Copyright: Copyright (C) 1996, American Systems


Contents

EZ Macros - A product of American Systems

EZ Macros is "The Macro Recorder for Windows 95 and Windows NT".

EZ Macros is an easy to use keyboard and mouse macro recorder designed to work with Windows 95 and Windows NT.   EZ Macros is good for performing repetitive keystrokes and mouse actions.  Use EZ Macros to record your keystrokes and mouse actions and attach them to a hot key, then play them back by just pressing that hot key.  You can even edit your macros after you have recorded them.

You can also have EZ Macros launch programs by hitting a hot key.  You simply tell it where to find the programs you want to launch and what hot key to use.  Then at any time just press that hot key, and watch your programs appear.

How to use EZ Macros

Ordering EZ Macros

Product Support

Come see us on the World Wide Web!


Order
EZ Macros 1.1 Order Form and Registration

To print this form, click on the 'File' menu, then click on the 'Print Topic'  option.

Name     ______________________________________________

Company _____________________________________________

Address  ______________________________________________

City        ____________________________ State ______    Zip __________

Phone (______) ______-________ Fax (______) ______-________ e-mail ___________________

Important:  Is this your first product from American Systems?  (  )Yes  (  )No

Disk size:      ____   5 1/4"     ____   3 1/2"

_____   Number of Copies of EZ Macros

x $29.95  = $ ____________   (TEXAS residents add 8 1/4% sales tax.)

American Express (  ), Visa (  ) or MasterCard (  ) Number ________________________________ Exp. Date ___________

Signature: _________________________________________________

Make checks and money orders payable to American Systems.

P.O.s for more than $100.00 are welcome!         Bulk pricing is available!

Mail, or Fax your check or credit card details to :

     American Systems

     7016 Thomas Pl.

     Fort Worth, TX 76148

     Care of Windows Utilities Division

     Fax:(817)485-2193

or Compuserve: GO SWREG #13903  or Order Online at http://www.americansys.com

Where did you get your evaluation copy from?

(  ) Vendor

(  ) BBS

(  ) CD-ROM

(  ) Friend

(  ) Other           Name of source ___________________________________________

Note: Prices are effective March 1, 1997 and are subject to change.  Please enclose any comments you have.


Support
Product Support

American Systems provides user support to registered versions via mail, and/or telephone.

American Systems will answer questions and resolve serious bugs for the first three months after registration.  For problems involving a specific hardware or software environment or feature, we may choose not to modify the program.  In that case, if a problem is reported within three months after purchase, then we shall offer to refund the user's purchase price.

If a bug prevents you from evaluating EZ Macros during the first 30 days (prior to purchase), American Systems  will attempt to assist but is not under obligation to resolve issues beyond our control.

     Phone:

                     (817)485-6547

     Fax:

                     (817)485-2193

     CIS:

                     74364,20

     World Wide Web:

                     http://www.americansys.com

     Address:

                     American Systems

                     7016 Thomas Pl.

                     Fort Worth, TX, 76148

                     Care of Windows Utilities Division

Please share the evaluation version of EZ Macros with others for the purpose of evaluation as long as it is unaltered and distributed in its entirety.


Launch a list of programs
How do I launch a list of programs with a single hot key?

1. Click the <Add> button and a wizard will guide you through the steps.

2.  First choose a hot key for your new macro.  See the window below.

Make sure that the cursor is blinking in the field.  Then strike the key(s) that you will use to run your new macro.  We recommend that you choose key combinations like <Ctrl+B>, or <Shift+F8>, etc.   If you choose keys like <E> or <0>, this could interfere with the way you use your other software.  For example, if you are using a word processor and you type

"Every good boy does fine"

and you have a macro set up for the <E> key, then your 'E' macro would run instead of the 'E' appearing in your word processor's window.

