keyboard shortcut to rename file in apple preview

Let's turn that script into an Automator Service, which a keyboard shortcut can be assigned.

Dock : Launchpad : Other : Automator.

1. New Document
   1. Service
   2. The Automator interface will appear as three columns:
      1. Select Utilities : Run AppleScript, and drag that action into the larger right-hand workflow window.
      2. Add the AppleScript from above. The finished Service workflow will look like this:
         
         You can right-click on this image and open in a new window for better legibility. Click on the hammer icon to compile it before the next step.
      3. File menu : Save

         I called mine preview_rename. It is saved in ~/Library/Services as preview_rename.workflow.

2. Quit Automator
3. System Preferences : Keyboard panel : Shortcuts : Services : preview_rename.
   1. It will be near the bottom in the General category.
   2. Click once on the light-gray None opposite the Service name. It will change to a button that says "Add Shortcut." Click again, and then type control-r on the keyboard. This is your new shortcut.
4. Quit System Preferences.

Now, when you have a PDF open in Preview, you can type control-r and the Automator Service will fire the AppleScript in it with the same result as when you ran it in the Script Editor. There will be no need to register the Automator Service, though it may require Automator itself to be added to the Privacy : Accessibility window in Security & Privacy.

Copy the following AppleScript into an Automator Service's Run AppleScript action:

try

-- kill the fontd process by exact match on its name

do shell script "pkill -i -x fontd"

delay 1

display dialog "Fontd process is no longer running."

on error

display dialog "Fontd was not running."

end try

return

Service looks like:

Apparently, an assigned keyboard shortcut (e.g. shift+control+K, control+K) do not work, but you can access the service from the Finder menu : Services panel. I named mine unfontd. You will have to reboot to restart the fontd process.

[Update]. Apparently the Automator Service is not working, though the command syntax when run from the Script Editor does work.

Ordinarily, I avoid keyboard shortcuts that are used in application menus such as the standard ⌘Q for quitting an application. Glad you got it working.

Although the Automator Service would appear to run correctly with the appropriate dialog box, it did not kill off fontd for me. I tried passing an admin password to sudo with the pkill statement, and again, it appeared to run properly but without the desired result. I also changed the pkill signal sent to fontd from the default TERM (e.g. 15) to KILL (9) without success too. So double-check that fontd is still running afterward.

Apple has an AppleScript Language Guide that is invaluable for understanding its syntax, and in some cases, it also provides examples. Both MacScripter, and Apple StackExchange (aka ⌘AskDifferent) can provide help and examples. Click on the Tags menu on the AskDifferent site, and enter applescript in the Tag window. There is also the AppleScript section of the macosxautomation site with learning and examples.

Keep in mind that Apple has changed AppleScript behavior over the years, so if you try an older 2007 AppleScript example, it may not work in 2018 AppleScript without some tweaking.

Many of the AppleScript books on Amazon were done many years ago. Books by Neuburg, Soghoian, Rosenthaal, and Waldie may still be relevant even years later.

You can only assign keyboard shortcuts to unassigned application menu items. You would need a GUI AppleScript to press that document title bar button.

tell application "Preview" to activate

tell application "System Events"

tell application process "Preview"

set frontmost to true

tell menu button 1 of front window to perform action "AXPress"

end tell

end tell

This script name would need to be added to System Preferences : Security & Privacy : Privacy : Accessibility items.

Running the script once opens the title bar panel. Running it again will close that panel.

No.

An application developer requesting that you to kill part of the operating system (fontd is the system font registration manager) as a prerequisite to running their application is a bad omen. Personally, I would suspend use of that application until it receives updates to eliminate this kludge.

There are process that automatically re-start should they ever quit. You can tell this by looking in their startup plist [ Some assembly required, since I do not know what plist to look into nor how to read the plist for this information. ]

I found the book the most helpful when learning applescript. I still use this book as a reference. It's in need of a new edition.

Learn AppleScript: The Comprehensive Guide to Scripting and Automation on Mac OS X, Third Edition the book

Help to know the terminal,Unix, commands too.

Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, A (2nd Edition) [Paperback] the book Don't be fooled by the name, the second addition includes Mac OS X. And it will take you awhile to learn, Unix commands and probably more than one book.

R

You are welcome.