Not quite the same as Packal, but I made http://MaestroMacros.com a while ago. There are only four macros on it, all by me, but it might be of interest.
I am just wondering that because 'Keyboard Maestro Engine' burns through quite a bit of the battery
So I was wondering if it is really worth it and whether it is better to just stick with Alfred. I was actually thinking of how I can use KM for and I went through all of the premade macros that come with the app and found that I could do all of them in BetterTouchTool and/or Alfred.
Also, I have a question. How can I add 'press a hotkey' as an action in one of my macros. Let's say I want to create a macro :
- open specific app
- press hotkey
- press hotkey
- open specific app
- paste the text
And for it to ideally run in background if possible. Can something like this be made? I couldn't find an action for 'press hotkey' so I am wondering.
Use the "Type a Keystroke" action.
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Your screenshot inspired me to write a little AppleScript. Put it into the Scripts menu and launch it when you think you may go low on battery. It will quit Keyboard Maestro Engine and in addition quite a bunch of other little background helper apps. (You have to adapt the list in the script to your needs.)
When you’re back home launch the script again and it will relaunch the previously closed apps.
The script is intelligent enough to remember which apps you closed before, i.e. if an app from the list was not running when you launched the script, this app will not be started when you launch the script again.
Toggle Helper Apps.scpt.zip (3.3 KB)
# Launch the script when you are low on battery
# Launch it again when you are connected to electricity
property appsToShutdown : {"Keyboard Maestro Engine", "LaunchBar", "Copied", "KeyCue", "PopClip", "Bartender 2", "Dropbox", "SkyDrive", "Box Sync", "BetterTouchTool", "ScreenFloat", "Yoink", "Flux", "TransmitMenu", "Typinator", "Amphetamine", "Prizmo", "CCC User Agent", "PopChar"}
property wasRunningBefore : {}
if application "Keyboard Maestro Engine" is running then
set wasRunningBefore to {}
repeat with i in appsToShutdown
if application i is running then
try
set wasRunningBefore to wasRunningBefore & i
tell application i to quit
end try
end if
end repeat
else
if wasRunningBefore is {} then set wasRunningBefore to appsToShutdown
repeat with i in wasRunningBefore
try
tell application i to launch
end try
end repeat
end if
--log wasRunningBefore
@tom: Thanks for this script. I have used a modified version to solve a problem with the clipboard management of KM and Adobes Creative apps.
See this post.
@nikivi, I'm not sure why you perceive KM to be an excessive, or major consumer of energy or battery life. When I look at your Activity Monitor, it is very low compared with the big consumers like "BetterTouchTool" and "Safari".
I didn't see an email client (like Apple Mail or Outlook), but on my system Outlook 2011 is by far the energy hog. Chrome also consumes a lot of energy, so I guess the browsers (surprisingly) do consume a lot.
When I am on battery, and it is low, I close all apps that are not essential, and shutdown both Bluetooth and WiFi unless absolutely needed. If I need to check something online (web site or email) then I briefly enable WiFi, quickly do my stuff, and then disable it again.
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Here is an review from March 2014 comparing KM with Alfred.
Alfred Or Keyboard Maestro: Which Works Best For You?
Keep in mind that since then KM has made some major improvements with KM7. I don't know about Alfred changes.
I read the article and did NOT see anything that even made me want to further investigate Alfred. From what I can tell, KM can do everything Alfred can do, and much more.
I am super happy with KM, and as much as I have used it, I find that I learn something new about KM almost every day. When you combine that with the awesome support provided by the KM owner, @peternlewis, in this forum and elsewhere, AND the great help from other users, it completely convinces me that KM is a far superior product.
I don't mean to put-down or offend any Alfred users. I'm sure it's a great product. I'm just saying that, IMO, KM is better. From the hints that Peter has dropped about the next version, KM8, I'm sure it will become even better.
Checkout all of the new features added in KM7:
Stairways Software releases Keyboard Maestro 7.0 (Jul 2015)
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Just came across this. Isn't this now the Macro Library Category? And @JMichaelTX, isn't you referring to the "Macro Section" the Macro Library Category as well?
Rigorously consistent nomenclature can help at the very beginning by reducing the appearance of complexity due to the sheer volume of ways the same thing gets referenced.
Later, after there's some comfort through familiarity gained just by repetition, variations can stimulate connections or new paths.
Of course, the opposite can be argued thereby muting the point. Point is to be sensitive to the ease of overwhelming, especially in the beginning, and to recognize in a sense we are always beginning. This taking care of or teaching the "young" has a particular time/energy/patience cost that not everyone finds themselves committed to and that is ok.
The name of the forum category changed since this was written five years ago.
I came to KM to solve problems in my life that did not require much in the way of a programming background. It was a simple need to repetitively perform a task that required many steps. Once I got very familiar with doing the tasks by hand and using as many of the keyboard shortcuts as possible along the chain of steps, I would construct a KM macro to do the same thing. Sometimes it would require that the chain of steps be broken up into 2 or 3 pieces because a human decision had to be made at certain places.
