Set iChat status based on iCal event alarms
I wrote a small script that, using iCalBuddy, will set your iChat status based on the name of whichever iCal event calls the script as an alarm. Here's how it works. First, save this as a script in AppleScript Editor. I have saved it as iCal Event to iChat: set theEventName to (do shell script "/usr/local/bin/icalbuddy -ic \"Some\ Calendar\" -eep \"*\" -nc -b \"\" -n -li 1 eventsToday") if (theEventName is not "") then tell application "iChat" set status to away set status message to "I am attending " & theEventName & "." end tell end if Then, in iCal, and create a new event (Planning Meeting or whatever) on a calendar. Set the Alarm Type to run your new AppleScript (iCal...
published on Wednesday, the 2. December 2009, macosxhints
Create custom spoken text alerts in iChat 4
In iChat 3, we had the ability to set spoken text alerts for certain actions, i.e. when someone logs in. However, this was removed in iChat 4, though it's possible with AppleScript. For lack of a clear explanation of how to do this already on macosxhints.com, I submit the following code: using terms from application "iChat" on buddy became available bud say "whatever you want to say" end buddy became available end using terms from Save this as an AppleScript in your user's Library » Scripts » iChat folder. Select a buddy in your list. Hit Command-I to open the Show Info dialog. In the Alerts tab, pick Run AppleScript from the pop-up menu, then select the file you just created. This is just a modification of a script I found here. [robg adds: I'm not sure why the (anonymous) author claims that spoken text alerts have disappeared in iChat 4; they're still availa...
published on Tuesday, the 11. August 2009, macosxhints
Auto-record iChat A/V chats
On my last project, we made extensive use of iChat's video, audio and screen conferencing features. I found myself wishing I could record our sessions, as some of our discussions were extremely complex. It took me a surprisingly long time to realise that there is a Record Chat item in the Video menu of iChat. Activate this, and the other party is asked if they mind if a recording is made. If they accept, each party then ends up with their own recording, copied to iTunes.If, however, you are as lazy and forgetful etc. as I am, you may find this simple AppleScript handy:-- automatically turn on AV Recording in iChatusing terms from application "iChat" -- enable iChat's on event handlers on av chat starte...
published on Thursday, the 21. May 2009, macosxhints
Open an iChat SMS window from LaunchBar
LaunchBar has a convenient Skype dialer script, based on this hint from a few years ago, which takes a phone number and dials it in Skype. The following script takes a phone number and creates a chat window in iChat for SMS use. It only works for US numbers. Some of the code was taken from an AppleScript elsewhere on macosxhints.com.Here's the code:property lb_prefix : "tel:"on handle_string(s) -- Trim the LaunchBar prefix if it exists. if s starts with lb_prefix then set s to ¬ (text ((count lb_prefix) + 1) thru -1 of s) -- Strip non-numeri...
published on Thursday, the 26. March 2009, macosxhints
Auto-accept iChat screen sharing sessions
I went to Europe for three weeks this summer, and wanted a way to be able to grab things from my iMac while I was away. I figured out how to alter the Auto-Accept script in iChat to enable remote screen sharing as well, so that I could start a remote session without confirmation.Input the code below into Script Editor, and save it as Auto Accept modified.applescript in /Library » Scripts » iChat. using terms from application "iChat" on received text invitation theText from theBuddy for theChat accept theChat end received text invitation on received audio invitation theText from theBuddy for theChat accept theChat end received audio invitation on received video invitation theText from theBudd...
published on Wednesday, the 29. October 2008, macosxhints
Automatically reconnect iChat if connection drops
I've had the problem with my iChat Jabber connections (gtalk and yahoo.jabber.org.uk gateway) constantly crashing, causing an error dialog in iChat. Since the Chax add-on no longer seems to support automatically reconnecting to crashed connections in 10.5, I found this great idea for a crontab script to force a reconnection using AppleScript. However, the only problem is that this would start iChat even if it was not running. So I used this slightly extended script to make it check if iChat was running before executing the login command. I added this line to my crontab (via crontab -e or the Cronnix crontab editor) to make it re-run every minute using the command line: * * * * * osascript -e 'tell application "Sy...
published on Thursday, the 28. August 2008, macosxhints
10.5: Automatically set iChat status when in A/V chats
Here is a way to automatically change your status when sending or receiving audio/video invitations. You'll need to create four simple AppleScripts, and save them into your user's Library » Scripts » iChat folder (create the folder if necessary). Open Script Editor (in Applications » AppleScript), then copy and paste these scripts, one at a time, into the Script Editor window. Click the Compile button, then select File » Save As and point to the previously-noted iChat folder. Name them as shown with each scripts code, on the second page of the hint... Script name: iChat invited video.scpt using terms from application "iChat" on received video invitation theText from theBuddy for theChat set status to away set status message to "In conference" end received video invitation end using terms from Script name: iChat invited audio.s...
published on Wednesday, the 14. May 2008, macosxhints
10.5: Create clickable URL status messages in iChat
When people had URLs in their IM status message, it was always a pain to access them in 10.5, since iChat did not allow selecting and copying them, or accessing them directly by clicking.No more! When you see a URL status message in iChat in Leopard, it will show those iTunes Store-like arrows that open the link in your browser by clicking.[robg adds: Interestingly, iChat will respond to file:/// links, though it won't seemingly open applications -- just the folder that contains those applications. This page, however, indicates that it's possible to run an AppleScript directly from a URL, which might have interesting implications for links (not just in iChat, of course).]
published on Tuesday, the 13. November 2007, macosxhints
10.5: Auto accept any chat request in iChat
In 10.4, you had to use Chax to allow auto-acceptance of chats in iChat (there is a way to auto-accept video chats, but that's it).In 10.5, there's a new "Run AppleScript" feature in the Alerts section of iChat's preferences. I was going to use that to write a simple AppleScript to press the Return button in the dialog that appears when you receive a chat invitation. After checking the box to enable AppleScripts with text chat invitations, I got a surprise when I clicked the drop-down menu: Apple's already done the work!When you enable the Run AppleScript feature, you'll see you can pick from three already-created AppleScripts: Auto Accept, Auto Reject, and iTunes Remote Control. Pick the event you'd like to modify (text, audio...
published on Thursday, the 1. November 2007, macosxhints