1src Forums - MacroPlay Macros Thread

crazy_smeggie

01-24-2005, 02:27 PM

Put your user-defined macros in this thread for easy retrieval later.

I currently use MacroPlay to:

• Go back to my Zlauncher view after a reset
• Automagically invoke 4cast to get up-to-the-minute 5-day forecasts each morning
• Run PocketTunes as an alarm
• Run the Sound Utility as an alarm
• Automagically invoke/run the Atomic Clock function in Worldmate

I believe this is how I did it (it was a while ago). You might want to make yourself a data dictionary that defines "How" you record your macros so you can better answer questions like this for others in the future after you become a MacroPlay expert!

<ahem> Ok. Here we go...

Start MacroPlay. Use 'Hotsync' as the app you will go to when you start recording your macro. Then, while still recording, navigate to Zlauncher or whatever you use. Power off with the side Power switch. Power on and go back to MacroPlay to define scheduling and select "After Hotsync" as your "When."

I'm pretty sure this is how I did it, but if not, just play with it for a while until you get the hang of it. It's a great app to experiment with!!

New macro!!!

Pre-adjust your camera to shoot you, the doorway in your office or your companion's computer. Start MacroPlay, select Clie Camera (or the Video Recorder) and press record button. Tap Capture and exit. Power off. Set macros schedule to update every 5 minutes and now you have your own personal spycam that updates every 5 minutes!!! (or whatever time you specify)

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

01-31-2005, 12:38 PM

I just set up Macroplay to have my "morning review" ready for me when I get out of bed. Here's what it does:

- Update Avantgo
- Get new email
- Get weather (agendus)
- Get quote of the day (agendus)

I have also set it up to change my network settings over the day. In the morning, I need to be on my home wifi network, but when I leave the house I have it switch to my mobile network settings. (Using my v710). Then it switches back to my wifi network around the time that i am heading home.

My next macroplay adventure is in music playlists. I have 3-4 playlists organized on my MS most of the time (using Cliepet's Albumswap.) I have playlists for:

- gym
- work-morning
- work-afternoon
- afterwork

I'm going to try and rig it up so that macroplay play switches to the appropriate playlist over the day. (This could be a little tricky as the playlist that is currently selected is not presented in the albumswap list. So I will need to set up album swap to look like it will when the macro is fired.)

Anyone else have macros to add? Anything new Smeggie?

crazy_smeggie

01-31-2005, 02:28 PM

Excellent DVP!!!

This is exactly what I envisioned for this thread. I really like your macro for swapping Network services and I'm gonna add that one to my repetoire...thank you!!

Is this a cool tool or what?

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

01-31-2005, 05:26 PM

This is way geek of me... I've been trying to set things up like an "assitant" that does tasks throughout the day.

I'm putting a time in front of the macro name and then putting them in order in macroplay. (If you tap and hold, you can drag macros up and down the list.) This way I can see the order of things and make sure that system states are right. Weekend routines go at the bottom. I'm basically setting up a series of tasks that get performed everyday. I'm a 9-5er and things are pretty much the same from day to day.

It's a bit of a pain in the *** with a couple of things though. Like for muting the device I have done:

From Appshelf: tap status bar volume>Tap mute box>OK

but this just toggles the sound on/off. I want to turn it off. Any suggestions?

I tried it today, but I'm still perfecting things. Totally great program. Exactly what I was looking for.

<<edit>>
I just reviewed my post, and red my signature. We're getting there...
<</edit>>

glassman

01-31-2005, 07:29 PM

This program sounds pretty interesting. I just downloaded the demo version of MacroPlay for OS5. I noticed the ReadMe file says there is a Pro version available. Are you guys using the normal version or the Pro version?

excerpt from ReadMe...

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MACROPLAY AND MACROPLAY PRO

MacroPlay Pro is the professional version and contains advance functionality.

These functionality includes:
- Time-based scheduling.
- Event-based scheduling.
- Accelerated playback speed.
- Button/Command triggered macro.

If you have bought MacroPlay and wish to upgrade to the Pro version, you can contact the author at j_ixe@hotmail.com for instructions. The upgrade price is the difference between the Pro version and the normal version.

shender

01-31-2005, 07:42 PM

I really like the idea of a morning set of macros. I was looking to have MP3s wake me up in the morning. When I got the std version, invoking time intervals was not there (thats one of the differences)

With Pro version in hand, MP3s are launched at 5:35 am via Media Launcher, the macro jumpps to connect and d/l my mail, and then brings up my calendar for the day.

