Automator 'rename finder items' was not supplied with the required data - error

Question

Automator 'rename finder items' was not supplied with the required data - error

This is doing my head in.

Super simple Automator script saved... all its designed to do is print an email as a PDF and then rename it with the date and time of the email.

When run from the Mail App - print dialog - it just doesn't run and the Automator log has no entries for it.

When run form Automator manually it runs, but fails with the above error.

I read that prefs for Spotlight need to be set to accept PDFs and also not exclude the volume... my spotlight is fine and is correct - so thats not it.

Seems to me the Automator app is not seeing the file created - therefore its not renaming it, as there is nothing to rename. I tested this... i removed all steps form the script and just left the first step... selection... so when its run I should see an entry in the log and it should print the email to PDF that is currently selected.

Test failed. No PDF printed.

Any ideas ?

Posted on Aug 29, 2016 12:06 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,720 points

Aug 29, 2016 1:27 AM in response to Guy Hollister

A Mail message isn't a Finder item. You wish to pas an email message to Rename Finder Items, but Rename Finder Items can only accept a Finder item, not an email message. As you can see, there is no link from Get Selected Mail Messages and Rename Finder Items, so nothing is passed down the chain.

You shouldn't be asking it to get an email message? It should have already been printed to PDF.

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Answer 2

Aug 29, 2016 1:55 AM in response to Barney-15E

I only added select email as without it nothing can be run from inside automator.

Its used to pick the email... Mail then prints the PDF and the second script step renames it - because a PDF is a finder item.

But as I stated - its not producing a PDF at all.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,720 points

Aug 29, 2016 2:04 AM in response to Guy Hollister

Well, the workflow as written there won't produce anything, either. There is no link from the original input (a printed PDF) and the Rename Actions.

Remove the Get Selected Mail message and save the workflow.

When you Print your email, are you selecting the workflow you created in the PDF services menu of the Print dialog?

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Answer 4

Aug 29, 2016 2:10 AM in response to Barney-15E

I just created a simple "Open PDF" workflow and it worked fine. So Mail is producing a PDF. Thats a start at least, but automator won't rename it.

Yes I am selecting the workflow I created. There wouldn't be much point otherwise.

I started with the script with no mail input and it didn't work. Have you seen MacFormat May 2016 page 56 ? Attached...

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Answer 5

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,720 points

Aug 29, 2016 2:16 AM in response to Guy Hollister

My print plugin works as advertised in that article. I can't explain why yours is not producing a PDF to be renamed.

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Answer 6

Aug 29, 2016 2:19 AM in response to Barney-15E

I have OSX 10.11.6 & Automator 2.6 (419)

Can you include your script file as a download so I can try that here and just use a local folder.

Thanks

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Answer 7

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,720 points

Aug 29, 2016 2:27 AM in response to Guy Hollister

You cannot upload a script here that can be downloaded. The Forums don't work that way.

I created my workflow exactly as yours is depicted, but without the Get Mail Messages action.

One other thing that maybe causing the problem is the second rename action has Modified date. Since it is just being created, I would think that would be the same, but maybe it is not set, yet. Try switching it to Created, also.

You can edit your Move action to point to another local folder, but that is not likely the problem.

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