Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- Macro_Groups [2018/07/01 02:02] – Basic rewrite, Add screenshots, more to come ... JMichaelTX
+++ Macro_Groups [2024/09/09 05:40] (current) – peternlewis
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Macro Groups ======
-Keyboard Maestro organizes your macros into //Macro Groups// which are like folders of macros. Each Macro Group contains a number of macros.
+Keyboard Maestro organizes your [[manual:Macros|Macros]] into //Macro Groups// which are like folders of macros. Each Macro Group can contain zero or more [[manual:Macros|Macros]].  Subfolders are not allowed.
+===== Purpose =====
+* Provide a folder-like container for related Macros.
+* Control when those Macros are active, and available to be triggered.
+* Provide for displaying a [[manual:Palettes|Palette]] of Macros that can like a custom toolbar for your apps, or even across all or multiple apps.
+===== Controlling When Macros are Active =====
 The **most important function** of Macro Groups is to **control when the contained macros are active.**
+In order to run (execute) a macro:
+  * One of its [[Triggers|Triggers]] must be invoked
+  * It can only be triggered if it is active
+  * It can only be active if it meets all of the activation criteria, including being enabled
+Macro activation can be a challenging subject to master.  For a full discussion, please see [[Macro_Activation|Macro Activation]].
+===== Displaying a Palette =====
+* Each Macro Group can be displayed as a palette. The macro group can be global to all applications, or specific to any subset of applications. It can be toggled on and off with a hot key (or a status menu selection or from the Global Macro Palette) or it can be displayed for a single action. Actions can hide or show the macro group palettes.
+* For details on setup of Palettes, see **[[manual:Palettes|Palettes]]**.
+===== Macro Group UI =====
+You create, edit, and manage //Macro Groups// in the Keyboard Maestro Editor.
+Controls are available at the bottom of the //Macro Groups// Panel, in the //File// menu, and via keyboard shortcuts.
+{{:macro-group-ui-km9.png?nolink|}}
+---
 ===== Setup Criteria (Basic) =====
-==== Active When Applications Are Active ====
+When you create a new //Macro Group//, the setup for it will appear in the far right panel that normally contains the Macro Action List.  It looks like the below screenshot, with the popup options shown to the right.  There are many setup options, some representing combinations of options, so if you are not familiar with these, you may want to experiment with each setting to see the details for that option.
-A Macro Group can target or exclude specific applications, which means the macros it contains will only be active in those desired applications ((For example, you can have macros which are active only in Mail.app)).
+{{:macro-group-setup-km8-2.png?nolink|}}
-By default, Macro Groups and their Macros are active in all applications, that is they are always ready to be triggered.
+==== Active When Applications Are Active ====
-To have macros only active in specific applications, place the macros in a Macro Group, set it to be active in only specific applications and specify the desired applications.
+* A Macro Group can target or exclude specific applications, which means the macros it contains will only be active in those desired applications ((For example, you can have macros which are active only in Mail.app)).
+* By default, Macro Groups and their Macros are active in all applications, that is they are always ready to be triggered.
+* To have macros only active in specific applications, place the macros in a Macro Group, set it to be active in only specific applications and specify the desired applications.
 **By choosing the applications for which a macro is active**, you can control more applications with fewer conflicts.
@@ Line 20: / Line 52: @@
 * For application-specific macros, use **Available in these applications**.
 * To exclude certain applications, use **Available except in these applications**.
-* For Application Triggered macros (eg Launch/Activate/Quit), use **Available in all applications**.
+* For Macros triggered by one of the [[trigger:Application|Application Triggers]]:
+  * Use **Available in all applications** to be available to an app Launches trigger.
+  * Use **Available in these applications** to be available to Activates or Quits triggers.
+  * The [[trigger:Application|App Activates Trigger]] will fire for //both// //Available in **all** applications// and //Available in **these** applications//
 * For Login or Public Web triggered macros, use **Available in all applications**.
