hiding menu bar drop down with keyboard shortcut

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Level 1

15 points

hiding menu bar drop down with keyboard shortcut

I used automator "watch me do" to open an icon in my menu bar and do some things, I want to run this recording frequently for a repetitive task.

When I finish the recording the drop down remains open unfortunately, and takes up a lot of screen room.

I need some way at the end of the "watch me now" to hide the highlighted and opened drop down automatically, leaving the mouse icon in place preferably, which is in the middle of the screen at that point, because I don't want it up top by the menu bar and have to drag it back to where I want it.

Is there a universal command for this, I looked and couldn't find anything, if I try to click off the mouse to close it that way andend the recording, it says thumb error so that didn't work either.

thanks

Posted on Aug 10, 2020 11:03 AM

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Answer 1

GGarrett2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 10, 2020 1:21 PM in response to VikingOSX

Actually it worked, if I clicked the menu closed then clicked the desktop it registered as mouse click instead of some thumb error, so if my apple script shortcut doesn't pan out this option is pretty decent, thanks.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,184 points

Aug 10, 2020 11:12 AM in response to GGarrett2

Type the escape key to dismiss a descended menu.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,184 points

Aug 10, 2020 12:37 PM in response to GGarrett2

You can't have everything. 🤓 It looks like you have a binary solution.

Either that menu extra's panel will dismiss with an escape key, or by clicking on its menu bar icon. What you might try is after you click on the Spotica Menu menu bar icon to collapse it, then move your mouse center screen before you stop Automator's watch me do.

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

126,184 points

Aug 10, 2020 12:27 PM in response to GGarrett2

A properly written menu extra item will dismiss its menu with an escape key. Spotica does not appear to be written in this manner, and from its Mac App Store images, seems to be presenting either a sheet, or panel with several controls on it. Does clicking on its menu extra icon, then close this panel?

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Answer 5

GGarrett2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 10, 2020 12:31 PM in response to VikingOSX

yes it's a big panel with controls on it.

clicking the menu bar hides it, it's doable in automator but a bit of annoyance because that leaves my mouse up top of the screen.

so I have to drag it back to middle of screen to whatever I was doing before I started the automation, and if I'm frequently adding songs to playlist at 10x which I would like to, it's a lot of dragging mouse around, would be nicer to just dismiss it.

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Answer 6

GGarrett2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 10, 2020 11:30 AM in response to VikingOSX

thanks, that works for most of them but not the stubborn program I'm working with, it's called spotica, it displays spotify song information, escape won't work on that, any other ideas?

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Answer 7

GGarrett2 Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 10, 2020 12:45 PM in response to VikingOSX

I'm a bit obsessive :)

I'll try that.

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hiding menu bar drop down with keyboard shortcut

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