restart and no password is required.

ICalbirthdays, an automator application won't install in my iMac

I downloaded the icalbirthdays automator application from: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/automator/index.html
Executed the install program,got a message that the installation was successful ,
But then the program was nowhere to be found.
Is it installed in some map/file that I cannot see or do not know about? Or is it not installed at all?
Who can help?
peterwillem

I checked the developer's website and could only find one application there - automator 3. And, according to their FAQs, there is no "install program" for Automator 3 - it simply says that you are supposed to drag the downloaded file into your Applications folder. Is that what you did?
And, just as importantly, there is no mention of icalbirthdays; this is what Automator will do:
+About Automator Virtual Input+
+Extends Apple’s Automator automation program to give it control over the keyboard and mouse cursor. Automator Virtual Input allows Automator to access anything you can by simulating mouse clicks, movement and drags along with keyboard key presses.+
So are we talking about the same application? And how did you try to install it?

Automator Application to Convert Documents to PDF FIles

I am new to the use of the Automator App, but I can tell already that it can very powerful.
I am trying to create the Automator Application described in Mac Life article http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_print_directly_pdf_without_opening_fil e.
The problem that I am having is the when I add the "Print Finder Items" action to the work flow it does not contain the "Print To" option to set the destination to the CUPS-PDF printer.
Can someone tell me if I am doing something wrong or if something needs to be configured to make the "Print To" option visiable with the "Print Finder Items" action in this or any workflow I have tried?
Thank you in advance.
vertigow
15" MacBook Pro
Mac OS X Version 10.7 Lion

I just double checked and I am in error setting the default printer to CUPS-PDF, did in fact allow for the PDF to be created. My Mistake,
The application still opened and I had to select Print when presented so it still rquires that native program and possibly some interaction (dang ).
It would still be nice to be able to set the destination so you don't have to hard set the default printer, and somehow not have to deal with the native program getting in the way.
Thanks,
vertigow

How to create Automator application?

I cannot figure out how to create an application in Automator that actually works.
What I have is a workflow that combines PDFs.   As a workflow it works well.
I would like to create an application that does the same thing.   First I tried saving the workflow as an application.   I duplicated the workflow and saved it as an application. Later I started at the beginning by creating a new application and building it up with the same actions that are in the workflow.
With both techniques I got an "application" that sits on my hard drive.   The OS describes it as an application. But, when I click on the icon, the icon blinks as if an application is opening. But then nothing happens.   The computer remains in Finder.   The Automator "application" does nothing.
I must be missing something. How do I create an Automator application that opens?

It won't. It runs the task in the background.
My suggestion is to create two folders
PDF Files
Merged PDF Files
Tell the workflow to merge PDFs found in PDF Files and place the merged PDFs into Merged PDF Files.
Then dump a bunch of PDFs into the first folder. Click the application. Then check the second folder. You should see them all merged into one there.

Could some one educate me on Automator application

Could some one educate me on Automator application, how to start with it and how complex tasks it can handle?

here's a good starting point:
Mac 101: Automator

Applescript in Automator behaves differently when executed from inside Automator, or as an Automator application

Hello everyone,
I'm trying to execute an Automator workflow at startup, which I do by saving the workflow as an application, and adding it to the startup list, this works fine.
My workflow works fine when executed from within Automator (ie clicking on the "Execute" button), but does not anymore when the Automator application is executed (ie. simply double clicking on my Automator file)
I have narrowed it down to an Applescript inside my workflow which fails only when the application is executed from the finder (the step works fine from within Automator). The script automatically creates an ad hoc wifi network.
The line which specifically fails is :
set menu_extras to value of attribute "AXDescription" of menu bar items
Anyone has any idea why executing the workflow from within automator, and executing it from the finder yield different results ?
The crazy thing is that all this worked fine up until a few days ago, there might have been an update since (running Mavericks 10.9.2), but nothing game-changing.

You will need to provide more than the one line of AppleScript you quote if you want a definitive answer. (We can't even see which app you are addressing this to.)

Automator Applications don't let me run applescripts!

ok just made an excellent automator application that deleted invisible files on selected drives. the only problem is that when i run it as an application, it gives me an error message and tells mr to check the "Run Applescript" action's properties. But, it works in the workflow perfectly!
please help.