@@ Line 31: / Line 66: @@
 * If you want to use several macros in succession, configure the Macro Group to be **Activated/deactivated** or to **Show/hide a palette**.
 * If you want to have a global palette of related macros, configure the Macro Group to **Show a palette**.
+* If you want the macros to be always active, but to show a palette only some of the time, choose one of the **Always activated and shows…** variants.
+For more details see the [[#Setup_Criteria_Advanced|Advanced Setup]] at the bottom of this page.
 ---
@@ Line 68: / Line 106: @@
 * Mail.app that inserts common text messages.
+* [Macro Group Active Only for Mail.app Compose Window](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/app-and-window-specific-macro-groups/16869/2)
 * BBEdit and Xcode that inserts code chunks or duplicate lines or add #include headers.
 * Safari that configure windows or enter information.
@@ Line 91: / Line 130: @@
-To have Macros that are active once only when you specifically activate them, set the Macro Group to be **Activated for one action**. The Macros in the Macro Group will be enabled when you press the Macro Group Hot Key and will remain enabled only until either any macro is triggered or you press any other key ((You could use this to create a set of related actions with easily remembered trigger keys that will not conflict with normal use because they are not activated until you press the group Hot Key. For example, you could have a group of macros to launch various applications and so that Command-Control-L activated the group, and then a single letter press launched the application (eg M for Mail, S for Safari, F for Finder).)).
+To have Macros that are active once only when you specifically activate them, set the Macro Group to be **Activated for one action**. The Macros in the Macro Group will be activated when you press the Macro Group Hot Key and will remain active only until either any macro in the same group is triggered or anything changes in your Mac (changing the application, changes to macros or macro group activations, pressing a key) ((You could use this to create a set of related actions with easily remembered trigger keys that will not conflict with normal use because they are not activated until you press the group Hot Key. For example, you could have a group of macros to launch various applications and so that Command-Control-L activated the group, and then a single letter press launched the application (eg M for Mail, S for Safari, F for Finder).)).
 ==== Active Until Deactivated ====
@@ Line 99: / Line 138: @@
 ==== Show Palette for One Action ====
-To have Macros that are active and displayed only after you specifically activate them, set the Macro Group to **Show a palette for one action**. The Macros in the Macro Group will be displayed in a floating Macro Palette and enabled when you press the Macro Group Hot Key and will remain displayed until either any macro is triggered or you press any other key ((You could use this to create a set of related actions that do not even need a Hot Key. For example, you could have a group of macros to launch various applications like Mail, Safari and the Finder so when you press Command-Control-L, a palette of these macros is displayed and a single click will launch the application. The macros can still have Hot Key triggers which will be available only while the palette is displayed.)).
+To have Macros that are active and displayed only after you specifically activate them, set the Macro Group to **Show a palette for one action**. The Macros in the Macro Group will be displayed in a floating Macro Palette and enabled when you press the Macro Group Hot Key and will remain displayed until either  any macro in the same group is triggered or anything changes in your Mac (changing the application, changes to macros or macro group activations, pressing a key) ((You could use this to create a set of related actions that do not even need a Hot Key. For example, you could have a group of macros to launch various applications like Mail, Safari and the Finder so when you press Command-Control-L, a palette of these macros is displayed and a single click will launch the application. The macros can still have Hot Key triggers which will be available only while the palette is displayed.)).
 To have Macros that are active and displayed after you specifically activate them, set the Macro Group to **Show/hide a palette**. The Macros in the Macro Group will be displayed in a floating Macro Palette and enabled when you press the Macro Group Hot Key and will remain displayed until you press the Macro Group Hot Key again. You could use this to create a set of related actions that do not even need a Hot Key ((For example, you could have a group of macros to align objects in a CAD program, so when you press Command-Control-A, a palette of these macros is displayed and you can click various alignment options (distribute left-right, alight top edges) and then close the palette by pressing Command-Control-A a second time. The macros can still have Hot Key triggers which will be available only while the palette is displayed.)).