Trying to figure out automator...

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I'm trying to figure out Automator as it seems really cool!

I have some mp3s that I have transfered from my Windows PC onto my Mac. I do this regularly as the family shares our music with each other.

But I'm not quite understanding how to do something.
1. What I want to do is get files of a specified type (.mp3) from a specific directory (~/family stuff).

2. Then I want to check and see if these files are in the iTunes library (have they been imported) if not, I want to import them.

3. Next, I want to show the user which files the automator has selected, and make sure that they are ok.

4. Once they are sure to be imported into iTunes (so there is a copy in my iTunes Library at /Users/nathansweeney/Music/iTunes/... I want to move the original files I copied onto the HD to the trash.

I think I don't need to check to see if they are imported yet, if they already are I think it will just skip over them and not import them twice. So I can see how I can import and move to trash.

What I don't know how to do is find the files of the specified type (.mp3) in a specific folder. When I just let it do "Computer" it finds a lot of mp3s that are in the iTunes library. I don't want those. When i tell it to look in the specific directory it doesn't find anything.

Also, is there a way to show the user all of the files of that type it found, selected, and allow the user to de-select the ones they wish? If I can't show the user what was found, that is ok, but I still don't know how to actually find the files.

I know it seems kind of pointless but Automator is really cool sounding and I am trying to play around with it.
 
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It seams to me that you are trying to do a custom task, i could be wrong. Automator definitely has a bright future but it has a long way to go. As of now all you can do is choose stuff from what apple gives you over on the side. There are some actions available on apple's website but once again if you cant find exactly what you need you are stuck. What apple needs to do is make it so you hit a record button and do the task and it records it then you set it to do it like a normal task and boom there it is.
 
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claudius753
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I think that some of what I wanted to do is custom. But the important things are available.

It would go:

1 Find Finder Items (Location= ~/family stuff Name contains mp3)

2 Copy to Playlist in iTunes (This would ensure that they were in the library, a backwards way to do it, but it should work)

3 Move Items to Trash

These should all be available in Automator.

Heres the problem. If i just do "Find Finder Items" followed by "View Results" to see what it is passing to the next step, it finds nothing. If I do the "Find Finder Items" on a different folder (such as Home) if finds plenty, just not in any of the one folder I want it to see.

It seems for some reason, that it won't look in the folder I want it to. I think this may have something to do with permissions?
 
O

october

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I don't know if its just me but I have no clue on what automator really does. I'm sure I could look it up but could someone give me a example of what I would use this for?
 
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been playing around with Automator myself, it is pretty cool
 
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I have a bunch of picture's that rotate on my background every half hour I used it to rename them all in sequential order and to keep track of them on my page the numbers make it real easy
 
T

Tel

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The only thing I've used it for so far is so when I connect my camera, it downloads all pics to a new album with whatever name I specify and burns them onto a CD for me.

I want to set something up for my iPod though, just not 100% sure what yet :p
 
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claudius753
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I now know where my problem lies. Automator won't look in this particular folder. It will look in any other folder, just not this one.

I can't figure out why it refuses to look in this folder. I thought maybe permissions, but the permissions on the target folder are the same as any other folder. I'm stumped.
 
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I love Automator and Finder plug-ins, they are an absolute god send for quickly organising porn.
 

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