Macro

About AceMacro
AceMacro License
Using AceMacro
Tips on Using Macro's
Launching a macro from a batch file
 

About AceMacro

AceMacro is a macro recording and replaying utility.  You can record and replay windows keyboard and mouse events.  AceMacro is inbuilt into our Automize and AceMacro Pro scheduling software programs which can record and replay macros, execute programs, batch files, ftp, email with attachments, download web pages, zip, copy, alarms, reminders, backups and other features. Please visit our website at www.hiteksoftware.com for details.

AceMacro is free for home, personal, religous and charitable use.  Licensed users of AceMacro Pro and Automize can use AceMacro for free.  All business, educational, government and other users can use this software free for a maximum period of 15 days.  Commercial, government, or educational use for more than 15 days requires a license.  Please visit our website at http://www.hiteksoftware.com for purchasing details.
 

Using AceMacro

To Record a new Macro: Hit the "Record New" button.  Then enter the desired name and hit ok.  Then start recording.

To Stop a Recording: Use the F1-F12 keys.  You can select which key to set as the stop key.

To Replay a macro:  Hit the replay button.  You can stop the replay at any time using either Ctrl+Esc or Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Loop during replay:  After recording, make sure that you stop the recording using F1-F12 key.  If you stop the recording using the "Stop Recording" button, looping will not work during replay.

Do not record MouseMoves:  Mouse Moves account for ~95% of all events.  You can quicken a macro by choosing this option.  Make sure that you mouse click on the Root of all cascading menu's.
 

Tips on Using Macro's

• There are many things that may (actually will) go wrong during a macro replay. Please be patient and intuitively try and understand the reason for the failure.
• You can speed up a macro by not recording mouse moves.  However, if you choose this option, be sure to click on the root of every cascading menu (like the start menu).
• You can use the 'Start Button' and the subsequent drop up/down menus to launch your application.  However, remember that everytime you install a new application, the location of the icons in the Start Menu, Programs Menu etc. change.
• It is recommended that you launch an application from the 'Start Button' and type in the full path to the application using your keyboard (Do not go via the browse button).   This is the most time consuming way to launch an application, but is also the most reliable.
• Keep your macro's short (less than 30s). Use them in simple tasks to replay carriage returns, enter passwords, or close programs etc.
• Always close all other programs before recording a macro. Only open those programs that your Macro will work on.
• Ensure that your screen is exactly the same while recording a macro as it will be during a scheduled replay.
• Make sure that an application window has not been resized between the time you record and replay the macro.
• The macro will click on all the wrong places on the application window if it has been resized.
• Build up your macro in stages, i.e. record ~15 seconds first and then replay. If it works, then increase the recording time.
• You can replay a recorded macro in a batch file!! See the help section on using AceMacro Pro Macros within a batch file.
• Files/directories may change contents between the time you record a macro and the scheduled run time, hence the file location may change! and you may boot up the wrong file.
• One way to ensure that a file is always at the top of a directory is by naming it aaa or 11 etc.
• You can mix in a 'Print Screen' during a macro run to store a snapshot of your screen in memory and view it using paint.  This may help you to debug the cause of a macro failure during its scheduled run.
• Be aware of timing issues!! A file residing in memory will open very quickly during your macro recording. However, during its scheduled run, it may not reside in memory and may take twice as much time to launch. Any mouse or keyboard input in this time gap will not be replayed
• Do not use the icons in the bottom/side taskbar or system tray to launch applications.   The icons in these loactions change positions and the macro will launch the wrong application.
• AceMacro works by mouse location only. All buttons, text boxes etc. in an application should always be in the same location for a macro to work correctly. The best way to achieve this is to open the application window 'Maximized'.  Most windows applications will remember how they were last opened. Hence, open an application, Maximize and close it, before recording a macro on it.
• If you are using a macro on text files, make sure that your system opens the textfile using Wordpad rather than Notepad.  Notepad does not remember how it was last opened and generally opens randomly all over your screen. Wordpad remembers how it was last opened and can be opened Maximized.

Launching Macro's from your programs/batch files

The Macro Recorder and Replayer is called Macro.exe. It can be launched from the command line to replay your recordings. Hence you could use it from any of your batch files or executable programs. You have to be in the Macro.exe directory [WorkingDir] to launch it.

Example use in a batch file:
cd [WorkingDir]
Macro.exe macroname

IMPORTANT: Macro.exe has start with capital M, not small m
Please note: If there are spaces in the path, the path needs to be enclosed in parentheses.

If you chose the standard options during installation, the syntax will be:
cd "c:\program files\HiTekSoftware\AceMacro"
Macro.exe Macroname