Automator and Keynote

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Level 1

4 points

Automator and Keynote

Hi all

I've been using Automator 2.4 for ages, in particular to insert images in Keynote presentations with the action "Create Image Slide". Now that I bought a MacBook Air M1 with Big Sur and Automator 11.0, I have the message:

"The action "Create Image Slide" could not be loaded because it could not be located.

Try reinstalling the action"

I would love to try that… I only I could out how to? I could find neither in my old Mini running Automator 2.4 nor in my MBA where actions are "located". I opened the package of the application, its empty. I looked in the Library > Application Support > Automator, it contains no action. I called the support who didn't have a clue about what I was talking about. So how could I "reinstall" missing actions?

There has been massacre in Automator's Presentations actions: 7 out of 21 are remaining.

Is it hopeless?

TIA

Nick

Posted on Mar 4, 2021 6:55 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,176 points

Mar 4, 2021 8:34 AM in response to Saint112

I have checked and there is no Automator action named "Create Image Slide" included with Automator since El Capitan 10.11.6, and potentially older releases of macOS. Certainly not in macOS 11.2.2. Even if you could track down this old Automator action, it would not be compatible with Big Sur, so I would label this as hopeless.

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Answer 2

Camelot

Level 9

58,257 points

Mar 9, 2021 4:07 PM in response to Saint112

> Yet such basic actions as importing images in a presentation seem pretty stereotyped.

Not really. The example I posted was pretty basic, but other people may have more specific requirements such as image placement on the slide, where the slides should be added to the presentation (beginning? end?), ordering the slides, master slide format, etc.

All of these are possible to control via AppleScript, but there isn't one sample script that will fit everyone's needs. That's why I recommend looking at the dictionary of the application to see what commands it supports.

A good place to start would be:

https://macosxautomation.com/ -- lots of resources for automation in general

https://macscripter.net/ -- wealth of AppleScript-related tutorials and examples

https://iworkautomation.com/ -- lots of Apple iWorks-related scripting examples, including Keynote

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Answer 3

Camelot

Level 9

58,257 points

Mar 4, 2021 11:31 AM in response to Camelot

Here's an example workflow that should prompt for image file(s) and add them to a presentation (either the current open one, or a new one if none is open):

If you want something fancier than this (e.g. adding styles, positioning the image, adding labels, overlays, etc.), that's all possible by just expanding the script.

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Answer 4

Camelot

Level 9

58,257 points

Mar 4, 2021 11:03 AM in response to Saint112

If your goal is to simply create a new slide with a given image (or set of images), that can be done via AppleScript - indeed, there's a specific command make image slides that does just that.

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,176 points

Mar 4, 2021 9:13 AM in response to Saint112

Automator actions that appear in the Automator Libraries are stored in System locations as compiled application packages with a binary executable action within. Although one can create custom Automator applications, it would require objective-c/Swift programming/Xcode knowledge and following Apple's developer guidelines for creating Automator actions. A very long learning curve is likely…

As a fellow user, I cannot speculate about the Automator team's internal decisions regarding action support or quanta.

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Answer 6

Saint112 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 4, 2021 9:05 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for your quick response.

That's what I feared. Yet, could you tell me where actions are stored?

If actions are stored as independent files chances are they are textual so maybe without compatibility issues.

One can create actions. Is there a guide for that? I could create my own.

Why the heck 14 actions out of 21 have been removed? It must take at most some tens of KB on the disk.

Nick

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Answer 7

Saint112 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 5, 2021 8:19 AM in response to Camelot

Thanks. I works fine.

Is there a library of such scripts one could copy because I never learned Apple Script. I did some programming though.

I bought my first Mac in 1987, a Mac 512, the second generation of Macs. It was a big leap forward the stone age during which MS-DOS was the reference of everything computing. With a Mac you needed no more to type command lines. I see that almost 40 years later we are back to command lines. There was a nice automatic action. Gone with many others.

Nick

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Answer 8

Camelot

Level 9

58,257 points

Mar 5, 2021 11:15 AM in response to Saint112

> Is there a library of such scripts...

Not really, because everyone's needs are slightly different and what works for one person may not work for another.

That said, there are many examples online which could be tweaked. The main thing is learning to read an application's dictionary to understand what AppleScript commands it understand, and what data structures it exposes to your script. There's no magic bullet.

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Answer 9

Saint112 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 6, 2021 12:28 PM in response to Camelot

> Not really, because everyone's needs are slightly different and what works for one person may not work for another.

Yet such basic actions as importing images in a presentation seem pretty stereotyped.

Do you have examples of sites where this could be found?

Nick

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Answer 10

Saint112 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 10, 2021 11:15 PM in response to Camelot

> Not really. The example I posted was pretty basic, but other people may have more specific requirements such as image placement on the slide, where the slides should be added to the presentation (beginning? end?), ordering the slides, master slide format, etc.

The missing action was pretty basic too. For me there are very few images I place at the same spot on the slide, with the same dimensions, etc. I dump the pics by bulk and then it's a case by case placement, resizing, and so on. I can't figure out a script that would do more than the "Create Image Slide" action but for one slide in particular.

I had a look at the links you give. They look very interesting.

By the same token but on a completely diffrent topic, do you know of ressources that would allow to change a little the Finder GUI? My eyesight is not as sharp as it used to be so the light-grey fonts and fields on white background is taking a toll on my eyes.

Nick

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Answer 11

Saint112 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 13, 2021 12:47 PM in response to Saint112

I have one more question about Automator and other iWork applications, if I may.

At one point, some years ago, Apple decided to make saving automatic. In older versions of Mac OS there was a command line to pass in the Terminal to disable this feature. I heard it doesn't work anymore. There is an option in the System Preferences > General that says "Ask to keep changes when closing documents". Yet I am asked no question and changes are saved. Is there another trick to do?

Nick

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Answer 12

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,176 points

Mar 13, 2021 1:29 PM in response to Saint112

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will initiate autosave once a document is formally saved by the user. When you select Ask to keep changes when closing documents in System Preferences > General, this blocks autosave. You know this because the red traffic light on the document title bar now bears a bullseye until you manually save the document.

If you have just pressed ⌘+S to save, then that bullseye disappears and quitting the application offers no challenge. If you haven't saved the document, the red traffic light remains, and you then quit Pages, a dialog will appear to give you the last chance to avoid losing your last entered content:

Clicking Revert Changes means you agree to abandon your unsaved changes in the document.

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