3. You will be asked by the wizard the type of macro you wish to create.  Choose 'Launch a list of programs'.

4. You now see a blank list of programs to launch.  See the window below.

5. Click the <Add> button to add a program to launch.  The window below will appear.

In the 'Program field' type the path to the program  you wish to run.  You can click the <Browse> button to help you find your program.  In the 'Parameters' field, type the command line parameters to the program.  If you want the program to run minimized, click the 'Run Minimized' box.

For example, if you want to run Paintbrush minimized and have it automatically load a BMP file from the C:\WINDOWS directory you would enter

pbrush.exe

in the "Program" field and enter

c:\windows\argyle.bmp

in the "Parameters" field and check the "Run Minimized" box.

After you click <Ok> you will return to the program list window mentioned in item 4.  You will see your program listed in the list.  Now you can add more programs to the list if you wish.  If you have more than one program in the list you can rearrange them by pressing the <Move Up> and <Move Down> keys.

6. After you click the <Next> button, you can enter a description for this macro.  This will help you to remember what this macro does when you come back to it later.


Create a mouse and keyboard macro
How do I create a mouse and keyboard macro and launch it with a single hot key?

1. Click the <Add> button and a wizard will guide you through the steps.

2. The first thing the wizard will ask you for is to choose a hot key for your new macro.  See the window below

Make sure that the cursor is blinking in the field, then strike the key on the keyboard that you wish to attach run your new macro.  We recommend that you choose key combinations like <Ctrl+B>, or <Shift+F8>, etc.   If you choose keys like <E> or <0>, this could interfere with the way you use your other software.  For example, if you are using a word processor and you type

"Every good boy does fine"

and you have a macro set up for the <E> key, then your 'E' macro would run instead of the 'E' appearing in your word processor's window.

3. You will be asked by the wizard the type of macro you wish to create.  Choose 'Remember mouse and keyboard events'.

4. You now see the default settings for this new macro.

By default you will be recording keystrokes and mouse movements and clicks.  Keystrokes and mouse movements and clicks are also known as 'events'.  You can click the "Record keyboard events" box to record keystrokes, the "Record mouse events" box to record mouse information, or you can click both boxes to capture both.

Notice the 'Playback Speed' field.  The 'Playback Speed' allows you to control how fast the macro is played back when you hit your hot key.  If 'Fast' is selected, the macro is played back almost instantly.  If 'Recorded Speed' is selected the macro will be played back at the speed in which it was recorded.

Now notice the 'Repeat Count' field.  This is the number of times the macro will be played back when you run the macro.  This is very handy when performing repetitive tasks such as editing text or "massaging data".

5. When all of your settings are the way you like them, click the <Record> button.  The EZ Macros window disappears, and a green light appears in the tray window (the clock window).  When the green light is on you are recording a macro.  Now is the time to type and/or move your mouse for your macro.  When you are finished recording your macro, hit the <Pause> key on your keyboard.  The EZ Macros window will reappear, and the green light in the system tray will turn to a red light.  (The <Pause> key will not be a part of the macro.)

After you record your macro the first time, you can click the <Edit> button to see the list of events stored in your macro.

If you select an event in the list you can click <Move Up> or <Move Down> to rearrange the events to be played in the sequence you choose, or click <Delete> to delete the event.

You can insert a recording into the existing one.  Just highlight the row that you want, click the <insert Recording> button, and the new instructions will be inserted before the highlighted row.

You can append a recording onto the end of the existing one by clicking the <Append Recording> button.  When you are finished recording, click the <Pause> key on your keyboard.  You will see the new events in the list.

6. After you click the <Next> button, you can enter a description for this macro.  This will help you to remember what this macro does when you come back to it later.


Activate Hot Keys
How do I activate my hot keys?

To activate the hotkeys listed in the EZ Macros main window, simply click the <Activate hot key mode> button.  The green light will appear in the tray window (the clock window).   Your hot keys will now be active.


Edit Macro
How do I edit a macro?