(All this to the dismay of my wife...who simply says 'Good morning you Geek')

vsc

01-31-2005, 08:57 PM

How do you handle turning things off once a macro completes?

I have my UX set to stay on in the cradle.

crazy_smeggie

02-01-2005, 03:13 AM

How do you handle turning things off once a macro completes?

I have my UX set to stay on in the cradle.

Set a macro to turn things off. :)

SMEGGIE :D

vsc

02-01-2005, 06:51 AM

The off switch signals an end of macro. How do you turn it off?

DaVinci's Palm

02-01-2005, 07:11 AM

(All this to the dismay of my wife...who simply says 'Good morning you Geek')

I hear ya. I keep my UX by the bed at night. At 0450 it wakes up, mutes, and then starts updating stuff. (We're normally out of bed around 0515.) Before I had to be very careful about alarms, as I've had the damn thing go off at midnight and I lose major points.

It's amazing how much light that LED can cast in the dark of the morning...

Just to answer glassman, you need the pro version to have any of the features that are listed in that readme excerpt. It's a little on the pricey side, but I think it's worth it to have the UX do stuff with out me. The developer is really responsive also which adds value.

DaVinci's Palm

02-01-2005, 07:30 AM

The off switch signals an end of macro. How do you turn it off?

Not sure what launcher you are using, but if you are using zLauncher, there is a power on/off widget that can be put on the top/bottom bar.

Just an idea, I'm an appshelf guy myself.

crazy_smeggie

02-02-2005, 09:32 PM

The off switch signals an end of macro. How do you turn it off?

Set up a macro to turn it off. :cool:

vsc

02-02-2005, 10:05 PM

Set up a macro to turn it off. :cool:

Actually not. The author has a power off program, or as suggested I guess the launcher could provide this function as well.

If the author would add this function as an option such that when a macro completes that would be very useful in my opinion.

crazy_smeggie

02-02-2005, 11:43 PM

Actually not. The author has a power off program, or as suggested I guess the launcher could provide this function as well.

If the author would add this function as an option such that when a macro completes that would be very useful in my opinion.

Have you submitted your idea to the developer? Telling us is great but telling him is better. :)

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

02-03-2005, 10:48 AM

So like I mentioned before, I have been trying to setup Macroplay to control Albumswap so that I can automate switching between playlists. It would be so cool to just have to open up ML and hit play and have the right music list already loaded.

The problem is the way that Albumswap orders the playlists. I started by cycling through my regular playlists in order (I have 4), ending with my last playlist of the day loaded in MSAUDIO.

Then I set up my first macro to switch to the first playlist of the day, then the second and so on. The problem is that the list keeps changing and I can't figure out how to compensate for it.

Maybe our friend Mr. Pet could make it so the list is ordered alphabetically instead of the last album at the top. I'm not holding my breath.

Not giving up yet though. Any ideas? I know this may be of little interest to others, but I'm getting a little obsessed with making this work.

crazy_smeggie

02-03-2005, 10:55 AM

Save your "spare" playlists someplace else so you only have one playlist at a time showing. If you only have one to choose from, you will be able to pull this off.

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

02-03-2005, 11:09 AM

I'm not quite sure I understand. The AUDIO_XXX folders need to be kept in ../programs/ to work in albumswap.

How could have only the next playlist appear alone in AS?

crazy_smeggie

02-03-2005, 11:12 AM

Sorry. I know nothing about AlbumSwap. :(

You could always do what I do...

I have one massive playlist that I play randomly.

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

02-03-2005, 11:22 AM

No worries.

I listen to techno/ electronica at the gym in the morning, hip-hop in the morning at work, jazz/ acid jazz in the afternoon, and classical/ ambient in the evening. (I have multiple playlists in each genre in itunes, so I just have to replace the files in the folders on the ux when I need a change. Come to think of it, I could use applescript to automate that to...)

When apple put out the ipod shuffle I was like "WTF, people listen to their music like that?" Different strokes I guess.

vsc

02-03-2005, 06:37 PM

I did. Now time will tell....

Have you submitted your idea to the developer? Telling us is great but telling him is better. :)

SMEGGIE :D

DaVinci's Palm

02-10-2005, 12:04 PM

Here's one for shadowplan users.

