Feb
01
2010
Automate your tasks by recording keystrokes, mouse actions, so you can replay later with Perfect Macro Recorder!
Perfect Macro Recorder can help you accomplish your work quickly by performing all major tasks on your PC automatically after recording them. By “recording” we mean recording your mouse actions (movements & clicks) and keyboard actions so you can generate a macro script which allows to playback all your recorded actions!
Key Features:
- Records keystrokes, mouse events, and clicks for later use
- Macro script Editor so you can edit and modify your macros
- Smart playback for your macros
- Repeat playback a certain number of times
- Convert your macro to an EXE-file
- Variable playback speed
- Pause/Resume Recording
- Pause/Resume Playbacking
- Auto run on Windows startup
- Import or export any macro to/from Perfect Macro Recorder
- Easily find specific help for a particular topic
- Install/uninstall support
View full post on Giveaway of the Day
Donate some spare change so I can buy myself a cup of coffee
Tags: actions, Automate, keystrokes, later, Macro, mouse, Perfect, Recorder, recording, replay, tasks
@Ashraf:
Nice summary, as usual. As you say, use of absolute screen coordinates is a real problem.
@Martin:
Good comparison of two contenders, and using the same test for both! – unheard-of!
@Fubar:
Thanks for the judicious comparison of different macro tools. But please don’t knock GAOTD users as “freeloaders” – some of the people commenting here show real skill at sorting out the practical tools from the junk. And nobody ever got rich by giving money away; on the contrary, the “value investor” is the one who still has more money to spend on other things – like having fun!
@GAOTD:
Thanks for arranging all these giveaways; the 2% or so I’ve taken advantage of have greatly improved my PC computing experience.
My take on today’s giveaway:
), I’ve never found one that it is easy to make respond the same way to the same window every time. That really requires:
Although I used several different Windows macro tools back in the 90s (to automate unix testing!
(1) a check that the window is open (or program/process is running);
(2) window-relative (wr) coordinates (NOT absolute coord’s); and
(3) window-resizing if the wr coordinates exceed current window dimensions.
Any macro tool that supports or allows these actions would have my vote.
However, as I presently have relatively few tasks worthy of automation, it’s not worth the bother (and performance penalty) of adding yet another app to an already over-stuffed HD and Registry.
For those who really do need a macro recorder to speed up simple repetitive tasks, today’s giveaway should do just fine – but you’ll probably need the self-discipline to always put your windows in the same place.
For those willing and able to think like programmers, I’d recommend using AutoHotKey (AHK) instead, as others have.
I don’t find this macro recorder to be useful. As noted, like most macro recorders, it isn’t very safe. In theory, you can improve reliability by having it wait for particular windows via editing the script, but that’s a major pain. There’s a Help file, but there didn’t appear to be a way to open it in the program, not even via standard F1, nor would it open directly. Also as noted, some features don’t do what they say it will do.
I have some recommendations for macro recorders, but since 99.9% of GOTD users are freeloaders, most people won’t like my recommendations because they’re targeted primarily at businesses.
My number one recommendation is WinAutomation. It’s pricey, but it’s a joy to use, very versatile, and moderately (not completely) safe if you edit the script (high-level guided scripting). I record the macro, then edit-out the junk, replace what I can with direct script commands, and add waits, searches, and checks for windows where appropriate. It has a very easy-to-use image search feature. NOTE: Microsoft made major changes to the Desktop Window Manager for Vista (changed again for Windows 7), so I’ve found it necessary to turn off on-screen status displays in macro recorders that have image search functions, otherwise the search fails on my PC (some always display status, so I can’t even test them). WinAutomation keeps its macros internally unless you pay extra for a version that can compile them, but you can indirectly call a macro via the command-line interface (or create a shortcut which does). All of WinAutomation’s modules access the Internet, but that’s for standardized license verification (or your scripting).
