Is there any program that creates shortcuts from screen selections (EXCEPT AHK)!
Is there any program that creates shortcuts from screen selections (EXCEPT AHK)!
I swear I recall a program that let you drag a box across your screen and assign it to a keyboard shortcut, so pressing the key felt like clicking the mouse on that part of the interface... This would help me create shortcuts for things the software wouldn’t normally allow. I remember hearing about such tools, but I’m not sure what they are. Any search on Google keeps bringing up "AutoHotKey," but it’s definitely not the same as AutoHotKey I was expecting! I’m getting really frustrated with how often this solution appears, especially since I’m not trying to type three letters and fill out an email 50 times a day because I’m just a human spam bot. I just want to map a key to a section of my GUI and I’ve seen it done before.
the only thing i ever did like this was using macros in ms office programs. but i understand many people have similar features in photoshop and other tools, so it should be feasible. i can't say i've seen such a program before, though i haven't actively searched for one. maybe a fresh search focusing on creating macros within the software or its interface could help. that's roughly the only idea I have.
The procedure involves:
1) Enclosing a section of the GUI screen as if capturing it (similar to taking a screenshot).
2) Proceeding with additional tasks, possibly on other screens where the box is no longer visible.
3) When necessary, pressing a key that simulates mouse movement within the box area.
What outcome should this action achieve? Not certain. Full understanding is confirmed, though depending on specifics Move Mouse might be an option.
Recommended tools:
- https://www.filehorse.com/download-move-mouse/
- Snip & Sketch
- https://www.lifewire.com/snip-and-sketch...10-4774799
- https://ugetfix.com/ask/snip-sketch-how-...-location/
If neither tool works or is not suitable, capture a few screenshots of your GUI to illustrate the intended sequence and results. You may share them via imgur (www.imgur.com).
In agreement with @Math Geek, it’s probable you’ll need background code or macros, such as Python or Powershell.
Can I understand why you reject Autohotkey? I've relied heavily on that scripting tool before becoming a full-time Linux user.
Your explanation here seems a bit confusing (the mouse can't click on an area, but a point does) – in my opinion, ahk is the right choice for this task.
If you change your mind, here are some beginner videos:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOq1ay2hcEY
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gO-3EO4CV8
https://www.youtube.com/c/JoeGlines-Automator/featured
After posting this, I experimented with various scripts and macros but found them all ineffective. I upgraded to hardware that offers more editing controls. Even free options that claim to bind shortcuts failed to work. The keyboard I have lacks software for assigning extra keys as macros, so I’ll check if the controllers I bought are functional. I’ll keep watching videos, but AHK won’t help me much. I really need physical knobs I can turn, and I’m trying to discover shortcuts for functions not allowed in keyboard customization.
It depends on the software you're working with. These scripting tools often don't support newer applications written in managed languages such as WFP apps and controls. You might need to explore UIAutomation, though it can be challenging to master and may have performance issues. It's also possible that it won't work with your specific application.
There is a function named Imagesearch in Autohotkey. It is quite useful when the "area" command refers to something that can show up at various spots. I think this might be the root cause of the issue here.
For example, at my workplace I use a web-based application. The login process is very awkward. You have to open a web browser (I use Chrome), go to the login page, enter your username or password, and wait for another site to load. This new site has an icon that you need to press to activate the app. However, the developer set the icon to appear at slightly different locations each time I visit the page. A simple script that always clicks on a fixed position won't work.
That's why I created an AutoHotkey script using the ImageSearch function to find the icon's location, then performed a mouse click slightly adjusted to center on it.
This is the brief summary. But there are more details:
- The script sometimes needs to wait for a specific pixel and color before clicking.
- It includes a function to reset the cursor position after each click so it stays accurate.
- In many situations, automated mouse clicks are too fast for web pages or RDP windows to detect, so I monitor certain pixels at the icon's edge. This ensures the script always catches the button, as the pointer hovers until the color changes.
I'm more than willing to share some of these functions, but they require a basic understanding of how the script functions. Please check the linked videos and read the AHK help manual to learn what it can do.
I would prefer using AutoIt with the webdriver udf for web automation. Searching images is really not the best method for reliable results. With webdriver, you can fully automate chrome or chromium-based browsers. It becomes more robust and dependable since it understands how to wait for websites.
We really don't have any clear information about the software OP is using. Based on what I've seen, if you're using RDP applications, Autohotkey can't collect details about GUI elements at all, so you're left with relying only on pixel data. I don't have much experience with AutoIt, but from what I know, image searches tend to work well—unless they're integrated into a timer, which seems to be the main issue I've encountered. There might be a cache or bug causing unreliability in those cases.