When I leave the house in the morning I ALWAYS forget something. So I created a list of all the things I normally forget and made a shortcut using CJListLauncher. I then set up a macro to launch the list just before the time I normally leave the house. That way I can go down the list and make sure I have everything. :D

geps

02-10-2005, 04:02 PM

I have also set it up to change my network settings over the day. In the morning, I need to be on my home wifi network, but when I leave the house I have it switch to my mobile network settings. (Using my v710). Then it switches back to my wifi network around the time that i am heading home.

amazing.. that is exactly what I needed so bad!!!

you cannot imagine how many times I forget to change network settings during the day. basically I can say that everytime I want to hotsync at work (via bluetooth) UX starts wifi and viceversa. now it won't happen anymore... :)

your a genius DaVinci!!!

DaVinci's Palm

02-10-2005, 05:56 PM

your a genius DaVinci!!!

LOL, the original maybe, certainly not me...

crazy_smeggie

02-11-2005, 12:57 AM

Nice!! A perfect utilization of this thread.

SMEGGIE :D

glassman

03-09-2005, 06:55 PM

Thanks for the MacroPlay recommendation Smeggie.

I finally received the "Pro" version so I no longer have to manually update my RSS feeds, weather forecasts etc.

I now wake up in the morning knowing everything is updated, rather than spending time updating manually before I leave the house.

I am only using few simple macros, but I'll post anything I create that seems useful to others.

This app is great!

crazy_smeggie

03-09-2005, 07:38 PM

You bet, buddy. Happy to help. :)

SMEGGIE :D

LrdShaper

03-10-2005, 07:05 AM

yeah its certainly a great app. thanks so much for recommending this app smeggie, it really made things a whole lot easier for me and decided to buy it two weeks ago. here're the macros i have now.

1) every 2am macroplay will run the UX50's built-in backup program

2) every 7:10am (i usually wake up at 7:00 am) it will connect to my access point and sync my avantgo channels, get weather forecast and exchange rates for worldmate and get new crossword puzzles for BeCrossword

3) every 9am (on weekends only since i don't go to office on weekends and wake up at 10am) it will again connect to my access point and then run mergic to connect to office vpn. then check my imap mail using agendus, launch TuSSH to login to the servers and run scripts that will generate logs, then finally run ezftp to download the generated logs that i will check later on to find out if there had been any problems with the applications running on the server. this macro will run again at 1pm/6pm and 9pm except it will connect to my motorola phone instead and do everything via gprs since by that time i'm usually out and roaming malls

4) every 8pm on weekdays it will connect to the office access point and again sync the avantgo channels

i also have some unscheduled macros that will:
5) connect to office vpn via access point/phone, login to server using TuSSH and run some sql scripts to check database integrities, output it to file and ezftp it to my ux.

6) connect to office vpn via access point/phone, login to server using TuSSH and run scripts that will sync the different branches of source codes we have

7) run smbmate, connect to office fileserver and download word/excel files from my folder to my ux

i have to do all these things regularly and some are critical that i even have events in agendus with alarms that will remind me to do this and that. now all those events are almost gone thanks to this app and to you smeggie for introducing it. i'm having a blast with it

crazy_smeggie

03-10-2005, 01:47 PM

WOW!!

You are quite the power user!! Great job and even greater macros!!

I am very impressed!! :) And you are very welcome!!

SMEGGIE

DaVinci's Palm

03-10-2005, 01:56 PM

I'm totally impressed LrdShaper. Excellent use of the app.

LrdShaper

03-12-2005, 04:16 AM

thanks guys, this thread really helped me out a lot with automating regular tasks and i got some cool macros here as well like going to zlauncher after a reset. i still have a few tasks i want to automate but haven't quite figured out yet how. but i'll post it here once i get it right and hopefully someone else will be able to use them

DaVinci's Palm

03-14-2005, 06:51 AM

Just recieved an email from Johnny, the developer. (VSC you got your wish:)

-----------------------------
MacroPlay Pro for OS 5 has been updated to version 11.1 on 12 Mar 2005.
These are its new features:

- Auto Off allows a macro to power off the device after execution.

- User can schedule a macro to run on device power on.

- Add the Voice Record button and more command characters to the "Shortcut Link" option.

- Allow user to specify an end time for hourly/minutely repeat tasks. The
user can now choose to run a repeated macro only during a defined time
range. This is useful when the user wants a macro to run only during his
working hours.

