Feature Request: Run *AUTOMATOR* Workflows

[leoofborg]

I have a feature request, something that I REALLY MISS from Otto's Remote.

 

Instead of going through the watusi of either:

 

* Saving Automator workflows as "App" and then having to give permission to Accessibility in order to run, or

 

* Storing the Automator workflows a separate directory and then embedding the "automator" shellscript command inside an Alfred workflow in order to run an Automator workflow... arrrgh, too much recursion.

 

I'd like to do what I do in Otto:

 

1/ Make an Automator Workflow (not App). Reason: Automator has a bug with "watch me do" where the *Workflow* works but an App faults out "looking for input" -- despite what Apple docs say. Even if you "give Accessibility permissions" to each Automator.app. The workaround is to JUST use a workflow which works as expected.

 

2/ After putting my Workflow in my ~/Application/Workflows/ directory, then drag them straight into an Alfred "Open App" remote  template page.

 

3/ Open inspectors on the "buttons" and add icons. For Alfred I'd probably ask for an inspector sheet > switch "Open in Automator" or "Run."

 

This is what I do with Otto's Remote, tho' I don't do step three with Otto. (Otto uses iCloud & not WiF).

 

The project I have in mind is a bunch of "watch me do" Automator.Workflows that invoke my favorite VPN vendor's unscriptable VPN client. I've been able to do this via Automator & Otto, and would now like to (easily) port these Automator Workflows to Alfred Remote to make these workflows into Remote buttons.

 

Does this make sense? Thanks for reading....

 

-Leo (still gonna use Otto, it complements & overlaps Alfred Remote).

Edited January 30, 2015 by leoofborg

[Andrew]

I've added a ticket to look into this... it shouldn't be too hard to add a direct "Run Automator Workflow" action into remote (and likely workflows too). This would essentially use the shell workflow command under the hood but make it less of a faf to work directly with Automator!

 

Cheers,

Andrew