My number two recommendation, by far the safest and most reliable, in some respects the most versatile, is VSoft Automise. It’s pricey, it damages your Windows installation (I’ll send them a bunch of feedback), and it’s a pain to program (you have to go to a dozen different places to program an action or figure out what one does), but it supports standard scripting languages (as I recall, it can generate code in four different languages, and it supports dozens of standard languages if you want to write code). It’s control-based, not windows-based. As I recall, it also uses a command-line interface if you want to call macros externally. There’s a cheap version, but it’s useless (no GUI automation, which is exactly what Windows macro recorders / automation tools are for).
In the seriously pricey range are products like Network Automation AutoMate, Automation Anywhere, and OpenSpan. As far as I know, only OpenSpan is reliable (it looks like it may use similar techniques to Automise), but it’s aimed at a somewhat different market–linking unrelated applications via automation.
MJT Net Macro Scheduler and WinAutomation are direct competitors. As far as I know, MJT Net has been around longer, it has lots of features and programmability, it’s pricey but a cheaper home license is available, and the developer really wants your business. It sounds like it’s the type of product which I would prefer (very versatile and programmable), so why do I like WinAutomation better? Because Macro Scheduler is a pain to program, it uses an ad-hoc scripting language (very ad-hoc), it sets windows to their original positions and sizes to try to increase reliability (that only helps a little), which is OK for unattended macros, but is unacceptable for interactive macros. Both Macro Scheduler and WinAutomation have image search features. Macro Scheduler’s is more versatile but WinAutomation’s is much easier to use. Personally, I would take a look at Tronan Macro Machine before buying Macro Scheduler. Macro Machine is deceptively powerful (the UI looks like a toy), it appears to have a better-designed macro language (a link to the language reference is towards the bottom of the page), and it also claims to support browsers (I haven’t found any that can automate IE worth a crap on Vista). However, I don’t think that it has image-search features, and like the others, it’s windows-based, so it isn’t completely reliable, but you can add windows checks. Like Macro Scheduler, Macro Machine repositions windows to increase reliability (I don’t think it resizes them, although you could).
Insight Macro Express Pro has interesting features, but I wasn’t able to get it to work on my Vista PC. It’s also hard to test multiple macro products, because they interfere with each other and you may have to disable and reinstall different products as necessary.
In the bizarre but interesting category are products like AutomationBox MouseRobot and AutoClickExtreme. MouseRobot worked pretty well on XP, not so much on Vista. It needed some changes and more development. It’s still for sale, but development stopped some time ago. Most people just didn’t get it, you need a programmer’s mindset to use it. As far as I know it’s windows-based, not control-based, but it checks the window chain, so it’s capable of high reliability and can handle moved controls. It was my favorite automation tool before WinAutomation. AutoClickExtreme claims high reliability, but I found it cumbersome to use, and I ran into the image-search and status-display conflict on Vista, so I couldn’t test it. There’s lots of interesting information on the AutoClickExtreme website. The developer liked Tethys Solutions Workspace Macro Pro, but that’s another one I had all sorts of problems with. As I recall, it required a DEP exception and wanted direct disk access, so I either didn’t test it due to too many problems or it didn’t run.
There are tons of other products, like RoboTask, xStarter, the free AutoIt and AutoHotkey, etc. I certainly haven’t tested everything, but for now I’ll stick with WinAutomation, and they pay attention to my feedback (I’ll be sending them more).
For the people who didn’t like my brief comment yesterday, I left a reply.
Hi Everyone! Thanks GOTD for the OUTSTANDING website…i have learned a lot from this site over the years…
i have a question today about this “macr0-re-corder” software…please have patience with me on this one.
Explain what one doe’s with this program?….yes, i could investigate online and receive my answer but maybe my question HERE will help others ok…so please help: give US an example what this software is for???
Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!
Jay Allan
[snowdeep in virginia beach at the moment]
Windows 7 is not supported however this WILL work in Windows 7 if you follow the following procedure –
* Install the program with an icon on the desktop;
* Right click on the icon and choose Properties;
* Click the “compatibility” tab
* Choose from the dropdown list “Windows XP SP3″
* Click apply and OK
* Run the program, et voila!!!
The compatibility feature is in all computers since Windows XP for this very reason – most programs that will not run with new operating systems can still be run if you use this feature. It is a relatively little known trick that is incredibly useful.