OK, that does help. The statementset y to (value of variable "path" of front workflow)uses Automator terminology - unless your workflow is actually running in Automator, your script won't know anything about those terms unless you target the Automator or the Automator Runner applications.
In this case though, you don't need to use variables at all, since the value you want is in the input parameter of the *Run AppleScript* action (this is what is output from the previous action). Note that the input parameter is a list, so you need to repeat through the items in the list or coerce it from a list to the desired class. Your Terminal scripting also seems to be a bit severe, but with the items I noted your workflow would be something like:
1) *Ask for Finder Items* { Type: Folders } (Allow Multiple Selections is not checked)
2) *Run AppleScript*
<pre style="
font-family: Monaco, 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
font-size: 10px;
font-weight: normal;
margin: 0px;
padding: 5px;
border: 1px solid #000000;
width: 720px;
color: #000000;
background-color: #DAFFB6;
overflow: auto;"
title="this text can be pasted into an Automator 'Run AppleScript' action">
on run {input, parameters}
set y to input as text -- coerce from list
display dialog "Are you sure you want to delete the Trash folder on flashdrive " & quoted form of y & "?" buttons {"Cancel", "Yes"} default button 2
display dialog "Enter password:" default answer "password" buttons {"Cancel", "OK"} default button 2
set x to (text returned of result)
tell application "Terminal"
delay 2
do script "cd " & quoted form of POSIX path of y -- convert path
do script "sudo rm -rf .Trashes" in window 1
delay 2
do script x in window 1
delay 2
do script "yes" in window 1
delay 2
do script "killall Terminal"
end tell
return input
end run</pre>

Automator applications stopped working

I created a workflow and saved it as an automator application and it doesn't work.
It was copied from an article on how to convert PDF to word ( and other formats)
It work at one time but only recently tried it again and now it doesn't work.
Any suggestions?

Well thats kind of a silly answer. I told you it worked once upon a time so if it doesn't work now something must have changed.
Here is the work flow if it works for you I have a problem if it is correct and it doesn't work for you then Automator isn't working correctly.
Open Automator, choose make workflow. Click on files and folders in the leftmost column then drag ask for Finder Items from the second column to the large window.
Next click on PDFs in the leftmost column and drag extract PDF to text to the large window below the first item.
Press cmd S gave the workflow a name and chose Application from the popup menu.
When I run the application it creates a txt file but it is blank.

Linking Keys to Automator Applications

Is it possible to link a key (or key combination) to an Automator Application if the key is not currently assigned to something else? Many PCs have Internet Connect buttons, and I’d like to set up my “Home” key to do the same since it currently does nothing when pressed. If that isn't possbile, I'd at least like to have a key combination that could lauch Automator when it is needed.

You have some flexibility within the Keyboard and Mouse panel of System Preferences but I have done a search at VersionTracker and found lots of them.
http://www.versiontracker.com/php/search.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=hot+ke ys&srchArea=mac%7Cosx&x=0&y=0
I personally use Spark and find it works fine.

"Automating" applications that really weren't designed to be automated?

Hello folks. I recently purchased the American Heritage fourth edition dictionary and thesaurus, which comes with a CD-Rom with both products. It's a great dictionary and the one I want to use but it's an older application (I think it's called eReference, the database shell that it's built on) that has no "hooks" in it so you could, for instance, right click on a word in Safari or Nisus or anywhere else and have the word sent to the dictionary app that way. But I would love to build that if possible.
Is there a way to send text to an application like that? Or automate this with the automator tool in leopard?

launchbar does this. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7354/launchbar
Its the instant send feature

What is Automator application? I found it under the Applications folder

Hi,
I would like to know what "Automator" app is? I found it under the Application folder.

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OLE automation application load and unload in each step in the sequence of the TestStand.

what i need to configure for it unloading after step ? Changes in the RunOptions of the step doesnt help .
I need work with unique application during this test in all sequences .
Thanks , wait for your answer ASAP TestStand version 1.02
OLE automation made in the VC++ 6.0
I am used by ActiveX Automation Adapter

I think the problem might be with COM. You will need to make your sequence release your reference before COM can unload it. To do that in TestStand, you set the reference to nothing (nothing is a keyword in TestStand). This will cause TestStand to release reference to your object and then COM will unload the object.
Please give us an update if that worked.
Anand Jain
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
http://www.ni.com/ask

Run an Automator application / script at logout?

I think the answer here is very simple, but after several searches, I can't seem to find the specifice answer:
I've created a very simple Automator app as a backup utility for some of my clients: get specified finder items and copy finder items with "replace existing files" option turned on.
I'd like this application to run automatically every time the user logs out (after all user-launched apps have quit).
I'm guessing I could easily script it, but some of the references I've found are a bit old and I'm not sure if they still work. I'd need something that's a good step-by-step (ie for dummies) since command line scripting isn't one of my stronger points.
Too bad there's no longer the old "shutdown items" folder....
Thanks!

save your workflow as an ical plugin, this will automatically insert the workflow into ical,and create a workflow category for it, then just set to repeat every 5 minutes, or save as an APP and use a program called CRONIX (freeware) to run the schedule.

Automator application

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