Beyond that, it is just utilising core functions of Alfred’s workflow functionality and bits of AppleScript to control Keyboard Maestro. I only dabble in Python occasionally, but at the core of the Conductor workflow are some Python scripts that I created to query the Keyboard Maestro master macros plist file to get and process the required information about the macro groups and macros. Over time I came to realise that I wanted some additional features and I also wanted something that I could tailor and debug more easily without a whole compilation routine for something so small and seemingly straightforward. Creating Conductorįor several years, I had been using Alfred Maestro, but it utilises a compiled set of code (written in Go). Note that the current value of the delay is shown in the subtext for the action when you enter the keyword.ĭisable an enabled macro by name. Effectively it is a quick access approach. Using “ km” you can specify a positive integer value for the number of seconds delay without having to open and modify the variable inside the Alfred workflow. This variable is used by the “#km “ keyword call to trigger a macro after a specified number of seconds delay. When the workflow is installed, you can set a variable called “delay”. Continue typing to filter the list and use the usual Alfred navigation options to select the macro you wish to trigger.Īs well as executing a macro, you can instead opt to edit a macro by holding down the “alt/option” key when selecting, to copy the macro’s name to the clipboard by holding down the “cmd” key when selecting, or to copy the macro trigger URL to the clipboard by holding down the “ctrl” key when selecting. Beneath each macro name listed, you can also see what macro group it belongs to and it’s unique ID. Type in “km” and a list of active macros will be displayed in alphabetical order. It utilises seven different trigger keywords that allow you to carry out various actions.Ī script filter to execute a macro by name. buttons and menus).Ĭonductor is a workflow for interacting with Keyboard Maestro and specifically for working with macros. It provides an Automator-like user interface with a large array of triggers and actions, and with support for triggering scripts and targeting actions on user interface elements (e.g. Keyboard Maestro is a third party utility that allows you to build and run macro-based automations to interact with other applications and the operating system. The following description is included in the Workflow. Prerequisite: Python 3 ( Easy step-by-step install for Python 3).įor more Alfred workflows, take a look at the downloadable workflow list on the Alfred project page. At it’s core it is simply a way to list and execute a particular macro, but I may just have added a few more bells and whistles along the way as you can see from the workflow layout. I’ve named the workflow for working with Keyboard Maestro “Conductor”, as it is directing the maestro. I’m personally much better at remembering parts of the names and so searching an index of the available macros helps me with the ones I don’t have in regular circulation, and that’s what today’s Alfred workflow enables. But when you invest like that, you do tend to build up a large set of macros and having memorable ways to access them with short codes, hot keys, gestures, palettes, etc. I’m certainly no stranger to the application and have been using it for over a decade to manage a large proportion of my Mac automations. If you speak to anyone who more than dabbles in automation on macOS, Keyboard Maestro is almost certainly going to be a utility that gets mentioned.
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