Basic functionality
Flexi-deck allows you to create macros that contain a list of actions required to automate system or application workflow.
Macros can be triggered in a number of ways as suits, but typically via an onscreen Flexi-deck menu.
A macro playback engine runs in the background to perform the actions defined within the triggered macro.
We hope these concepts are easily understood.
It is also worth noting at this point that Flexi-deck is not a simple 'record and playback' tool; although this type of tool may cater for simplistic task automation, it cannot cater for some of the recording challenges presented when needing to automate complex processes, especially those related to professional software applications such as, for example, Digital Audio Workstation applications.
To meet this challenge, Flexi-deck employs actions to cater for each step in the process, allowing for precise application or system interaction, and therefore the playback sequence is a collection of individual actions needed to satisfy each step of the automation process.
Therefore, it is important to break down a complete process into its component parts and utilise an appropriate set of actions to fulfil the task.
It is necessary to map out a process before embarking on a Flexi-deck macro definition session to ensure the component parts of the process are fully understood and identified.
With this in mind, the tutorial steps below will show you how to create a project framework, construct a Macro and invoke it from an on-screen menu.
This is a simple introduction to the Flexi-deck basics:
Identify the automation task at hand, in this case to simply switch the macOS Calculator between its modes of operation.
Start a project to contain the required Menus and Macros.
Create the macros within the Macro Editor to replicate the automation steps.
Construct the onscreen menus within the Menu Editor used to invoke the macros.
Automate!
Once you understand the basics, you can automate virtually any process requiring any number of steps to complete and build multi-layered menu systems to invoke the automation process.
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