There are plenty of macro apps out there, as well as built into major apps & suites like Ofc. Some take scripting, & for less complicated uses/projects, some of those can be used to create actual programs. Ashraf notes as a con that Perfect Macro Recorder *memorizes* mouse movements &/or coordinates — as far as being a negative, I don’t disagree, but it can also be a plus… Microsoft’s keyboard software for example likes to record every app you install in its section of the registry, just in case you later want to set something special; that sort of thing quickly leads to bloat. System requirements listed include .NET, which for some is a deal breaker.
I could see myself recommending Perfect Macro Recorder to casual users I know for simpler tasks, starting with things like opening their web browser & automatically heading to whatever site, rather than opening the browser & clicking/typing. I could also see them using a macro to take selected text (from a web page, document etc) & copy/paste it into a new email message — some family members pass recipes around, & they’d love that sort of convenience. Perfect Macro Recorder is not going to replace Autoit or Python etc any time soon, but for those who have no idea what Autoit &/or Python are, it could be a pretty cool tool.
PERFECT MACRO RECORDER 2.0
I downloaded and installed Perfect Macro Recorder 2.0 under Windows XP SP2, and it works quite well though is a bit slow compared to AutoHotKey, version 1.0.48.05 – http://www.autohotkey.com – my current mouse click saver, software that I have been using for about a year.
For comparison, I chose mouse clicks associated with executing Windows XP’s CHKDSK from the desktop starting with the My Computer icon. For me, this is an 11 mouse click routine.
While PMR 2.0’s strokes are 100% accurate, it is notably slower than AHK. However, while AHK works perfectly on about a dozen other mouse clicking process, it occasionally fails to perform the CHKDSK routine and that is why I am looking to replace it.
DO IT AGAIN 1.6
In addition to testing Perfect Macro Recorder 2.0, pursuant to Ashraf’s recommendation, I downloaded Do It Again and compared it to AutoHotKey.
I downloaded and installed Do It Again 1.6 (a version released in December 2007) under Windows XP SP2.
For comparison, once again, I chose mouse clicks associated with executing Windows XP’s CHKDSK from the desktop starting with the My Computer icon. For me, this is an 11 mouse click routine.
While DIA 1.6’s strokes are 100% accurate, it is EXTREMELY SLOW. In fact, it is so slow that I can perform the same clicks manually in less than 1/2 the time. Otherwise, it works as described.
On a side note, I find it FUNNY that DIA’s website has the word “tornado” in it. Given my experience, perhaps “molasses” would be more appropriate.
CONCLUSIONS
Do It Again 1.6 – – due to its EXTREMELY SLOW pace, I have deleted DIA 1.6 (and all of its entrails) from my PC.
Perfect Macro Recorder 2.0 – – I shall be keeping PMR 2.0 and continuing to test it against AutoHotKey with hopes of replacing it someday.
Thanks for this opportunity Perfection Tools Software and GAOTD staff,
Regards,
Martin
This kind of macro recorder cannot work properly. The recording of absolute mouse coordinates is one of the problems. The other main problem is the impossibility to check if the right programs are running, and, when it’s not the case, to launch them. Without that, it is totally useless to convert your recorded macro to an exe, as it will NEVER work properly, except if you record only very basic things, such as emptying your recycle bin automatically. Not really useful. It can be used, however, to repeat some simple mouse clicks IMMEDIATELY, as long as nothing happens that changes the current state of your desktop. But honestly, I have no good example of what it could do.
If you want to create really powerful macros, I suggest AutoIt or AutoHotkey. Both are free. OK, they are real scripting language, and that implies a relatively long learning curve. But at least, they are working well. And they have a macro recorder as well, that records relative or absolute moves. And if the automatically recorded macro doesn’t work as expected when the conditions change, you can edit it to fix the problem. That’s the only serious way to automate tasks.
I cannot understand how a commercial company can sell crap such as this GOTD at a very high price, while extremely more powerful applications such as AutoIt and AutoHotkey are free!
