Trigger a KM Macro from an "open document action" on a PC connected on the same LAN

[Xabi]

Hi there again and thanks to all for the amazing resources community!

Actually working in dubbing sessions for movie production, I use a Mac for audio (protools) and a PC for dubbing rythmo session (Mosaic and Synchronos softwares)

I have a folder on both computers, one with the pro tools sessions on the Mac, and the same with the dubbing projects on the PC.

KM installed on Mac of course...

I made a PDF with all the sessions I want to open, with an hypertext link on the title that opens the dubbing session.
Is there a way to trigger KM remotely so it opens the corresponding pro tools session, and the dubbing session, with only ony click on the pdf hypertext link ?

Thanks in advance for the amazing solutions I'm sure you'll find!

[iampariah]

Could you do this with Hazel based on a folder sync service like Dropbox?

[avtraino]

You can trigger a macro remotely with the Remote trigger.

Assuming a link in your PDF is just calling "path/to/dubbing/session", maybe you could instead have it call a PowerShell script containing something like this:

start "path\to\dubbing\session"
Invoke-WebRequest "https://trigger.keyboardmaestro.com/t/<UniqueID1>/<UniqueID2>?TriggerValue"

[Xabi]

Thanks!

I just know nothing about powershell script, but I'll try to find out.!

To be more precise, I forgot the pdf and have an Excel sheet, where every project (it's a training session, so multiple projects) has a line that indicates the title and what it's about.
I already made hypertext links on the titles so it opens the Mosaic dubbing session on the PC.

what I'd like is when I click on that title, if I understood we'll, is to open the famous powershell script that will do both : opening the Mosaic session and sending a web request to trigger KM.

Am I right?

Well... I just have to find how to do that with powershell script unless some of you have an answer easy to apply

[avtraino]

I assume your current hyperlink looks something like: file:///path/to/dubbing/session

You can create a PowerShell script (a text document with the .ps1 extension) and link to that instead: file:///path/to/yourscript.ps1

Model the contents of yourscript.ps1 after this:

@avtraino

start "path\to\dubbing\session"
Invoke-WebRequest "https://trigger.keyboardmaestro.com/t/<UniqueID1>/<UniqueID2>?TriggerValue"

PowerShell scripts in Windows are set to open in Notepad by default -- this is a safety measure.
If you're willing to accept the risk, you can open Properties and change the Opens with setting to PowerShell, which is probably here C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe

After that, your new hyperlink should work.
Let me know if you have any issues.

[Xabi]

Thank you sooo much for the very clean answer !

I understood everything and am dying to try it on monday at the studio.
For what i read, it will certainly work

I'll let you know of course !

This forum is an gold mine and you're a nugget in this ocean of very specific demands some of us have... thanks again for taking time to explain clearly.

Xabi

[Xabi]

Damned...

I was so sure it would work.
Something is weird, but don't know what.

I did exactly how you explained, without the hyperlink, as i wanted to try to open the .ps1 document before, to be sure it would work.

Nothing happens, i see the Windows powershell opening quickly (blue window) then it shuts down by itself, and ...nothing.

I also modified the properties so it opens with PowerShell and not the notepad of course...

Is there something i'm doing wrong ?

EDIT : I modified the executionpolicy to "Retmote Signed" for both Local and User.
**The webrequest works : it opens my Pro Tools session ! **
But the first command does not open the Mosaic file on the PC.

Thanks again for your patience...

Xabi

[avtraino]

What happens if you open PowerShell and run the start "/path/to/.mos" command directly?

[Xabi]

Very weird...

If i run the command Start "C:\Users\Synchro\Desktop\DUB MOSAIC\1. MOS CINÉMA\ALABAMA MONROE - un couple se déchire - 1H 1F\Alabama Monroe - 1H 1F.mos" directly in PowerShell, it opens the corresponding file perfectly... (see the Noblurway Mosaic software lauching screen in front of the powershell window...)

But if i copy/paste the exact same command into the.ps1 document created, i have an error message, which i don't understand at all

Here is my .ps1 document content :

And the error message i got :

The only command that worls when opening the .ps1 is the opening of my protools session. (Which is already super fine ! But useless if it doesn't open the .mos doc at the same time)...

Seems like a name/path/directory problem : If i copy the .mos file on the desktop on windows, copy the new path to the /ps1 document, it works and open both the Mosaic doc and the Pro Tools session.

Well.... we're close... but i can't copy all the 60 mosaic documents on the desktop and i have to find out what's wrong with the path name.

Thanks. I'll keep digging, but if you know what's going on...

Xabi

[Xabi]

EDIT : FOUND A SOLUTION !

Well, the cause was an accent on "cinEma" on the file... (f... french ^)

Now, the PowerShell script works but only if the .ps1 file is on the desktop.
As soon as i put it in a file, it becomes impossible to run it. If i try to open it, i get a very quick blue "powershell" window, but no error message, nothing, it just closes by itself after half a second...

I can not have ALL my .ps1 documents (one for each session) on the desktop, impossible...

Any idea what causes the .ps1 doc not to open as soon as i move it from the desktop ???

I won't quit and sure there is an explanation

Xabi

[avtraino]

Sure enough, this is a character encoding problem.

I was able to reproduce the issue. When I created a new file in Notepad.exe to create the script, it saves it encoded as UTF-8 (without a BOM). This Stack Overflow answer explains why that's a problem.

I was able to fix it by opening the script in Notepad++ and selecting the menu item Encoding -> Convert to UTF-8-BOM.

You may also be able to do this in your text editor of choice, or with a PowerShell command similar to this:

$old = "/path/to/script-utf8.ps1"  
$new = "/path/to/script-utf8-2bom.ps1"  
(Get-Content -path $old) | Set-Content -Encoding UTF8BOM -Path $new

[Xabi]

I solved the character encoding problem with deleting all the accents.
Done.

The only remaining problem is the path of the ps1 doc.

As soon as I move it from the desktop, nothing happens.
I read that folders have to be configured to allow script launching but I really don't know how to change that.

Or a execution policy not configured as desired....

Uhhhh this is a tough one for me, but we're getting so close....

Thank you so much for taking time to try to solve my problem.

[avtraino]

Where are you trying to put it?
Another location on a local disk? A network share?

[Xabi]

Nothing fancy : I just want to put my .ps1 files in a folder, on the desktop of the PC.

to resume, if I open it from the desktop, it works. If I put in a folder, on the same desktop, it doesn't.

[avtraino]

There is an error being produced, but the interpreter window is disappearing before we can see what's wrong.

To see an error message, open a PowerShell window and run it from there by entering the full path to your script.

[Xabi]

Okay, will do that as soon as I get back to the studio