Keyboard Maestro Question

[mikehalloran]

I know, not a lot of people use the dashboard. I use it a lot.

as do I.

[bayswater]

What's wrong with the dashboard? I use it to listen to the BBC, look at weather, flight info, calculators, istat, and a load of other stuff.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I don't want to hijack the thread here, but a lot of folks claim dashboard is obsolete and useless. For me it's as essential as the rear view mirror in my car. Sure, I can go forward without it, but it sure helps keeps things in perspective.

[Shooshie]

I use Dashboard every day, but I haven't added a new widget in years.

[bayswater]

I use Dashboard every day, but I haven't added a new widget in years.

Isn't that great!? No mucking about with endless updates and new stuff that may or may not work.

[bayswater]

I'm running the KM trial, setting up a macro that launches the DP manual, Cuemix, and DP, and optionally launches a slaved instance of Logic with EXS libraries. This takes a lot of time to set up and if a macro could do it's well worth the effort. (I have the macro uploaded by FrankF working fine.)

In all instances I've tried, KM cannot access an item in the main menus of an application, even using the dialogs in the macro editor to define it, rather than typing things in.

For example, I launch the DP manual in Preview, then want it to show two pages side by side in full screen. Using the macro builder to tell it to Select "Two Pages" in the "View" menu does nothing. But simulating the keyboard shortcut for this command does work.

I also find Manipulate a Window > Move and Resize > Full Screen, does nothing. Again the keyboard shortcut emulation does work.

Is there a trick to getting menu selection working? I see there is an option to stop a macro if a menu item cannot be selected, so maybe these are not foolproof?

[frankf]

Use "Select or Show a Menu Item" KM Interface Control menu. Select Preview or other open application from the Menu pull down at top right of action, select other options.
You may have to insert a short Pause in macros to give apps time to catch up with KM.

[bayswater]

Frank, thanks for the reply.

That's what I did. I added the Select or Show a Menu Item from the Interface Control list to the macro, then used the small Menu drop down to the right to choose the application, menu, and menu item. So it's all done with clicks within the KM application. I've tried setting it to select different menus and menu items, but none of them have worked.

[bayswater]

Also, and this might be the problem, KM keeps telling me to

"Please enable Accessibility for Keyboard Maestro and Keyboard Maestro Engine in the Accessibility section of the Privacy section of the Security & Privacy system preference pane."

I've enabled it, and gone back to check it several times. It is enabled, but that doesn't stop the prompt.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

There's a post somewhere on the KM site about that. AwY from the Mac but I'll check later. Also make sure your macro is in the right app folder in KM.

[bayswater]

OK, thanks. I guess I better spend more time with the manual tomorrow.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Setting up app specific macros was tricky for me.

[bayswater]

Do you mean macros that only run when a specific app is running, or macros that only control one app? I'm trying to build one that launches 4 different apps and issue commands to each of them.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I mean if you have a macro you want to work in a specific app ONLY it needs to be in the folder for that app (I forget what they call those folders). If is is not in that folder I don't think the menu selection and other app specific macros will work correctly.

[bayswater]

I mean if you have a macro you want to work in a specific app ONLY it needs to be in the folder for that app (I forget what they call those folders). If is is not in that folder I don't think the menu selection and other app specific macros will work correctly.

OK, that would explain why keyboard shortcuts work but menu commands don't. I thought I'd be able to have a macro execute commands in several different apps at different times, depending on which one is in front.