How do *you* use Automator?

I have used it to convert text to an audio file to play in iTunes. I have also used it to close a QT window and play the next one as described in my posting at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2115674&tstart=0. This was to save time in a repetitive sequence.
Have you viewed the description of the Automator, video, and tutorials on the web?
Open the Automator, click on the Automator drop down menu in the menu bar, & click on "Display Automator Website". This will open an Apple web page of applications and descriptions. Read the Automator description and click on the link "Learn more about Automator". (You may also later want to click on the link "Learn more about AppleScript".) This link will take you to a site to learn lots about it and how to create workflows that you may want to put to use. At the home page there is a movie at the top of the right hand bar that is about 7 minutes long. You can watch it as an introduction to Automator and a few things to do with it.
Hope that helps.
Have Fun,
DarrellSY

I suppose I could use Automator more than I do. I usually have difficulty thinking up the ideas and end up getting them from someone else. Here's a couple of things that I have done with Automator:

One double-click, launches iChat and logs in to that account, launches Safari with a specific set of pages to open, and launches my email program. http://www.atpm.com/12.07/automator.shtml

I have also worked on something that sends an e-mail to someone automatically when they have a birthday. It also checks two weeks and four weeks ahead in case you want to plan a party. The example uses Applescript to tie everything together but it could be run with eparate sequences of Automator actions. http://www.atpm.com/12.08/automator.shtml

Glad you liked that article. One advantage to having the information in Address Book is that by entering the information on someone's contact card it can automatically get placed in the birthdays calendar that iCal generates.

You might find these sites helpful for finding other Automator actions
http://automatorworld.com/
http://www.automator.us/downloads.html#1014

Open iCal, then Preferences.

Under General there is the 'Show Birthdays Calendar' box. Check that.

A few things I do with Automator:

-Press iMovie's Import button. I set this up as an iCal alarm, so that I can start import live TV to iMovie when I am away from the computer. This was great for recording Olympics events that came on in the middle of the night.

-I wrote an Automator app to switch to the login window and put my Mac to sleep. I set up a hotkey so that this runs when I press command-F13.

-Every morning I would log on to a website and click a button. With Automator and an iCal alarm this is now done for me automatically.

-Copy all mp3 files from an iTunes playlist to a Grundig mpixx mp3 player. I used to drag and drop with Finder until I wrote this little script.

Instead of starting with Automator and trying to figure out what it can do for you, start instead with considering tasks you do that are repetitive. Then see if Automator can help you with them.

RCMir I see you have already gotten an answer to your question. That's how I did it. I had set up a Btrthdays calendar manually until someone pointed that preference out to me.

Kiraly, that's a great use for iMovie. I'm going to have to try ad work that one out. Are you using one of the TV capture devices?

I used to use Automator to mount the NAS drive that had my iTunes library before itunes launched. The drive I was using before I got a Time Capsule was a bit cumbersome to mount so the workflow mounted the drive and then launched iTunes.

Slydude wrote:
Kiraly, that's a great use for iMovie. I'm going to have to try ad work that one out. Are you using one of the TV capture devices?

No. I'm using a contraption that would make Rube Goldberg proud. TV cable is hooked up to a 15 year old VCR, which tunes the channels and outputs composite A/V. I use a Canon MiniDV camcorder to convert the A/V on the fly to DV, which iMovie can import with FireWire. I used Automator's GUI scripting feature to push iMovie's import button.

Király,
Not to kill the joy of your electronic Rube Goldberg Art, I have a digital HDTV tuner instead of a VCR for my theater projector (I don't own a TV). I think u could use a digital tuner (not an analog to digital converter) for your input which may give u higher quality recordings by bypassing the VCR analog to DV conversion. U'll need to determine if this is feasible depending on what cables & inputs/outputs u have & if u r willing to obtain a tuner. I found my tuner unwanted on a clearance shelf. The digital tuner picks up free HDTV air signals as well as has an ant./cable input & output just like a VCR. Mine also has optical, RCA, coaxial, component, DVI, and VGA outputs. It doesn't have HDMI output but u may find one that does. Unless u have certain cable converters, u may still need to use your Canon MiniDV thus keeping your Rube Goldberg Art.
That said, here's the caveat. Each digital device uses different digital technologies & converter programs & codes. Sometimes the conversion from one digital device to another (i.e. from a DVD player to a theater receiver) can degrade the picture quality to be like or worse than a signal converted from analog to digital.
Here are a couple links to less expensive cables & converters (unless u enjoy throwing $$$ at Monster's big name) that may be beneficial if u wanna take on this project.
bluejeanscable.com
monoprice.com
Have Fun

Hello, can you detail the automator app to switch to the login window. I am not able to find it in the work flow, nor do I have a clue as to how to write it. Thank you.