1. Select the macro you want to edit and click the <Edit> button.  Make sure that the macro 'type' in the main EZ Macros window is 'Macro'.

2. You now see the default settings for this macro.

By default you will be recording keystrokes and mouse movements and clicks.  Keystrokes and mouse movements and clicks are also known as 'events'. You can click the "Record keyboard events" box to record keystrokes, the "Record mouse events" box to record mouse information, or you can click both boxes to capture both. If you only want one to record one type of event, click on the one you do not want.  Only the events checked are the events that will be recorded.

Notice the 'Playback Speed' field.  The 'Playback Speed' allows you to control how fast the macro is played back when you hit your hot key.  If 'Fast' is selected, the macro is played back almost instantly.  If 'Recorded Speed' is selected the macro will be played back at the speed in which it was recorded.

Now notice the 'Repeat Count' field.  This is the number of times the macro will be played back when you run the macro.  This is very handy when performing repetitive tasks such as editing text or "massaging data".

3. If you want to rerecord the macro click the <Record> button.  The EZ Macros window disappears, and a green light appears in the tray window (the clock window).  When the green light is on you are recording a macro.  Now is the time to type and/or move your mouse for your macro.  When you are finished recording your macro, hit the <Pause> key on your keyboard.  The EZ Macros window will reappear, and the light will turn to red.  (The <Pause> key will not be apart of the macro.)

If you want to edit the macro or add/insert a macro within the existing macro click the <Edit> button.  The window below will appear.

If you select an event in the list you can click <Move Up> or <Move Down> to rearrange the events to be played in the sequence you choose, or click <Delete> to delete the event.

You can insert a recording into the existing one.  Just highlight the row that you want, click the <Insert Recording> button, and the new instructions will be inserted before the highlighted row.  When you are finished recording, click the <Pause> key on your keyboard.  You will see the new events in the list.

You can append a recording onto the end of the existing one by clicking the <Append Recording> button.  When you are finished recording, click the <Pause> key on your keyboard.  You will see the new events in the list.

4. After you click the <Next> button, you can enter a description for this macro.  This will help you to remember what this macro does when you come back to it later.


Edit list of programs
How do I edit my list of programs to launch?

1. Select the program list you wish to edit and click the <Edit> button.  Make sure that the macro 'type' in the main EZ Macros window is 'Program'.

2. You now see your list of programs.  See the window below.

3. If you want to add programs to the list of programs to execute, click the <Add> button to add a program to launch.  The window below will appear.

In the 'Program field' type the path to the program  you wish to run.  You can click the <Browse> button to help you find your program.  In the 'Parameters' field, type the command line parameters to the program.  If you want the program to run minimized, click the 'Run Minimized' box.

For example, if you want to run Paintbrush minimized and have it automatically load a BMP file from the C:\WINDOWS directory you would enter

pbrush.exe

in the "Program" field and enter

c:\windows\argyle.bmp

in the "Parameters" field and check the "Run Minimized" box.

After you click <Ok> you will return to the program list window mentioned in item 2.  You will see your program listed in the list.  Now you can add more programs to the list if you wish.  If you have more than one program in the list you can rearrange them by pressing the <Move Up> and <Move Down> keys.

If you want to edit a particular program on the list, select the one you want and click <Edit>.  The window below will appear.

You can edit anything on the window.  When you are finished, press the <Ok> button.

4. You may now continue editing items in the list or click <Next> to finish.

5. After you click the <Next> button, you can enter a description for this macro.  This will help you to remember what this macro does when you come back to it later.


WWW
Come see us on the World Wide Web!

At our web site you can :

.  Download FREE evaluation versions of our software

.  Learn more about ALL of our products

.  Obtain technical support

Come see us at :

http://www.janesway.com


Delete macro
How do I delete a macro?

To delete a macro click on the macro in the list that you want to delete and click the <Delete> button.


Enable Disable Macro
How do I enable or disable a macro?

