Keyboard Maestro Editor Megathread

_jims · January 26, 2023, 5:19pm

In the spirit of the Logic Pro - Macro Megathread (2022) started by @noisneil, I thought it would be helpful to create a similar thread for the Keyboard Maestro Editor.

Please use this thread to contribute macros that you use with the Keyboard Maestro Editor. Alternatively, if a macro has been contributed elsewhere in the forum, please add a link to it; optionally add your comments.

No macro is too simple; if you find it handy to use, please share it here.

I will contribute the first one: Search All Macros.

If you’d like to format your entry as I’ve done below, here are the steps:

Using Heading 2 enter MACRO:, the macro name, and the version. For example,
```
## MACRO: MacroName, v1.0
```
Optionally include a macro description or any related comments.
Include a screenshot or animated GIF (if applicable). (Note that you can copy a screenshot and paste it into the forum editor; the editor will generate the markdown for the copied screenshot.)
Add the macro download link.
```
<mark>(the download link)</mark>
```

Place the image markdown within a folding section. For example:

<details><summary>Macro-image</summary>

![Keyboard Maestro Export|593x4048, 75%](upload://ti3lOZCB1hjPk52UhXpur8Ch4zP.jpeg)

</details>

MACRO: Search All Macros, v6.0

I have a large macro library and I search often. Using the keyboard only, this macro makes it easy to use search qualifiers that I find particularly helpful.

Download: Search All Macros.kmmacros (84.7 KB)

Documentation

PURPOSE

The Keyboard Maestro Editor Search field supports powerful macro searching, but it can be a bit tedious the enter the search string in the field. This macro presents a dialog that can be used to build and enter a search string in the Search field.

In addition, the dialog includes two additional buttons:

Clear Search : The Search field will be cleared, the macros will be sorted by Name, and Reveal Parent Group will be selected.
Wiki: Search Strings : The Keyboard Maestro wiki page for Search Strings will be opened. This page is lists other Qualifiers that can be used when searching for macros.

RUNNING THIS MACRO WITH PARAMETER

If this macro is run from another macro using the Execute a Macro action (or via AppleScript), and With Parameter is specified, the value will be deciphered via this macro’s %TriggerValue%. There are two options:

If <Clear Search> is specified, the dialog will be bypassed, but the macro will function as if the dialog Clear Search button had been selected.
If it includes a 0: prefix, the dialog will be bypassed, and the text that follows 0: will be used as the search string. For example, if With Parameter is 0:used:1m, the dialog will be bypassed and used:1m will be the search string. If it does not include a 0: prefix, the values will used as the initial value in the dialog box.

TESTED WITH

• Keyboard Maestro 11.0.3
• Sonoma 14.5 (23F79)/MacBookPro18,2
• Sonoma 14.5 (23F79)/VariableMacBookPro16,1
• Mojave 10.14.16/Macmini6,2
• High Sierra 10.13.6/iMac11,1445

VERSION HISTORY

1.0 - initial version

1.1 - Bug fix. Incorrect smart quotes replaced with dumb quotes.

1.2 - Centers the dialog.

2.0

a) Added a field for Additional Qualifiers.

b) Dialog notes improved.

c) Dialog can be dismissed using the esc key.

d) Inexplicably, extraneous characters sometimes appear in the Search field when the Find in All Macros… menu item is selected. The macro will now delete such characters.

3.0 If this macro is run from another macro using the Execute a Macro action (or via AppleScript), and With Parameter is specified, the value will be deciphered via this macro’s %TriggerValue%. If it includes a 0: prefix, the dialog will be bypassed, and the text that follows 0: will be used as the search string. For example, if With Parameter is 0:used:1m, the dialog will be bypassed and used:1m will be the search string. If it does not include a 0: prefix, the values will used as the initial value in the dialog box.

3.1 To prevent Search using Regular Expression spurious errors in the Engine.log, added an If Then Else. The visible function of the macro was not changed.

3.2 Now restores the System Clipboard.

4.0

a) If a value is selected from the used: dropdown menu, the search results are sorted by Date Used. Otherwise, they are sorted by Name.

b) Changed the ‘Additional Qualifiers’ logic to be more forgiving.

c) Bug fix: Occasionally when was pressed to dismiss the main dialog, it would not close.

5.0

a) Added created: and modified: qualifiers.

b) When building the search string, now using the short version, e.g, mod: rather than modified:.

c) When sorting, added a check to determine if the menu item is active. This eliminates some clutter from the Engine.log.

