I have started limiting screen image searches to a specific screen using "Screen Index".
Questions:
Does this significantly improve speed and accuracy of image searches?
Is there any way to change the screen index # without changing the screen arrangement?
Is there any way to globally update the Index Number used in multiple actions?
I support several users and they do not all have the same multi-screen setup. I hate to mandate which side they place their secondary screen, but it is a real pain changing this setting in scores of macros.
Generally, no. If you restrict a search to less than a quarter of the total desktop, then Keyboard Maestro will use a more CPU intensive search that is more accurate. But a single screen will not likely do that.
No, the screen indexes are based on screen position. Left to Right (and for equal coordinates, top to bottom).
Not really. Not short of hacking the XML of actions and/or editing the macros plist (while Keyboard Maestro and Keyboard Maestro Engine are not running).
A good solution would be to set the desired index in a variable that is permanently set (typical convention is to start them with DND (Do Not Delete), something like “DND Screen Index”. Then use that in all your actions. You will have to change your macros once, but never have to again.
Ahh! I did not know I could use a variable in that cell. That’ll work. It sounds like confining the search to a screen might not help that much though. Thanks for your answer.
See: Text Fields (which should be mandatory reading for all users really who want to progress their Keyboard Maestro use, because it is fairly crucial to understanding Keyboard Maestro actions).
Sorry, I perhaps was not entirely clear. Accuracy will be unaffected, but the search will still be faster as the search area gets smaller, so searching one screen will likely be about half the time of searching two.
Sounds good. I DO use "DND_" variables extensively and use local variables in conjunction with %FoundImage%. It just had not dawned on me that the "Screen Index" was a candidate for a variable. Already implemented!