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Macro Express Pro v 4.5.0.1 is now available from www.macros.com/download. This release of Macro Express Pro contains many enhancements and bug fixes including:
A complete list of changes is available on the Revision History pages.
Previous issues of the Macro Express News discuss how to run Macro Express as an administrator. One side effect of doing this is that programs that are launched from a macro also run as administrator. This can have unwanted side effects. Customer John Greiner found a solution:
“I figured out how to run a task not as admin even when ME Pro is running as admin”, he said. This sample will launch Outlook 2007. Change the “ProgramToRun” variable to the program you want to launch:
Variable Set String %ProgramToRun% to “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office12\Outlook.EXE”
Program Launch: “runas.exe” (Normal)
Parameters: /savecred /user:”<login name>” “%ProgramToRun%”
Delay: 0.5 seconds
If Window “runas.exe” is focused
Encrypted Text: Type out the text // Account Password
Delay: 50 milliseconds
Text Type (Simulate Keystrokes): <ENTER>
End If
Notes:
“I hope some other users find this useful!”
John Greiner
www.themacroexpert.com
Some applications require a key to be held down while performing some other action. It might, for example, have the ‘g’ key held down while typing other letters. Macro Express has always had options in the Text Type command to hold down the modifier keys such as ALT, CTRL, SHIFT and the Windows key. Macro Express Pro v 4.5.0.1 introduces the ability to hold nearly any key down.
To do this include <KEYD:x> as part of a Text Type command where x is the key to be held down. For example, enter <KEYD:q> to hold down the “q” key. Enter <KEYU:q> to release the key when needed. Similarly, insert <KEYD:Q> to hold down the “Q” key and <KEYU:Q> to release it.
When Macro Express is installed, a copy of the macro file samples.mex is also installed. This macro file contains sample macros that demonstrate many of the features in Macro Express. You can study these macros to learn how to use specific macro commands in your own macros.
Download Macro Express Pro sample macros here and Macro Express 3 sample macros here.
When the samples.mex macro file is loaded into Macro Express the ‘Menu of Sample Macros’ macro should automatically run. This scheduled macro displays a menu of the available sample macros. Click next to one of the macros and click the OK button to run it. You may also run individual macros from within the Macro Explorer.
These new sample macros have been added to samples.mex for Macro Express Pro:
| Date Time Math | This macro demonstrates some of the Date/Time features |
| Show Macro Progress | Use the Text Box Display command to show progress as a macro runs |
| Split and Combine Strings | Split a string variable into an array variable. Later combine an array variable into a single string variable |
| Type Special Characters | Demonstrates how to use the Alt-Key sequence command to enter symbols or Unicode characters into your macro |
| Restart Macro Express | Restart Macro Express each day to improve stability |
| Pixel Color Hexadecimal from Mouse Locator | Type a pixel color saved by the Mouse Locator into another program in hexadecimal format |
| Pixel Color Red, Green, Blue from Mouse Locator | Type a pixel color saved by the Mouse Locator into another program as Red, Green and Blue integer values |
Note: We do not recommend that you put your macros in the sample.mex macro file.
The Alt-Key Sequence is a method of inserting symbols that may not be present on your keyboard, such as á, Ô, ©, ¾ or ¿ into Windows applications. This can be done manually by holding the ALT key down and pressing digits on the numeric keypad. Alt-Key Sequences can be added to your macro by clicking on the “Symbols” button in the “Text Type” command and then clicking the “Alt-Key Sequence” button.
There are three ways to enter special characters using the Alt-Key sequence: the legacy method, the newer leading 0 method and latest hex method. The hex method can be used to enter Unicode characters. The Alt-Key Sequence feature in Macro Express Pro v 4.5.0.1 has been enhanced to support all three methods.
The “Type Special Characters” macro contained in samples.mex for Macro Express Pro demonstrates how to type Alt-Key Sequences.
The Mouse Locator tool displays the position of the mouse cursor relative to the screen and relative to the active program. This information is useful when writing macros using mouse move and mouse click commands. The Mouse Locator tool can be loaded by clicking Tools, Mouse Locator.
The Mouse Locator also displays the color of the pixel under the mouse. This is helpful when writing macros that use the Get Pixel Color command to take different actions depending on a pixel color. One example of such a macro would be to detect when a progress bar reaches a specific point.
Although Macro Express Pro uses integer values for colors, many other programs use RGB or hexadecimal values. The Mouse Locator program can be useful when determining colors to be used in these programs. The Mouse Locator program for Macro Express Pro has been updated to display colors in several formats: as an integer, as a hexadecimal BGR value, as separate integer values for Red, Green and Blue (RGB) and as a hexadecimal RGB value.
As another convenience, when the Mouse Locator has focus, you can press Ctrl+C to copy the color values to the clipboard. The Macro Express helper macros included in the samples.mex include macros that can then be used to type colors into other programs.
For example, to set a color in Word requires that you type integer values for R, G and B. You can use the Mouse Locator to move the mouse over a color on your screen, press Ctrl+C to copy the color values to the clipboard. Then click in the R: field in word and press Ctrl+Shift+R to type the color values into Word.
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