Automating a printing process Topic is solved

[OrangeView]

Hello, I am a laser operator that programs multiple PNGs with various print settings to send to a Co2 laser engraver. I am looking to automate the programming aspect of my job to save time, plus allowing me to do other tasks such as gather the materials for engraving. I have already sped up the process quite a bit by getting an X-keys keyboard to record macros. I have managed to cut all the mouse clicks & keystrokes of the process down to three buttons for printing each size! It is a major time saver.

I would like to share some of what I do and walk you through the process, and what I have also assigned to the keyboard keys so you may understand my goal better. I am not asking for others to completely do this for me, but for guidance on where to start and how I would go about accomplishing tasks involved in writing scripts, dialog boxes, etc. Though I have no prior coding knowledge, I am green as it gets. So, I will say I am sorry in advance for all the questions I will be asking here in the forums.

So, let’s get started! I have 8 batches of images a day that get exported to 8 separate directories. In each of the 8 batches there are two sub batches (Handle & Non-Handle). In each sub batch folder (Handle & Non-Handle), there are 75 different folders that contain each size I print. Here is an example of the process and what I have assigned to my X-keys Keyboard. There are some steps that I will be wanting to add to the process after I get the basic printing function such as some safety nets to make sure things run as smooth as possible.

Step 1:
I open up the first directory on the network. From there the 3 button presses do all of the clicks and keystrokes I use to have to manually do.

Step2: Button 1
In the first directory I have the keyboard type 1.5x1.5, hit Enter to open that folder, CTRL+A to select all of the images, hit Enter to open them in Corel Photo Paint.

Step 3: Button 2
Once all of the images Load into Corel> CTRL+P (Print screen opens), Tab Enter to select Print Properties (Print Properties opens), Shift Tab 11 times to get to a drop-down menu with a list of the custom dimensions for the sizes.

Step 4: Button 3
I have it type 1.5x1.5, Down arrow then up arrow then Enter to select the size in the drop down menu (The new version of this print driver is weird and will not change the size unless I use those arrow keys to reselect the size)Hit Enter,
Tab Enter (selects OK (Back to Print Screen), Tab Enter (Print(Job Identification window pops up), I have it type 1.5x1.5 (Then Non or Handle after the size depending on what I am printing as to easily identify it in the Engraving Software I use), Hit Enter (Sends Image/s to Engraver Queue), (After Printing the Job/s & back in Corel Photo Paint), ALT+W (to get to the window options), L then Enter (to Close All Images), Mouse Click on the File Explorer tab (Current directory I am printing from), Backspace (to go back a folder), Alt+ Up Arrow (To go up a Folder). Then I restart the process to print the next size.

So that is the basic Idea of What the process is now.I am wanting to take it from 3 keystrokes to one. There are lots of steps that I want to add in between these current steps.
So...I have AHK installed. I have a script on the desktop ready to edit. What now?

[MaxAstro]

That is a fairly complicated workflow, but basically everything you've done as a keyboard macro can be done very easily in AHK. How complicated it is depends mostly on whether you just want to send keystrokes, like your keyboard hotkeys do, or if you want to send instructions directly to the applications - which is more complicated but gives you a finer level of control and can allow things like having parts of the script run in the background. Some commands you probably want to read the help for (just click them in the box below):

Code: Select all

Send
Click
Sleep
MsgBox
IfMsgBox
WinWaitActive
IfWinActive
ControlSend
ControlClick
ControlGet
ControlGetText

If there are any specific steps you need help with, let me know!

[chef423]

Keyboard shortcuts, for me, is always the way to go. Click is only good for random events IMO.

[MaxAstro]

I tend to agree. ControlClick can be a fairly powerful tool, though, and some programs annoying fail to include keyboard shortcuts for everything.

[OrangeView]

Thanks again for poting me in the right direction to get me started!