Open Finder File with Alternate App

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MACRO:   @Open @Finder File with Alternate Apps

VER: 2.0    2017-03-24 ~~~

DOWNLOAD:

@Open @Finder File with Alternate Apps.kmmacros (14 KB)

NOTE: Macro was uploaded in a disabled state. You will need to enable it before it can be triggered.

Use Case

  • Occasionally I want to open a file with an app other than the normal app that is associated with the file.
  • I could right-click and select "Open with. . .", but that's too much trouble, especially when the alternate app I want to use is often the same for a given file ext/type.
  • For example, there are a lot of text files used by other apps, like XML, HTML, plist, even the KM .kmmacros files are text files.
  • But sometimes, maybe for diagnostic purposes, I need to examine the actual text of the file, and so I want to open these in BBEdit.
  • So, this macro lets me associate file ext/type with alternate apps, which I can then easily open using my trigger of ⌃O.

ReleaseNotes

Author.@JMichaelTX

PURPOSE:

  • Open Selected File With Alternate App

HOW TO USE:

  1. Select a file in the Finder
  2. Trigger this macro

MACRO SETUP

  • Review the Macro "SWITCH" Action, and change to fit your needs and preferences.

WHAT IT DOES:

  1. Based on file extension and UTI content type, open file with an app other than the normal app associated with that file ext/type.

TAGS:

USER SETTINGS:

  • Any Action in magenta color is designed to be changed by end-user

ACTION COLOR CODES

  • To facilitate the reading, customizing, and maintenance of this macro,
    key Actions are colored as follows:
  • GREEN -- Key Comments designed to highlight main sections of macro
  • MAGENTA -- Actions designed to be customized by user
  • YELLOW -- Primary Actions (usually the main purpose of the macro)
  • ORANGE -- Actions that permanently destroy Varibles or Clipboards

REQUIRES:
(1) Keyboard Maestro Ver 7.2.1+
(2) Yosemite (10.10.5)+

8 Likes
2

This is very cool!

1 Like
3

This is fantastic. 4 Year old Macro but still works perfectly!

I have made the Trigger an ⌥+Mouse Click. This Macro is so much faster than using the Finder's Right-Click context menu to choose the App to open a File in Finder.

I am using it to open files with extensions .jpg .jpeg .tiff .png in Preview instead of Photoshop - (which is my default App for those extensions).

And to open video files in IINA with extensions .mov .avi .mv4 instead of QuickTime - (which is my default App for those extensions).

And I can add more Apps and File Types to the list in the future.

All done with the same ⌥Click on the File in the Finder.

Thanks @JMichaelTX

2 Likes
4

Nice, favorited!

5

Lovely thank you.

6

Just came across this macro and it's simple yet incredibly useful. A posthumous thank you to Jim.

2 Likes