I’m sure someone will mention it (or already has & their comments haven’t passed moderation yet), but McAfee red flags the developer’s site. Here’s the link to detailed info, so check it yourself:
[http://www.siteadvisor.com/sites/perfectiontools.com/downloads/]
Today’s GOTD, Perfect Macro Creator, is “Green” — I suspect that the 2 downloads that are flagged, use monitoring techniques shared by mal-ware coders… And McAfee is a tad sensitive — I have to turn AV monitoring off if I go anywhere near Nirsoft apps for example, while the 1/2 dozen other AV suites I’ve tried ignore them.
This software would be overpriced if it were free, to charge for a macro maker that does not recognise windows, and button within them is ridiculous. There are macro programs infinitely better available, I used one similarly priced many years ago in my work as a programmer, sadly I cannot remember its name.
“Workspace Macro Pro” is the perfect one. It can detect the window/program, it is programmable, and can wait for a window to appear/disappear, with lot of features. It is NOT free
Automation tools in general are about emulating user activity by relying on simulating keystrokes when everything is setup correctly in the first place. The more expensive products (as mentioned, like OpenSpan) use injection technology.
i.e. they inject into the run time of the application giving ‘extreme’ robustness to the automations. However this is required for the markets they serve, which is primarily to automate tasks whilst a user is actively working with the applications they use. Most automation tools are more like “set it all up”, “ready”, “set”, “go”. i.e. a lot of unattended operations or exact repetitive tasks.
Injection technology gives you access to the underlying objects themselves, and gives you the same/similar control as if you were the original developer of the app (even if you don’t own source code). All properties, methods and events of those objects are available to you. You can even prevent users from clicking stuff by intercepting a click (until something else is ready) or you can set it’s hide property so the user can’t even see it until you are ready. That level of injection means you can also wait for a real event, like an object to be created inside the app, or a text change event of window create, created, destroyed, or destroying events. Again, this level of robustness means you can build robust automations in mission critical apps and guarantee the success (or failure) of a process.
I’ve only touched at the surface here but I’ve been involved in automation technology of every kind since I was 20 (macros) and since I am now 46, love talking about and happy to help. This is all great discussion.
For those interested, the other major advantages for “injection” v “playback” automation technologies, I see daily, are;
1. parrallel-tasking – by not relying on screen/mouse positions, keyboard simulation nor dependent of screen resolution or focus, you can drive apps one at a time or all at once (if the app allows it). You can send 3 apps to complete a task in one automation and wait for all three to finish before say, using a single thread to continue another!
2. Long time running batch processes. Can be run for days, even weeks and wake up when something occurs in the app!
3. Apps and automations can be stuck on a virtual machine and run 100% unattended (and or hidden). They can even expose a new API (service) of the automation itself for others to call into remotely on demand. (Great for moving automations and apps to a “server” side model.
4. Can work with multiple copies of the same app at the same time. Automation tools often get confused if apps “look” the same on the screen. Injection knows the app and the objects relative to the “instance” of the app, regardless of number of instances and can control any one or all of them in context.
5. Monitoring. Injection allows you to detect when a user or the application has done something that might then determine an automation going off in another direction. Or even notify someone something has changed in the app or drive another automation on another machine!
6. You can automate applications with hidden controls, tabs, MDI Modal and Modeless forms/objects. Injection see’s all. Most automation software relies on visibility to read/perform a function.
7. Getting data out of an object that is only partially visible. Since injection see’s an objects full properties, it can see the entire (even wrapped) text from a text box, or a specific color of a control or a selected item in a list box that’s not even shown!
8. Timing. This is one of the biggest, a lot of automation software breaks because you often have to rely on sleeps and waits. True injection can wait as long as it takes (mins, hours or weeks) for an object to appear and then continue.
Bottom line, I love automation software of any kind if they do the job reliably or at least save time. (Even unreliable automations are fine if you know they are and can sit and watch and correct on the fly. However, injection automation is really for enterprise ready processes that you must rely on and/or you want to use in significant production environments.
Open for other debate. The good news is, there are products for everyone. Free and not so free.