tell application "System Preferences"activateend tell
tell application "System Events"
set _0 to "Standard"
set _90 to "90°"
set _180 to "180°"
set _270 to "270°"
set preference to application process "System Preferences"
click UI element "Displays" of scroll area 1 of window "System Preferences" of preference
delay 1
click button "Display Settings..." of window "Displays" of preference
set monitor to window "LG 4K HDR" of preference
click monitor
set options to pop up button 1 of tab group 1 of monitor
set portrait to value of options is _270
click options
if portrait then
--switch to landscape mode
click menu item _0 of menu 1 of options
else
--switch to portrait mode
click menu item _270 of menu 1 of options
delay 5
click UI element "Confirm" of sheet 1 of monitor
end if
end tell
tell application "System Preferences"quitend tell
Result: error "System Events got an error: Can’t get button "Display Settings..." of window "Displays" of application process "System Preferences"." number -1728 from the button "Display Settings..." of window "Displays" of application process "System Preferences"
The above code is an automator script that pivots my monitor works until Mojave. After I update my mac, it doesn't work.
I actually don't know much about Apple Script. I got an error from 'click button "Display Settings..." of window "Displays" of preference'. I was trying to change 'button' as 'UI element', index, and system language. It doesn't work.
I think the error is because the button name is an ellipsis character and not triple dots ...
Can you try replacing that line with this instead (Monterey):
click (first button of window "Displays" of preference whose title starts with "Display Settings")
Related
I am trying to change my MacBook Pro 14"s scale setting via AppleScript.
The setting should toggle two resolution settings.
I found the following script here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/62664159/15705553
on run {input, parameters}
tell application "System Preferences"
reveal anchor "displaysDisplayTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.displays"
end tell
set lowResolutionSettingIndex to 4
set highResolutionSettingIndex to 5
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences" to tell window "Built-in Retina Display"
click radio button "Display" of tab group 1
click radio button "Scaled" of tab group 1
tell radio group 1 of group 1 of tab group 1
set isHighResolutionSet to get value of radio button highResolutionSettingIndex
end tell
if isHighResolutionSet then
-- Toggle native resolution
click radio button lowResolutionSettingIndex of radio group 1 of group 1 of tab group 1
else
-- Toggle Default setting - "Retina optimized"
click radio button highResolutionSettingIndex of radio group 1 of group 1 of tab group 1
end if
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
return input
end run
I changed "Built-in Retina display" to "Built-in Liquid Retina XDR Display" as shown in my System Preferences, but two errors occur:
If I execute this script through Automator, I get the following error:
Syntax Error: System Events got an error: Can’t get window "Built-in Liquid Retina XDR Display" of process "System Preferences".
If I execute it through shortcuts.app, I get the following error, even though I granted access to accessibility features for Shortcuts in System Preferences
System Events got an error: Shortcuts is not allowed assistive access.
Here's how I select the first monitor in the list (Macbook Pro Built-in Retina Display) to gain access to the settings such as screen scaling:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
reveal anchor "universalControlTab" of pane id "com.apple.preference.displays"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell application process "System Preferences"
tell window "Displays"
select row 1 of outline 1 of scroll area 1 of sheet 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
And to select the second monitor in the list if you want to gain access to those settings:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
reveal anchor "universalControlTab" of pane id "com.apple.preference.displays"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell application process "System Preferences"
tell window "Displays"
select row 2 of outline 1 of scroll area 1 of sheet 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
Cheers.
System
M1 MacBook Pro
MacOS Big Sur
Problem
I like the default Mac touchbar layout for everyday use, but I prefer the F1-F12 keys at my fingertips when programming. I also don't like holding down the fn key. That's why I wrote two AppleScripts to switch the layouts (included below).
The scripts work, but they are buggy. This is because they rely on opening the System Preferences app and navigating through the menus. I made a couple "apps" with Automator
that simply run the scripts and then assigned them to keyboard shortcuts.
This is an ok solution, but I'd like to do something more elegant. Ideally, my script should run behind the scenes and instantly change the touchbar layout instead of opening System Preferences, selecting items from drop-down-lists, and then finally closing System Preferences.
I messed around with the shell for quite awhile with no success before resorting to using Automator. Any suggestions from those who are more savvy with sort of thing?
Code
This one makes the F1-F12 keys the default touchbar layout:
tell application "System Preferences"
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
delay 0.25
reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click pop up button 2 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click menu item "F1, F2, etc. Keys" of menu 1 of pop up button 2 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click pop up button 4 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click menu item "Show App Controls" of menu 1 of pop up button 4 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
And this one does the reverse (makes app controls the default touchbar layout):
tell application "System Preferences"
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
delay 0.25
reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click pop up button 2 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click menu item "App Controls" of menu 1 of pop up button 2 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click pop up button 4 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click menu item "Show F1, F2, etc. Keys" of menu 1 of pop up button 4 of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
end tell
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
On macOS Catalina when toggling the target setting it changes the value of the PresentationModeGlobal key in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.touchbar.agent.plist from appWithControlStrip to functionKeys or vise versa for those two choices. However, toggling it programmatically using the defaults command while it changes it in the UI it does not change it on the Touch Bar without also restarting the ControlStrip process.
The following example shell script code is what I use with a single keyboard shortcut to toggle between between Show App Controls and F1, F2, etc. Keys as that is what they are set to respectively in System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard on my system.
Example shell script code:
#!/bin/zsh
pmg="$(defaults read com.apple.touchbar.agent 'PresentationModeGlobal')"
if [[ $pmg == "appWithControlStrip" ]]; then
defaults write com.apple.touchbar.agent 'PresentationModeGlobal' 'functionKeys'
killall "ControlStrip"
else
defaults write com.apple.touchbar.agent 'PresentationModeGlobal' 'appWithControlStrip'
killall 'ControlStrip'
fi
Notes:
Other versions of macOS may require additional settings to be changed and or additional processes to be restarted, e.g., pkill 'Touch Bar agent' if applicable.
