kunkel321

Hi Kiston, I'm not an "expert" but I wonder if this could be something as simple as the mouse is not plugged in properly, or the batteries are dead? If it's an old mouse, maybe the mouse is dying? It doesn't seem like this would be an issue of needing a software update (?) I guess maybe if you were using a thirdparty mouse (that didn't come with the computer) and then if someone installed some new software on the PC or the server, then maybe that could conflict with the mouse driver.... This seems unlikely though. Do you have a middle mouse button? If that works, but the right-button doesn't then you'd know it was a faulty mouse.... Maybe the others will have better ideas ... -sk

On the topic of Alt-Tab: I went to the MacExp onboard help file and did a search for "alt tab." I found the following.. "Copy and Paste Between Two Applications -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below is a simple example of how to set up a copy and paste routine between two applications. You can use this as a guideline for creating routines between your specific applications. You might be tempted to try and use the ALT+TAB key to switch between programs. This is actually not always reliable and in fact, will not even work via Macro Express on some computers due to the low level nature of this key command. The solution is to use the ACTIVATE command. ..."

THe Get Pixel Color is in the System Category. When you "get" the pixel color, MacEx converts it to an integer. Figure out the number for you target color using the Menu>Tools>Mouse Locator. FOr example this smiley's color is 2287359. I can create a loop to continue assessing the pixel in this location by saving it's color to N1 and then using IF N1 = 2287359, THEN ... Also, if you can figure out how to use the Wait For Web Page command, it might be better, because then you won't have to build a loop. Wait for Ping might be an option, but I don't know because I've never used it.... Let us know if you are able to solve your dilemma

I suppose you could do this with an editable (at least readable) text field. Using mouse keys to advance to each letter, select it, and copy it to the clipboard. Then set T1 = "f", T2 = clipboard, IF T1 = T2 return "yes," etc etc. ...

I think you can record mouse "swipes" using the Macro Recorder.... But I don't think you can customize your code that way (e.g. move mouse 40, 705, etc) -steve

Go to the "Macro Control" group of commands in the editor and check out "Macro Run." Is this what you need?

I wonder if it could be as simple as creating a random number between 1 and 1000, then add 1000 to the resulting number (?) -steve

Hi Terry, There is an "If program not running" command. Maybe that is what you need? It is in with the 'Logic' commands. -steve

I'd be surprised if you can't find something, there's a lot of stuff out there.. Try a google search for keywords like "freeware keyboard utility." Be careful... THere's a lot of spyware out there. I recommend only downloading from a website if you also do a google search OF THE SITE, and make sure it's been around for a while and is safe. Good luck. -steve

Dang it! I just wrote a big long reply, then accidentally hit Ctrl-F in Firefox and it lost my entire post !!!! Argh. We anyway. To summarize: To the best of my knowledge it is not possible for a macro to only fire while the trigger is being pressed. Also, you can't have just "a" as a trigger. It has to be a hotkey combo (Alt-A, etc) or a series of shortkeys (##a, etc.). There are other ways to automate macros though .... Check out this thread. http://pgmacros.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=3126 Something as simple as pixel color can be a trigger or can be set in the middle of the loop as a "break-out condition." (i.e. keep looping until 'this' part of the screen turns 'this' color.) Lastly, the "a" should work in any program. If your game is not able to tell when MacEx is doing aaaaaaa, then try to slow down the repeat loop. ...Options>Preferences>Delays Gotta go. -steve

Yes, I see what you mean.... Sorry, it actually *is* the "Repeat" command that I meant. First do this: Make a new macro that has a 'Hotkey' for the "Choose Default Activation." Choose a key that's easy to press with one hand like 'Alt-A' (It must be a key combination that doesn't conflict with other game controls.) Open the Macro Express Editor to 'Scripting Editor.' Go to the 'Repeat' commands and choose "Repeat Until." Set it up so it has Repeat until Variable T1 <> T1. This means "until T1 does not equal T1." In computer terms this means "repeat forever." Now go to the 'Text' commands and "Type Text." Have it type "a." Go back to the 'Repeat' one and add "Repeat End." Save. This is basically it. Open ( and click in) Notepad and try out the macro. **IMPORTANT** This loop will keep going forever! YOu have to kill it using MacExp's global abort key: Scroll Lock+Pause. (or just Right-click on the system tray icon of the little running man--which is what I do.) (note also that you can change the global abort key in Tools>Prefs) After you've made sure it works, do this: Open your game. Open the MacExp editor. On the "Scope" tab, and checkmark "Program Specific." NOw click on 'Select' and find YOUR-GAME.EXE from the list and click 'add.' Now the hotkey will only activate the macro when your game is running. =========== A more complex version could be made like this: Set Integer Variable N1 = 1 Repeat Until N1 = 100 Type "a" Modify Variable N1 = N1+1 Repeat End. This one would run the loop 100 times then stop on it's own. ======== Good luck. Let us know how it works! -steve ============= EDIT: Actually the setting to change the MacEx global abort key is at Options>Preferences>Playback. If you go to Options>Preferences>Delays you can change the 'Text Type' speed... I THINK this will make the loop run faster or slower...