MacroPlay Pro can be downloaded at http://XVisionNow.tripod.com.
--------------------------------

gman

03-15-2005, 03:20 PM

Hey Everybody...

I'm having a problem with getting MacroPlay to run my MP3's in JAmerican's media Launcher correctly. While i can get it to start the media Launcher program and the first MP3 on the list... when it goes off and I select the Macro to play again... it doesn't start the MP3 from its beginning but rather from the point it ended at when the last MacroPlay was ran.

Is there any way to get MacroPlay to run the MP3's in JAmerican's Media Launcher form the beginning of the MP3 everytime the Macro is selected to run?

I've tried everything and I'l at a loss!

crazy_smeggie

03-15-2005, 03:32 PM

glassman

04-05-2005, 08:53 AM

New release (v11.2) came out today.

Ver 11.2
Fix bug with using the system keyboard dialog.

MacroPlay (http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=GOOGLEGENERAL&siteid=1&catid=0&area=software.newupdated&searchtitle=Search%20Results&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=0&prodid=50562)

DaVinci's Palm

04-05-2005, 09:04 AM

Thanks for the heads up.

Are any of you using short cuts to invoke macros? My device is crashing when ever I use shortcuts. (I've been careful not to overlap any with the system.)

Just wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing this, it may be conflist elsewhere. It's not a big deal as most of my Macros are timed events.

.PoNeH

04-05-2005, 09:49 AM

Can you have MacroPlay only run a macro when in cradle? That would be sweet.

DaVinci's Palm

04-05-2005, 10:13 AM

Can you have MacroPlay only run a macro when in cradle? That would be sweet.

I don't think so. What macros would you only run in the cradle?

I keep the UX in the cradle by my bed, so whenever it is doing a lot of network stuff (and eating piles of power) it is in the cradle.

lmame

04-05-2005, 10:15 AM

Can you have MacroPlay only run a macro when in cradle? That would be sweet.

Perhaps it would be possible for the dev to add this functionnality, since there must be an API to check if the PDA is on battery or not...

DaVinci's Palm

04-05-2005, 10:46 AM

Perhaps it would be possible for the dev to add this functionnality, since there must be an API to check if the PDA is on battery or not...

I not sure if this relates directly, but i tried out lightsafer a little while ago on my UX and it wouldn't work. Can I assume that this would use the same API?

crazy_smeggie

04-05-2005, 11:30 AM

Can you have MacroPlay only run a macro when in cradle? That would be sweet.

I don't think it was designed with this in mind. However, if your UX is in the cradle generally AT THE SAME TIMES each day, you can define your macros around your schedule thus allowing you to only invoke them during "cradle time."

SMEGGIE :D

lmame

04-05-2005, 11:51 AM

I not sure if this relates directly, but i tried out lightsafer a little while ago on my UX and it wouldn't work. Can I assume that this would use the same API?
I don't know... But I'll see in Clie SDK if it exists (I guess It does)..

.PoNeH

04-05-2005, 03:00 PM

Well, I have "Auto Sync" and it checks to see if the UX is on the cradle to synchornize if you want...so I know for sure it can be done...I think it would be pretty sweet so that if you leave it outside of the cradle...you don't have to worry about it going wifi and draining the battery.

DaVinci's Palm

04-12-2005, 07:32 AM

Hello All,

Well a while back I was trying to automate playlists with Album swap and AP. I ran into problems with the way that Albumswap orders items in the list. (Different every time.)

i have switched back to PocketTunes and find that automatiting playlists is easier there. I have it set up so that I have 4 playlist that change automagically throughout the day. As I mentioned before, I have a fairly routine schedule, so I can switch playlists using the weekly schedule.

Now, all I have to do when I want music is call up PT and hit play and I have appropriate music.

I have also set up the alarm that Smeggie described earlier. In pocket tunes, when you switch playlists, it begins playing at the top of the list, so you avoid the problems described by gman who was using ML for this.

Cheers,

DaVinci

lautunno

04-15-2005, 03:30 AM

Hi,

I bought Macroplay and I think it's a good piece of software.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to record the hardware keyboard, only the on-screen one.
Has anybody out there the same problem?

I wrote to the developer (good support indeed) and he's trying to understand what's happening, but I'd like to understand if someone else is experiencing the same.

