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Found_Image [2016/03/06 02:34] AlainLifchitz better wiki syntax for internal links |
Found_Image [2024/10/12 05:23] (current) peternlewis [Specifying Fields in Found Image Actions] |
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- | {{:condition:image-icon.png?nolink|}} | ||
====== Found Image ====== | ====== Found Image ====== | ||
- | Although it is generally better to use high level actions like Press Button or Resize Window, it is sometimes necessary to resort to looking at the screen for a specific image and responding appropriately (behaving differently if it exists, clicking on it, moving things to it, etc). | + | Although it is generally better to use high level actions like [[action:Press_a_Button|Press Button]] or [[action:Resize_a_Window|Resize Window]] action, it is sometimes necessary to resort to looking at the screen for a specific image and responding appropriately (behaving differently if it exists, clicking on it, moving things to it, etc). |
There are various actions ([[action:Move or Click Mouse|Move or Click Mouse]], [[action:Find Image on Screen|Find Image on Screen]], [[condition:Found Image|conditions]] and [[collection:Found Images|collections]] that search the screen for a matching image. | There are various actions ([[action:Move or Click Mouse|Move or Click Mouse]], [[action:Find Image on Screen|Find Image on Screen]], [[condition:Found Image|conditions]] and [[collection:Found Images|collections]] that search the screen for a matching image. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Example Click on Found Image ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is how the Action appears when first inserted into your macro. | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ action:clickatfoundimagedescription.png?nolink&611x290 | Click at Found Image Description }} | ||
===== How To Use ===== | ===== How To Use ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Specifying Fields in Found Image Actions ==== | ||
+ | |||
- **Specify the image to match** | - **Specify the image to match** | ||
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* To view the image in the image well, click on it and press <key>SPACE</key>. | * To view the image in the image well, click on it and press <key>SPACE</key>. | ||
* You can copy the image from the Image Well. | * You can copy the image from the Image Well. | ||
+ | * Alternatively, you can get the image to search from the System Clipboard, Trigger Clipboard, a Named Clipboard, an Icon, a file, or from an image elsewhere on the screen. | ||
- **Specify the amount of fuzziness allowed** | - **Specify the amount of fuzziness allowed** | ||
* Because of transparency and anti-aliasing almost all screen matches are fuzzy to some degree. | * Because of transparency and anti-aliasing almost all screen matches are fuzzy to some degree. | ||
* But usually about 20% is a good place to start. | * But usually about 20% is a good place to start. | ||
- | - **Optionally highlight Found Matches** | + | - **//Unique// Menu** |
- | * This can be helpful in determining the right amount of fuzz to use. | + | * By default, the image must be unique on the screen so that Keyboard Maestro knows where to click, otherwise the action will fail. |
- | * It can also show when an image is being found in more than one location. | + | * Alternatively, you can have Keyboard Maestro click based on the best match, or (v9.0+) click on the topmost, leftmost, bottommost, or rightmost match. |
+ | - **//Display// Checkbox -- If //checked//, it will highlight on the screen all found matches** | ||
+ | * This can be helpful in debugging, like determining the right amount of fuzz to use. | ||
+ | * It will also show when an image is being found in more than one location. | ||
- **Choose Where to Search for Image** | - **Choose Where to Search for Image** | ||
- | * All screens. | + | * You can search in all screens, or on a specific screen. |
- | * Main screen. | + | * Alternatively, you can search within a specific window. |
- | * Specified screen (counting from the left). | + | * However, the window must be in the frontmost, active, application, in order for it to be seen by this Action. |
- | * Front window. | + | * Or you can search within a specific area on the screen. |
- | * Window with a specified title. | + | * For instructions on how to get data for area, see [Determine Location of Area to Search for Found Image](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/using-mouse-display-window-to-get-window-specific-locations/7112/9) |
- | * Window with a title containing a given string. | + | |
- | * Window with a title matching a given regular expression. | + | ==== Search in Specified Area ==== |
- | * Specified window (counting from the frontmost window). | + | |
- | * Specified area on the screen. | + | |
Remember when specifying the area, as with all [numeric fields](:Text_Fields), the numbers can be calculations including [functions](:Functions), and the fields expand to allow for longer expressions as soon as you type something other than a number, so this allows very precise control of where you can match. | Remember when specifying the area, as with all [numeric fields](:Text_Fields), the numbers can be calculations including [functions](:Functions), and the fields expand to allow for longer expressions as soon as you type something other than a number, so this allows very precise control of where you can match. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | {{ action:click-found-image-action-example.png?nolink&503x407 | Click at Found Image Example }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that in the above screen shot, the `WINDOW(0,Left)` function is referring to the frontmost window in the frontmost app. To refer to other windows in the frontmost app, you need to change the `index` parameter of the [[function:WINDOW|WINDOW function]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Search Speed and Accuracy ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Keyboard Maestro uses a relatively fast search to make the action perform in a reasonable amount of time, but it can result in not finding some images. | ||
+ | * Images Difficult to Match | ||
+ | * The most difficult images to match are small grey images (like grey icons or text). | ||
+ | * Since the screen tends to be filled with small grey areas, it is hard for Keyboard Maestro to find the best locations to look. | ||
+ | * Increasing Search Accuracy | ||
+ | * Set Search Area to less than a quarter of the whole desktop. | ||
+ | * This will improve ability to find smaller images that have low contrast. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Testing ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | When testing found image macros: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * Hide the action or the Keyboard Maestro editor as the image within the action may be found. | ||
+ | * Turn on the “Display” checkmark, so you get visual confirmation an image has been found. | ||
+ | * If the image is not found, play with the fuzz slider. | ||
+ |