OS X Mountain Lion Portable Genius

Recording Your Actions

The coolest feature in Automator for Mountain Lion is the ability to create custom actions based on your keyboard and mouse events. Automator can record your keyboard and mouse events and execute them as part of a workflow.

Scripters who write their own AppleScripts or developers who create their own applications will be delighted to know that they can develop their own actions specific to their needs. Xcode, which is an API (application programming interface) distributed by Apple with Mountain Lion, provides all the tools necessary for programmers to make unique actions.

To record your actions, you must enable access for assistive devices in the Universal Access preferences. To do so, choose Apple menu→System Preferences, select Universal Access, and then select the Enable access for assistive devices option at the bottom of the window.

Before you start recording, make sure that your Mac is set up exactly the way it needs to be to perform the necessary actions. For example, if you are using an application as part of your action, you want to have it open before beginning to record.

To get started on your custom action, follow these steps:

1. Open a workflow and click Record in the upper-right corner.

2. Perform the steps necessary to complete your ...