Probably a loop with a Text Type in it. Such as: Loop Type "A" Repeat YOu'd have to have a way to stop it though, unless you just use the MacExp global hotkey to abort. Quesiton: Why not just hold down the 'a' button, like this?aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

I'm just now toying around in Vista and I see that this can be accomplished with <Alt>fs. *BUT* only if the folder is highlighted/active. Hopefully you are able to create the folder covertly "behind-the-scenes" which would be much quicker than than using the Windows GUI. THe keyboard trick won't work covertly though.... -steve ...ALso I see now that this doesn't address the issue of relocating the shortcut... Have to go.. will think more on this...

I'm not sure on this one. You mention 'multiple versions,' is that the same as 'multiple instances' of the same program? In the ME editor there is a command under "Wndows/Programs" called "Repeat with Windows." I haven't used it, but I think it saves the names of all the open windows to different variables. I'm not sure if it'll work when they all have the same name (?). I'm not sure, but I think the windows have a "z-order" which is the order in which they were opened. I don't know if the command will read this though... I'm not even sure if z-order is really a real thing... It's been a long week and I might have imagined it! -steve

As I understand, it does. I was toying with another work-around you might be able to build on.... Example: Excel.exe is the dependent variable. Sage.exe is the independent variable. Make a macro that is triggered by Excel’s window becoming ‘on top,’ then create a scenario where the Sage window is *on top of* the Excel window. If you then close Sage, Excel (which was behind it) becomes the one on top and the marco is triggered. This does seem to work, but the problem is that *anytime* Excel is launched, the macro triggers. I tried scoping the macro such that the trigger-on-Excel.exe macro only runs of the application Sage.exe is already running, but that doesn’t work. Perhaps you can introduce another independent variable—such as Notepad.exe. Notepad is a program you never use for anything, so you use scoping to make it a place-holder. Excel being on top will trigger the macro, but *only* if Notepad is running. That way you can use Excel for other things and it won’t trigger the macro. So MACRO ONE: Triggered by Sage.exe Window.. Launches Excel Then Launches Notepad Then executes XYZ End MACRO TWO Triggered by Excel.exe (during time that Notepad is running) Kills Excel Kills Notepad End This is a pretty hokey workaround... I played around with the logic and it does work, sort of, though haphazardly. It’s very easy to make a “stupid-loop” that launches extra instances of Notepad and Excel. Maybe you can build on the basic concept though(?)

Intrigued by my own challenge, I started tinkering... THe following: <DT:ddMMYYYYT:03:4:CenterCenterEnter DateTF><TMVAR2:05:03:03:000:000:><NMVAR:01:03:1:0000003:2:0000007><TEXTTYPE:N3 = %N3%.> prompts for a date, then converts it to an integer, then adds 7 to the integer, then prints the answer into a text field (if one is available). I figure that at the point it is converted to an integer, MacEx 'forgets' that it's supposed to be a date. So if it starts as (ddMMYYYY) 06152008 and you add 7 you just get 06152015. In the Date/Time function (not the old "Date" function) there is an option to "use specific time/date" but it can't be defined dynamically, nor can you add to it. It's unfortunate that MacEx can't use a method similar to Palm or Excel. It simply stores dates as the number of days since the Big Bang. So today is 39614 days from the Big Bang (with I think is 1/1/1900 in Excel-speak). Another option that would be nice is if there was support for actual date variables such as D1, D2, ...., D99. Other thoughts??? -steve

Ar you sure that will work Pat? Iv'e rattled by brain over this very topic in the past. I've only ever been able to get a date offset when starting from "today." As a simplified example, see if you can write one to 'Promt User for Date,' then add 7 days to the given date and print it into Notepad.... ===== THis seems like a pretty basic function, so it may well be possible.....

