How to change current Finder window (inside an app, for instance) to a specific folder?

[esaruoho]

Hi. SHift-CMD-A in Finder opens up the Applications folder in Finder. This also works inside any Finder popup, such as in Browse for a file, etc.

I'd like to add some more folders like that. such as CMD-ALT-S so that it goes to ~/Music/Samples - a folder that I tend to access very often.

How would I go about doing that?

[jonathonl]

Two examples

1: Open with Finder, note you can use the ~
Click on the little folder icon for path, if it is a long one.

2: Open chrome downloads folder via Chrome

Choose your own hotkey trigger,

[esaruoho]

Hi. with your example, let's say I go to Chrome and click on "Upload image" and press the shortcut - a Finder window opens. Instead of the "Upload image" Finder dialog changing to the correct folder.

Is there a way for creating a shortcut which will change the currently-selected Finder window to the folder of choice. Not open a Finder window, unless nothing is selected?

Another example:
I am in Safari, and press CMD-S to Save the page. A dialog opens. if I now press the shortcut for opening a specific folder on my computer, the CMD-S dialog does not change to that folder, instead, a Finder window is opened.

What is the accurate term for calling the "in-app finder dialog"?

[jonathonl]

The non-KM solution is to use Default Folder X
https://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/
which is one of my favourite apps and
I can highly recommend.

I will let others try and solve this within Keyboard Maestro given your examples.

[JMichaelTX]

@esaruoho

Hi. with your example, let's say I go to Chrome and click on "Upload image" and press the shortcut - a Finder window opens. Instead of the "Upload image" Finder dialog changing to the correct folder.

Is there a way for creating a shortcut which will change the currently-selected Finder window to the folder of choice. Not open a Finder window, unless nothing is selected?

Yes, if I understand you correctly.

This actually has nothing to do with the Finder, but with the macOS standard open/save dialog, that looks like this:

Chris @ccstone answered this several years ago:

How to Select a Specific File in an Open or Save Dialog Window

Hey Costa, In any Open or Save dialog you can hit ⌘⇧G to bring up a sheet to type or paste a path string into. So your sequence would be something like: Type a Keystroke ⌘⇧G Pause Until a button named “Go” exists. Insert Text by Pasting your complete posix path string to the file. Press a Button “Go”. Pause Until a button named “Choose” is active. Press a Button “Choose”. -Chris

Instead of pasting the path to the file, you can just paste the path to the folder.

[esaruoho]

Thanks! That helped. I should've thought of that, but thanks for taking the time to explain it with a previous response

I'll get a-crackin' with these folders, got tons to do

[Zabobon]

I have a variation of this which is my favourite Macro. It was built on the ccstone example.

What it does is open a specific folder with the same hotkey whether you are in the Finder or in a Save As dialog box or in any application. In other words one hotkey takes you to your folder in all circumstances.

It uses an "If Then Else" action to check if a Save dialog is open by checking if a "Cancel" button is enabled. If that it the case it uses the ⌘⇧G shortcut to go to the folder. If there isn't a "Cancel" button that means you are not in a Save dialog box and the next action simply opens the same folder.

One thing is I find it helpful to have a pause after the macro simulates the ⌘⇧G keystroke, so that is what the Pause Until Conditions are met action is doing (waiting for a "Go" button to be enabled).

I have a copy of this macro for all the folders I go to most often. The only thing to amend is the file path in the two actions.

Any Folder.kmmacros (23.7 KB)

[esaruoho]

thank you very much! got it working

[hello]

This one should be a sticky!
glad I found it