6.0

a) If the name checkbox is selected, the search search will include a n: prefix (previously it was name:).

b) Added a Clear Search dialog button. If selected the Search field will be cleared, the macros will be sorted by Name, and Reveal Parent Group will be selected.

Macro-Image

noisneil · January 26, 2023, 6:02pm

Create and Populate a 'Show Palette of Macros' Macro

Select the macros you'd like to populate a Show Palette of Macros macro with, then trigger this macro.

_jims · January 26, 2023, 6:21pm

Hey, @noisneil, thanks for being the first to bite.

That's a cool macro. Thanks for sharing! And I like the way you included a short description and animated GIF. (I modified the OP and included that in the template.)

_jims · January 26, 2023, 6:39pm

MACRO: Insert Action to Check Variable(s), v4.1

This macro is very useful when doing simple macro debugging.

_jims · January 26, 2023, 6:52pm

MACRO: Enable/Disable

This clever macro by @gglick is so useful. If I paid Gabe a nickel for every use, he'd be rich (and I'd be poor).

vincent_ardern · January 27, 2023, 7:10am

I'm lazy so I find it easier to hit the ⌘W keys than the ⌘H keys and I tend to view Keyboard Maestro as a utility so closing it makes sense.

After many years I realised that I inevitably open it again very shortly afterwards, so I find that hiding it saves me fractions of time each time I want it open again (there is a ~~very~~ short (edit: it's actually pretty long...) but noticeable time difference between creating a new window and just bringing an existing window to the front).

Hence, this simple macro.

Download: Replace close with hide.kmmacros (2.7 KB)

_jims · January 28, 2023, 11:10pm

Thanks, @vincent_ardern. Yes, some of the best macros are very short and simple.

cdthomer · January 29, 2023, 3:22pm

Here’s a few I have created and use quite frequently. YMMV.

Publicly posted macros
These are macros that I have previously posted on the forum and will link to from here.

Non-publicly posted macros
These are macros that I have not previously posted publicly, and wasn’t really planning to since these are not designed for public consumption and will require end-user adjustments to work. But since we have this mega-thread going, I will share them here in case anybody wants to peek at them and use them/adapt them for their own use.

Export open macro to a specified folder.

02)[AS-KM] Macros- Export macro to KM folder.kmmacros (10 KB)

Set selected action(s) color

18)[AS-KM] Macro Editing- Set action(s) color.kmmacros (5.5 KB)

New Editor window side by side

29)[AS-KM] New Editor Side by Side.kmmacros (5.7 KB)

noisneil · January 29, 2023, 8:28pm

Create Pre-Filled Action

Prompts with a list of action types. Each option creates:

Button - button-press action with a user-defined button name
Clipboard - action to display %SystemClipboard%
Text - action to display user-defined text
TriggerValue - action to display %TriggerValue%
Variable - action to display the variable whose field is currently focused
Variable Prompt - action to display the variable whose field is currently focused, in a prompt. This gives you the option to cancel or continue the macro when the prompt appears.
YES - action to display the word "YES". When you use local variables, the editor can't evaluate them, so this helps me figure out which condition of an If/Else is being satisfied.

Create Pre-Filled Action.kmmacros (67 KB)

Macro screenshot

Demo Video

CleanShot 2023-01-29 at 18.21.19

Get Coordinates

Trigger the macro and choose whether you would like to capture the coordinates:
a) between two points, or
b) relative to the front window's top-left corner. This is useful for apps like Brave Browser, whose from window KM can't 'see'.
Follow the instructions via notifications (top-right).

You will then be given a choice:

a) Display the coordinates in a window.
presented with the relative coordinates between those two positions, or
b) Type the coordinates into fields in the Keyboard Maestro Editor.

If you choose the latter, just switch to the Editor and click an action's first coordinate field.

Get Coordinates.kmmacros (69 KB)

Macro screenshot

Copy and Paste Coordinates

There are two flavours of these macros:

Short: for actions whose coordinate fields are all in one row:

Long: for actions whose coordinate fields are on multiple rows:

In use:

Click the first coordinate field of a filled-in action and trigger the appropriate Copy macro (short or long).
Click the first coordinate field of the destination action and trigger the appropriate Paste macro (short or long).

Coordinate Copy/Paste Macros.kmmacros (105.9 KB)

_jims · January 30, 2023, 5:49am

I've updated the OP with Version 1.1 of Search All Macros.

Bug fix: incorrect smart quotes replaced with dumb quotes.

August · January 30, 2023, 9:45am

Quick Tip: Put Links to Macros in Comments!

The above title is a link to a post by @DanThomas from Jan 2022 that I am finding useful in organizing and documenting my macros.

