I’m told this is the right place to ask . . . so here goes!
I’m embarking on a project, and was originally looking for a programmer to write a dedicated program for me.
After getting several “Quotes” from the Freelance websites, I decided it’s not going to happen . . . unless I win the lottery!
So, doing some more research led me to this forum, which I’ve been reading eagerly for the last few weeks!
I’m keen to start learning Applescript, as I think it may be the answer, but I’d like to confirm that I’ll be able to achieve the desired result BEFORE embarking on all this work! I’ve already tried several test scripts, and love what I can do already (very little, but it’s fun!)
OK, so this is what I need my project to do when I’ve finished.
Primarily, I’d like to write a script to run Toast titanium, to write files to a DVD . . . with the click of, maybe two buttons!
I need to:
Open a splash screen (maybe with command buttons - Enter/Continue etc)
Open a Toast project (to run in the background if possible after clicking previous button/s)
Automatically drag (copy etc.) video files from an external drive, into a location between two other files in my Toast Project.
Confirm these are the files I want to burn
Have toast Burn the project to DVD (in the background - maybe have a timer showing how long to wait etc)
Verify the DVD (in the background)
Eject the DVD from the drive
Confirm that all files be erased from the external drive
Erase all files on the external drive.
Eject external drive
Show original splash screen to start over.
As I mentioned before, I simply would like to know if I’ll be able to achieve all of the above with an AppleScript, or just some of it.
I would expect you to be able to do most of that using using AS. Toast is scriptable.
Look at its Definitions in The AS library. (you may need to add the app to it)
. . . thanks for the quick response . . . . so it’s onwards and upwards with the learning by the looks of it!
Wow Mark, that’s a heck of a lot of information, I tried the Roxio forums, but there was very little there, so thanks for the link!
I presume this is a search result on this forum?
Thanks also StefanK for the tutorial link, I’ll make a start by going through that . . . . also have Applescript for Dummies, I’ve found in the past that these books are excellent value!
Looks like I may be visiting more frequently now I know all this can be done.
OK, so I’ve managed (with the grateful help of a member of these forums), to get the following script to work as a start to my project:
set theFile to alias ":Users:steveg:Desktop:evnz.disc"
tell application "Toast 10 Titanium"
activate
open theFile
end tell
Not quite sure why theFile has to be set as an alias, as it’s not really an alias . . . but after much trying, this is the only way my Toast project file will open consistently.
The next part I’m trying to get to work, is moving (copying etc), one file from a USB stick, to this project window. In particular I have four other files in the Toast project, and I need to drop the file from the USB stick smack bang in the middle of them all.
If you didn’t specify it as an alias, it’s just words to the program.
“:Users:steveg:Desktop:evnz.disc” means as much as “My name is Steve” to Toast (or any app for that matter). BTW, it’s not an Alias like a shortcut you make, it’s a way the script can point to a file. It is like a shortcut in memory instead of a file with an arrow in the icon.
Thanks for explaining that . . . makes sense, I was looking at it as an actual alias . . . not so with Applescript or an application using AS eh?
Ok so that’s that one sorted, Is it possible to get my file from the USB stick and drag/drop - copy (etc) to exactly where I’d like to see it in the Toast project file though! Seems like quite an intricate thing I’m asking??
