Controlling and Selecting VPN Connections with Keyboard Maestro

From time to time I need to connect to one of our work VPN connection. When doing so, I want to Launch and Quit several applications related to the task of that connection. To make things easy, I want to use Keyboard Maestro to orchestrate the process. Unlike some other solutions, my connection type isn’t changing. I’m not switching from wired to wireless, or changing network names or locations. I’m initiating the connecting in both cases, but one uses a VPN client, while the other uses the built-in Network configuration. In either case, I want to shut down apps that might be downloading or making connections. I also want a visual cue denoting that I’m on a VPN now. A small menu bar applet called IPBar serves that purpose very nicely. One connection is needed for access to the databases. So, when connecting to that I want to start my SnippetsLab tool and open Valentina Studio. For the second, I […]

Reading the “Where From” meta data using Keyboard Maestro

I was recently presented with this problem. I had dozens of files that had very generic filenames that needed to be sorted. However, the “Where From” meta data contained useful information about the author and content. Problem is, how to use that data? After searching around, it’s possible to read that information using something similar to: xattr -px com.apple.metadata:kMDItemWhereFroms ‘/Users/name/location/location/location/filename.ext’ | xxd -r -p | plutil -p – That’s great, but not exactly useful. But once again, Keyboard Maestro comes to the rescue and can handle the problem with ease. In fact, it doesn’t really require coding, the functionality is all built in. The first step is to use the Get Attribute action, and set it to Where from. That is then stored in a variable and you can manipulate things as you like. I used the Switch/Case statement to have Move/Rename files based on the name it found. This is then nestled inside a For Each and you just […]

More fun, and a gamepad, with Karabiner-Elements

After the initial success of using Karabiner-Elements with a keyboard I had laying around, I decided to move a step further by adding a gamepad to the mix and programming it with hotkeys. And it worked with great success. The gamepad of choice, or rather, the gamepad on sale, is the BlueFinger Gaming Keyboard, which is in essence the left side of a regular keyboard. Now, it's no Logitech or Razer, but I'm not going to use it that way. It's standard plastic all round, but it's got a decent size, feels sturdy enough and shows up as a generic keyboard. It was also $30, so many boxes checked there. Next, with the help of a very cool website-Karabiner Complex Modification, I was able to create a list of my own custom rules, which are loaded under the Complex Rules tab. Instead of pressing CAPS LOCK and then another key, I wanted one-click action. So, if I press A, I […]

Setting up a secondary keyboard for macros

After setting up several keyboard shortcuts within Alfred and Keyboard Maestro, it became clear that I was putting together some bizarre key combinations and odd hand gestures to make sure I wasn’t interfering with other applications. Then it occurred to me, don’t video and audio editors have dedicated keyboards for shortcuts? Can the same thing be done for keyboard macros? The answer is, yes it can. And rather easily too, using a standard keyboard and Karabiner Elements. You don’t have to buy a specialty keyboard or programmable keypad or anything else. You can use any USB keyboard you have lying around. I have dozens from all the Windows machines I’ve ordered throughout the years. This also works for a Bluetooth keyboard, so it doesn’t have to be wired. The easiest way to configure this is install Karabiner Elements and go to the devices tab. Turn off all the other keyboard except the secondary one you plan to use for macros. Then […]

Three months of working remotely

I've crossed over the three month mark of working from home. And despite circumstances, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. By not being stuck in traffic I have so much more time available. I've been able to exercise with more frequency and still have plenty of time in the evening to play games, watch a movie, or work on side projects like Affinity, Inkle, or doing fun research with DevonAgent. Not to mention, I've saved a ton of money by not eating out and not buying gas. No sympathy for the oil companies I'm afraid. I've also been working on getting my organization groove on. I've made dozen of changes and improvements to my notes, folder and database structure within DevonThink. I've even moved a lot of documentation into DevonThink that was lingering in different folders on the drive. Everything in one place, very tidy. I've created several new Alfred and Keyboard Maestro workflows which have been some nice little timesavers. (Clicking […]