In Terminal you can use the read verb of the defaults command to examine changes to com.apple.touchbar.agent.plist as you make them in the UI to see if the value for additional keys needs to be changed too.
Side Note
As to your AppleScript code, here is how I'd do it based on your code as a single script to toggle between the two choices.
You didn't say what version of macOS are you running and since I do not have a pop up button 4 I cannot test the example AppleScript code shown below, however, this should eliminate having two separate scripts and it just toggles between the two with a single keyboard shortcut.
Example AppleScript code:
tell application "System Preferences"
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
delay 0.25
reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell tab group 1 of window 1 of process "System Preferences"
if value of pop up button 2 is "Show App Controls" then
click pop up button 2
click menu item "F1, F2, etc. Keys" of menu 1 of pop up button 2
click pop up button 4
click menu item "Show App Controls" of menu 1 of pop up button 4
else
click pop up button 2
click menu item "Show App Controls" of menu 1 of pop up button 2
click pop up button 4
click menu item "F1, F2, etc. Keys" of menu 1 of pop up button 4
end if
end tell
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
Note: The example AppleScript code is just that and sans any included error handling does not contain any additional error handling as may be appropriate. The onus is upon the user to add any error handling as may be appropriate, needed or wanted. Have a look at the try statement and error statement in the AppleScript Language Guide. See also, Working with Errors. Additionally, the use of the delay command may be necessary between events where appropriate, e.g. delay 0.5, with the value of the delay set appropriately.
I want to issue a keyboard command to toggle the checkbox "Change picture every 30 minutes" in OS X for Desktop 1 (my main monitor desktop). I have multiple monitors so it may be necessary to identify which particular preference pane to manipulate.
I have set up the start of an AppleScript, but I'm at a loss how to formulate how to identify this particular check box:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click menu item "Desktop & Screen Saver" of menu "View" of menu bar 1
delay 2
tell window "Desktop & Screen Saver"
click checkbox 1 of …
It's in tab group 1. You can recognize this with the help of the Xcode tool Accessibility Inspector (Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Accessibility Inspector in the menu bar or Dock).
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.desktopscreeneffect"
end tell
delay 2
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click checkbox "Change picture:" of tab group 1 of window "Desktop & Screen Saver"
end tell
I'm trying to make an AppleScript to change an option in System Preferences. The checkbox is revealed by clicking "Mouse Options..." in the "Mouse and Trackpad" menu of the "Accessibility" pane. The script I have written so far is able to navigate through System Preferences so that the desired checkbox is visible to be clicked. However, I can't find a way to click the checkbox, seemingly because the checkbox is within a sort of 'drop down tab' on the window. None of the tutorials I have found online deal with this specific issue.
My code so far-
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
get the name of every anchor of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
reveal anchor "Mouse" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click button 5 of window "Accessibility"
end tell
end tell
The desired checkbox is "Scrolling". I expected that the following code would work, but it does not- it clicks checkboxes in the background, not the one in the tab.
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click checkbox 1 of window "Accessibility"
end tell
This is my first time using AppleScript, I should mention. Any help would be much appreciated.
The 'drop down tab' is called a sheet:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
reveal anchor "Mouse" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click button 5 of window 1
click checkbox 1 of sheet 1 of window 1
end tell
end tell
I wanted to share a very useful AppleScript with other Mac admins but it is losing focus. When it's run in AppleScript editor it runs to a certain stage and then instead of copying text to required windows it replaces text in AppleScript editor. Can anyone suggest why?
set vpnname to "VPN (Primary)"
set vpnserver to "vpn.website.com"
set vpnsecret to "abcdefghij"
set vpnusername to system attribute "USER"
set groupname to "GROUP"
activate application "System Preferences"
tell application "System Events"
-- Checks whether Universal Access is enabled - this is required for all scripts to work
if not (UI elements enabled) then
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
display dialog "This script requires access for assistive devices be enabled." & return & return & "To continue, click the OK button and enter an administrative password in the security dialog." with icon note
end tell
set UI elements enabled to true
if UI elements enabled is false then return "User Cancelled"
delay 1
end if
tell process "System Preferences"
click button "Network" of scroll area 1 of window "System Preferences"
--Creating VPN (CU Primary) interface
tell window "Network"
click button "Add Service"
delay 1
end tell
tell sheet 1 of window "Network"
click pop up button 1
click menu item "VPN" of menu 1 of pop up button 1
delay 1
click pop up button 2
click menu item "Cisco IPSec" of menu 1 of pop up button 2
set focused of text field 1 to true
keystroke "a" using command down
keystroke vpnname
click button "Create"
delay 1
end tell
--Entering server / account details
tell group 1 of window "Network"
click checkbox "Show VPN status in menu bar"
set focused of text field 3 to true
keystroke vpnserver
set focused of text field 1 to true
keystroke vpnusername
click button 2 --pressing "Advanced…" button
delay 1
end tell
--Entering "Advanced…" details
tell sheet 1 of window "Network"
activate
set focused of text field 2 to true
keystroke vpnsecret
set focused of text field 1 to true
keystroke groupname
click button "OK"
delay 1
end tell
-- Apply all changes
tell window "Network"
click button "Apply"
delay 1
end tell
tell application "System Preferences"
quit saving yes
end tell
end tell
end tell
I'm not sure if it will work but if any of the key strokes are going into applescript just run the
tell application "application name here"
activate
end tell
before the keystrokes that are being put into apple script then it will focus on the window you have told it to
Sorry for the lack of code snippet I am new to this forum and I'm not sure how to use it properly