In the meanwhile, a useful suggestion (coming from the developer) if you need to have a macro running only during working days:
1) go to "repeat" "weekly"
2) select each of the working day (tipically monday through friday)
done!

DaVinci's Palm

04-15-2005, 07:38 AM

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to record the hardware keyboard, only the on-screen one. Has anybody out there the same problem?

I use the keyboard in a few of my macros, so I can confirm that it works. I do have the problem that when you play back a macro, it doubles each letter. (This could be a problem specific to my UX, I haven't been able to track it down yet.) There was an update to the app in the last couple of weeks that I know addressed a couple of keyboard problems. Sorry I can't help there.

In the meanwhile, a useful suggestion (coming from the developer) if you need to have a macro running only during working days:
1) go to "repeat" "weekly"
2) select each of the working day (tipically monday through friday)
done!

You're absolutely right, the weekly setup is amazing. I have many tasks that run mon-fri only and a few that only run on the weekend days.

Cheers,

DaVinci

DaVinci's Palm

04-15-2005, 09:36 AM

So a little while ago I saw an app for the treo called Profiles (http://mytreo.net/downloads/details-19.html?Profiles). It allows you to swtich between ring profiles so that you have appropriate settings. For instance you could create a profile for the car where volume is high and adjust auto off to never.

I thought it would be great to have the same sort of thing for my ux. I set up 4 macros with the name starting with PROFILE:

1. Mobile
2. Work
3. Home
4. Meeting

For each profile I adjusted the following:

Volume
Network settings
Bluetooth settings
Automatic email pick up frequency

So for instance, in the Meeting Profile I have volume muted, bluetooth off, mobile phone network settings and turn automatic email delivery off. (I hate it when I am taking notes in a meeting and all of a sudden my email app opens and starts connecting to the network.

The one thing that i haven't been abe to change is the brightness. While recording the macro I open the brightness dialogue and tap repeatedly on the brightness that I want. (Macroplay cannot record drags.) THe problem is that when I run the macro, it registers only one tap and then closes the dialogue, and the remaining screen taps are on whatever applications was open when the brightness dialogue was opened. (Causing all kinds of crazy stuff to happen because it is tapping on buttons and stuff that I didn't intend.)

Has anyone been able to automate brightness levels another way?

.PoNeH

04-15-2005, 09:41 AM

Can't you just single click on the portion of the slider that you want the brightness on? That works for me...

DaVinci's Palm

04-15-2005, 09:48 AM

When I click on the brightness bar it moves in ~10% increments. So if I want to change brightness from 100% to 25% then I have to tap several times. Macroplay bails after the first tap.

Are you adjusting brightness from the VG area?

JahWind

05-10-2005, 11:32 PM

Hello,

I just installed the MacroPlay Pro demo and my first experiment was to set up my log-in to the wifi network at work. When I tried to set up a new macro but the app list didn't display the 2 versions of NetFront that I have. It only displayed the old version that I don't use anymore, not the JAmerican version 3.1 version. I tried using AliasExt on Int. Media, but that did not work. I currently have NF 3.1 installed on Internal Media. Any ideas? .PoNeH suggested deleting NF3 files from the Handheld directory to rid my self of the extra icon. Does anyone have a list of files that need to be deleted in order to move 3.1 over to RAM, or the app list? Is this perhaps a limitation of the demo version of MacroPlayer Pro?

Thanks,
JahWind

crazy_smeggie

05-11-2005, 10:40 AM

jlsell98

10-12-2005, 05:58 AM

Hi all,

MacroPlay Pro has been updated to version 11.6 on 12 October 2005. This new version improves support for Treo devices. User can activate a shortcut-assigned macro by pressing Menu plus the assigned letter/number. Scheduled macro is executed properly even when Keyguard is enabled.

In addition, it improves hourly scheduling capability to consider day of week. This allows an hourly repeating macro to run only on certain days of the week, e.g. Monday to Friday. It also adds the ability to copy a macro, making it easier to have different schedules for the same macro.

MacroPlay is the only automation tool for Palm users! Instead of manually performing a series of time-consuming, repetitive pen and key actions on your Palm device, you can create and run a single macro using MacroPlay - in effect, a custom command - that accomplishes the task for you. You can also choose to schedule a macro to run automatically anytime of the day.

MacroPlay can be downloaded at http://XVisionNow.tripod.com for a free trial.

Have a good one!