To disable or enable a macro click on the macro in the list that you want to enable or disable and click the <Disable> or the <Enable> button.  The macros with the green light are the macros that are currently active.  The macros with the red light are inactive.


Run Macro
How do I test my macro? Or just run it from the EZ Macros main window?

To run a macro from the EZ Macros window click on the macro in the list that you want to run and click the <Run> button.


Run Cmd Line
How do I run a macro from the command line or from a scheduler?

You may wish to run a macro from a scheduler at a particular time.  Or you may simply wish to run a macro from the command line.  To do this just pass the '-r' parameter followed by the hot key of the macro to run.

To run an EZ Macros macro from another program (for example, from a scheduler or from the command line), just pass the '-r' folowed by the hot key of the macro to run.

For example, the following command

"C:\Program Files\American Systems\EZ Macros\ezmacros.exe"  -r"Ctrl + A"

Starts EZ Macros, runs the macro associated with the "Ctrl + A" hot key and then shuts down EZ Macros.  (Note: Be sure to put a space before and after the '+' character in the hot key parameter.)

Be sure to include the quotes when specifying the macro to run.


Helpful Hints

If you find yourself having trouble with EZ Macros you may find these hints helpful.

1. If you are having difficulty playing back macros at 'Fast' speed try playing them at 'Recorded Speed'.  Sometimes other applications cannot accept keyboard and mouse movements as fast as EZ Macros can produce them.

For example, if you create a macro to click the 'File..Open' menu command then type in a filename, you could notice a small time delay between the time you click 'Open' and the time the window actually appears.  Keystrokes could be lost between the time the macro clicks 'Open' and the time the window actually appears if the time delay is much greater than the time delay when you recorded the macro.

If you encounter circumstances like this try playing your macro back at 'Recorded Speed'.

2. If you are having trouble getting your macros with mouse clicks to work read this section.   Sometimes windows appear at different positions on the screen when you display them.  This is a normal Windows behavior.

With that in mind you should know that mouse events such as movements and clicks are "screen relative" not "window relative".  This means that when you play back a macro that produces mouse clicks, those clicks will occur at the same position on the screen, not the same position on the window.

Here are two solutions to this dilemma.

A. Only use keyboard events to navigate your program.  This will actually result in a faster executing macro and you will be assured that you will not have any problems with the mouse clicking in the wrong place.

B. At the very beginning of your macro, use the keyboard to maximize the main window of the application you are creating your macro for.  You maximize the window with the keyboard by pressing the following keys.

Press  the <Alt> key once

Press the left arrow once

Press the down arrow once

Then arrow down to 'Maximize'

Then press <Enter>

This will assure you that the application's window will always be in the same position and the same size every time you record your macro.  After you do these five simple steps continue recording your macro.

One note of Caution:  If you record a macro and later play it back in the "wrong place", you’ll get unpredictable and possible dangerous results.  For example, if you record a macro for your word processor and accidently play it back while you’re running your spreadsheet program, you could garble or even lose your data.  Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete during playback will halt the macro and minimize the damage.  After pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete, Windows 95 will let you shut down the macro gracefully.  The bottom line:  Be careful when you play your macros!

Note:  If you have additional hints you would like to share with others please send them to our technical support department.  We would love to see what sort of trick you have come up with.


How to use
How to use EZ Macros

EZ Macros uses a wizard to guide you through the process of creating a macro.  Each step comes with complete instructions on the window describing what to do.  Give it a try!

How do I create a mouse and keyboard macro and launch it with a single hot key?

How do I launch a list of programs with a single hot key?

How do I activate my hot keys?

How do I edit a macro?

How do I edit my list of programs to launch?

How do I delete a macro?

How do I enable or disable a macro?

How do I test my macro? Or just run it from the EZ Macros main window?

How do I run a macro from the command line or from a scheduler?

Helpful Hints

Come see us on the World Wide Web!