My goal is to create a macro that opens the Zoom application and then clicks various buttons within Zoom once Zoom launches. I tried to do this using Mac's Automator and mostly succeeded but I could never quite get it to work exactly as I wanted it to. While searching for answers to my Automator problems I stumbled onto KM.
So now my goal is to try to use KM to open Zoom and then click some buttons within the Zoom app. I started by creating a Macro Group called AlexHelp. I then added the Activate a Specific Application action to the Macro Group. It is set to activate Zoom and it is triggered by my typing Alex help. That action works fine. IOW, when I type Alex help Zoom launches. The Zoom window that opens is shown in Fig 1 and the Macro group and the action are shown in Fig 2.
But the next step is where I run into a problem. After Zoom is launched I would like KM to automatically click the Join a Meeting button in Fig 1. To do this I tried adding the Press a Button action to the Macro Group (after the Activate a Specific Application action). See Fig 4. But it doesn't work. When I type Alex help Zoom does launch but the Join a meeting button is not pressed.
I tried a different method: I added the Press a Button action as a second action within the Activate a Specific Application action. See Fig 4. That also did not work. Again, typing Alex help launched Zoom but the Join a meeting button was not automatically pressed.
This should be a simple series of actions to accomplish and I am sure that KM can do it. So there must be something very basic that I am doing wrong. But for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
You need to put all the steps, which KM calls Actions, in one Macro
so, if you use the Macro named "Activate a Specific Application", you:
1.- Activate Zoom
2.- Add a pause
3.- Press button
As another option for step 3, you can use instead a Keystroke action, like Cmd-J to open the Join a meeting Window:
I followed your suggestion about putting the Push a Button action into the Activate an Application macro. I also followed your suggestion about adding a pause before the Push a Button action. But I am in a Zoom meeting right now so I am not free to test to see if doing those two steps makes it work.
I will repost when I can test it, but regardless thank you for the suggestions.
But as a side thought, I see that I was misunderstanding what a Macro Group is. I had assumed that it was like a workflow in Automator. I thought that once the first Macro in the Macro Group was executed (Open Zoom application, in my example) that KM would then automatically move on to execute the second Macro in the Macro Group (Push a Button, in my example). But that seems to not be the way KM works, correct? The Macro Group is in reality just a list of Macros but KM does not execute them one after the other. IOW, each Macro has its own trigger and when the first Macro in the Macro Group has finished, the Macro Group does not automatically trigger the second Macro in the Macro Group?
I did test it and it ran perfectly. Thank you again for the help.
My plan is now to extend the Macro to push other buttons within Zoom (such as the share screen button and then the Allow my computer to be controlled button). But now that I know how to have KM push the Join a Meeting button within Zoom I assume that pushing other buttons in Zoom will work the same way.
Longer answer:
If you ever need to, you can split parts of a macro into several macros, and call them using "Execute Macro", not only from that Macro Group, but also from other Macro Groups.
For example, when you find yourself reusing the exact same action several times in other macros.
You are correct -- "when the first Macro in the Macro Group has finished, the Macro Group does not automatically trigger the second Macro in the Macro Group."
KM is quite different from the Automator.
While Macro Groups do act like a folder to contain macros, it also controls their availability to be triggered.
See Macro Activation .
In order to make good use of KM, you need to learn about the objects the KM uses, and its terms and definitions. See the KM Wiki Glossary .
Since you are new to KM, you may find these articles helpful:
at the top right of the Action, and select "Help"