All this required was the ability of KM to choose menu items, type keyboard shortcuts and change the foremost application. I have a few "complex" macros but the vast majority are of the type described above. The accuracy and speed of KM when compared to a human, made some of these chores not only faster be actually doable. Repeating some task 1000 times. The only "trick" that I had to use was judicially places pauses in the macro because sometime the computer could not "keep-up". But these macros use no variables or complex decisions logic.
This use of KM employs about 4% of the "capabilities" of the program. But that is fine.
Anybody who does a repetitive task on their computer (and there has to be a lot of such people) should try creating a KM macro that can do pieces of it. You can even use the capability of KM to "Record" what you are doing to provide the basic scaffolding of what the task is. And then streamline and modify what is produced.
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What specifically do you find fantastic?
Their Index page?
Search function?
How they organize and visually display items into workflows and themes?
How items are listed?
Is it the open airy overall visually appealing and friendly look?
I'd be interested in collaborating on designing such an interface/display/organization for KM for the learning it would provide.
One thing I'm pretty certain about is the idea that "everything" come from a "source". Meaning in this case that if you as the source of KM aren't the author of the project if you don't authorize it, it ain't gonna fly.
You seem to be (or were) keen on the idea of something more or different than what was available. Is this still the case? I do hear your consideration that it may not be as useful with KM as the more limited launcher app Alfred. Still the inquiry the project itself might generate in addition to what the project might output could be useful and valuable enough to investigate.
Yes, I plead guilty of not always being very precise about the forum categories.
Discourse forum "categories" are called "sub-forums" in just about all other forum software, and have been for many years. IMO, forum "category" does not properly convey "sub-forum".
I am a big fan of consistency, but not at the expense of clear communications.
So, sometimes using another term for something, other than its official name, is useful in describing the purpose of that entity.
I suppose I could write a Typernator snippet for "Macro Section" that would always replace it with "Macro Library Category". I'll take it under advisement.
BTW, for better or worse, the English language is full of synonyms and local dialects. And then we have the British and Australian versions. We can't control what other people say or write, so it is in our best interest to broaden our own vocabulary. 
Of course, I don't expect everyone to speak Texan.
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Following your link I think I understand what you mean:
“We appreciate your interest in our content. Unfortunately at this time, we are unable to allow international traffic or online transactions.” 
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My approach exactly. It is important to emphasize this aspect of Keyboard Maestro. There was an example on MPU forum today. People even saying 'Keyboard Maestro is for programmers' or nearly implying that. It really isn't true. I did scale back my learning on Keyboard Maestro, but I get amazing use out of the macros I have. Like you probably at 4% of its capacity, but that is a lot. I have the same 'model' as to how to build macros too. I don't think in scripting terms but in terms of action blocks.
I have Alfred but, as you say, anything I do on it I could do with Keyboard Maestro. I use both quite happily and am glad to support both developers.
Yeah. Some of it is perception though @JMichaelTX. It is just perception in some quarters. I try to advise away from those perceptions. People think it is 'for programmers'. Those impressions can be hard to break. In one lab years ago I remember hearing all the time "I am not an artist...", that was about Macs.
If you only came to this forum sometimes you might well be forgiven for thinking that it is fro programers.
The Forum, is, itself quite intimidating I must be honest with you. I think it important to do, as you did and always do to keep re iterating the 'building block" approach. Which is 'programming' but isn't!
It is, of course, complicated things that get discussed here mostly for obvious reasons. A section humorously called "for non-geeks" or something might help. My own use is, if anything, simpler on some measures than it was the first year I got it. I have a large number of expansions for example on palettes.
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I truly don't understand this statement. My impression is just the opposite: This forum is one of the friendliest and most helpful on the Internet. We never intentionally berate a poster for asking a "stupid" or "redundant" question. Sometimes we do suggest a search and/or ask for more info.
So if you could please give us some examples of what you find "quite intimidating" it would be very helpful. Don't worry about being critical or blunt -- we can take it.
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First, I totally agree with you that this is an extraordinary forum. For me, this most visibly shows up in the generosity I so often experience here. However, friendly and helpful doesn’t necessarily make it non-intimidating.
The word intimidation implies threat and threats are mostly a matter of perception which in turn is a matter of a completely individual ever growing network of reinforced and reinforcing interpretations.
Given how exquisitely sensitive and brilliant people are, threats come in all forms and degrees. Many can be in the form of some loss.
Given how smart folks here are, it’s difficult to not imagine that one’s questions will be interpreted BY AT LEAST SOME as stupid, redundant, foolish, even if it’s endlessly repeated and demonstrated that’s not the case. Here in lays the threat and intimidation. The threat of looking bad in others or one's own eyes.
Here lays a hazy boundary between helping and teaching.
This forum is not intended and thereby not designed and organized to be a teaching forum. Education is a wholly different commitment than helping. With teaching the consistent accurate use of words counts like the exactitude one must bring to coding that needs character level precision and a strict adherence to structure.
I think intimidation can come from seeing the level of knowing some people here bring to the table and not from the people themselves acting in some intimidating manner. Kinda like being in the presence of greatness powerfully brings up all we think is not great within ourselves.
This is not to suggest dimming your light. Let it shine!
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