I agree with Alex, I should definitely try to use the "Text Type: <Tab><Tab><Tab>." You might also be able to use "Get Control" but probably not. From the MacEx editor go to Window Controls > Get Control > Launch Get Control Utility. Drag the CrossHairs around and see if it can "Lock on to" your 'Print Next Page' button. If it can, then you can probably use the get control ... Even if it can though, <Tab><Tab><Tab> would stil be the prefered way to go. ...maybe others have ideas too. -steve

It's too bad you can't click on the first word, then use <Ctrl><Right Arrow><Ctrl><Right Arrow><Ctrl><Right Arrow>to progress word-by-word, checking pixel color along the way, but I don't think this is possible in help files....

Hi again Pat, Here's a bare-bones macro that seems to work: <TBOX4:T:1:CenterCenter000278000200:000:The macro starts...Macro STARTED.><LAUNCHDEL2:0:01C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE><WAITPROG2:000010:000000:EditPadLite.exe><WSHUT:Microsoft Excel><TBOX4:T:1:CenterCenter000278000200:000:Excel has been closed. Done.> I use the free EditPad Lite and I've set the macro to launch when an EditPad Lite window becomes active. I'm not sure why, but I seem to have trouble if I use a *specific* EditPad file or a specific Excel book. The "wait" command *does* seem to work, as is evidenced by the little MacExp icon in the System Tray (It's the blue M with red hulahoop, but turns into a little black "running" man while the macro is in 'waiting-mode.') I'm not an expert, but I think having ME in wait-mode could have certain ramifications.... It doesn't seem to use many system resources.... It's running right now as I type and the Windows Task Manager is telling me that it's using about 5% of the CPU and about 3 MB of RAM --- not bad. HOWEVER, only one macro can run at a time, so I can't use any of my other ME automation doodads while the macro is waiting As always, you gurus please step in with any corrections or suggestions... -steve ==== [shameless plug warning] The fine people that develop MacExp also offer ShortKeys, a baby version of ME that *does* allow me to do certain text automation tasks while ME is busy... Yay Insight Software! ;o)

Hi Pat, I was just looking around the ME Editor and saw a "Wait for Program to Terminate" command. Maybe that can be used in conjunction with "Program Shut Down"?? I haven't tried these commands, so I don't know for sure... -steve

This makes sense... Thanks for the tips!

Here's a simple loop that I made when I was trying to figure out a problem posed on another post. I never figured out the problem, but the loop is a simple loop with a logic statement that let's you 'break' the loop.... Paste the code into a macro that is triggered by a hotkey such as ##looper. Then open WOrd or Note Pad and type the hotkey... <TBOX4:T:1:CenterCenter000278000200:000:Macro StartedDo you have and active text window ready?><REP3:08:000002:000001:0001:1:01:T1><TEXTTYPE:The loop runs once more...<ENTER>><IFMESS3:00000:2:2:"If Message" boxIf you want the loop to STOP, click OK.000027:000468><EXITREP><ENDIF><ENDREP><TBOX4:T:1:CenterCenter000278000200:000:Macro Complete.Done!> Hope this helps. -steve

Open the ME editor and go to the Tools menu... One of the items is the "Mouse Locator" tool. This will give you the numbers you need as X,Y. I mis-wrote on my last post... I see now that the top/left pixel is actually 0,0 rather than 1,1. Sorry about that.. An interesting thing I was thinking about last night... THe coordinate plain from algregra lists the BOTTOM/left as the 0,0 point. Computers always use the TOP/left though... I guess because that's the direction we read in for English. I'm curious, what is it that you're 'looking for' on the screen? -steve

Pooh. THe code was supposed to be indented... I'll add dashes to represent indentation... So the code is Set N2=16777215 Set N24=1 Set N25=1 Loop until N25 = 800 --N25 = N25+1 --Loop until N24=1000 --GPC at coordinate N24,N25 and save to N1 ----IF N1=N2 --------THEN click the mouse or some other command… --------BREAK from loop //macro ends ----ELSE --------N24 = N24+1 --Repeat Loop Repeat Loop SOo the main loop has no dashes; The secondary inner loop has two dashes; THe Logic statements inside the secondary loop have four; And the commands to be executed IF this or ELSE that have eight.