In my most recent use, I have a Conflict Palette of various Copy and Paste tools. One that I just added only works if a browser window is the active focus, so it needs to be in its own group with those settings. I have a link to that macro in a Comment in the group which contains the rest of the macros in the Conflict Palette.

fap · January 30, 2023, 5:12pm

I use this macro to rename an action.

Rename the action.kmmacros (30.9 KB)

I use hotkey ⌥R to rename the selected action. I have noticed that as a result I'm more frequently updating the default action value which adds to maintainability.

_jims · January 30, 2023, 5:39pm

Me too, @fap. With Keyboard Maestro v10.2 you can use Actions>Rename (⌘R). I'm not sure about earlier versions of KM.

_jims · January 30, 2023, 11:51pm

Hi, @August. Thanks for sharing. Based on other macros I've downloaded and used from the forum (no doubt some from @DanThomas), I knew it was possible to create such links. But your post today has inspired me to create a macro that automates the process.

Also, I'm slowly creating a group of utility subroutines and converting many of my macros to use them. The macro links Dan/you suggested come in quite handy if one wants to quickly view the called subroutines. So I did just that. See the header comment in the macro below.

MACRO: Macro Rich Link To Clipboard, v1.0

Keyboard Maestro Export

DOWNLOAD Macro File:
Macro Rich Link To Clipboard.kmmacros (21 KB)
Note: This macro was uploaded in a DISABLED state. It must be ENABLED before it can be run. If it does not trigger, the macro group might also need to be ENABLED.

Macro-image

4 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 Macros.kmmacros (42.0 KB)
Note: The four required subroutines were uploaded in the DISABLED state. They do not need to be enabled, nor does the enclosing group: .𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨

Subroutine-images

_jims · January 31, 2023, 7:05am

MACRO: Navigate to Configured Macro or Subroutine, v2.0

When an Execute a Macro, Execute a Subroutine, or Open a URL action is selected and this macro is triggered, the Keyboard Maestro editor will open the configured macro or subroutine.

For the Open a URL action, the URL must be formatted as follows:

keyboardmaestro://m=keyboardmaestro://m=UUID

DOWNLOAD Macro File:
Navigate to Configured Macro or Subroutine.kmmacros (34 KB)
Note: This macro was uploaded in a DISABLED state. It must be ENABLED before it can be run. If it does not trigger, the macro group might also need to be ENABLED.

Macro-image

4 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 Macros.kmmacros (34.4 KB)
Note: The four required subroutines were uploaded in the DISABLED state. They do not need to be enabled, nor does the enclosing group: .𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨

Subroutine-images

Navigate to Configured Macro or Subroutine also requires subroutine 𝗌.𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼⇾SelectedCount. It is available in the group of four subroutines posted with Macro Rich Link To Clipboard. If you have installed that macro and its required subroutines, then you already have subroutine 𝗌.𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼⇾SelectedCount.

August · January 31, 2023, 7:42pm

How is this different from simply clicking on the Action name and then typing a new name? Is it merely that it gets you there with a keystroke instead of a mouse click, or am I missing something?

cdthomer · January 31, 2023, 9:08pm

I don’t think you can change the action name with a single click on the action... for me I have to right-click and then click Rename..., so having a hotkey is faster for me.

_jims · January 31, 2023, 9:22pm

Yes, and the ⌘R keyboard shortcut* ~~is already provided in the Keyboard Maestro application~~ was configured by me in the macOS System Settings (formerly called the System Preferences). See my post below for more information.

*There's a potential point of confusion for new Keyboard Maestro users:

macOS Keyboard Shortcuts : Like the aforementioned ~~hard-coded~~ ⌘R; this is the term Apple uses in macOS for these key combinations.
Keyboard Maestro Hot Keys : This is one type of Keyboard Maestro macro trigger; they normally include modifiers like macOS Keyboard Shortcuts.

Clear as mud, right?

_jims · January 31, 2023, 9:34pm

Hi, @August.

Unless @cdthomer and I are missing something, a simple action click won't do it. BTW, a double-click does collapse/expand an action.

(As an aside: my personal preference is to always use the keyboard, if possible. I suffer from ergo pain when I overuse a mouse.)

My point above was that a macro is no longer needed to initiate an Action Rename by keyboard. [ EDIT: I've set a ⌘R keyboard shortcut in the macOS System Settings (formerly called the System Preferences). See my post below for more information. In that post, @cdthomer, cleared up confusion that I likely created. ]

For those that like to use a pointing device, there is another option: the action Gear Icon>Rename...

cdthomer · January 31, 2023, 9:52pm

Say what? For me ⌘R activates the record a macro feature...