# Snippets for Actions

CommandPost allows you to create Lua code snippets, which appear as actions in CommandPost's Search Console.

This means you can trigger a Snippet via a shortcut key or control surface button.

For example, to launch Final Cut Pro, you can use this simple Lua code:

cp.apple.finalcutpro:launch()

CommandPost is also compatible with Hammerspoon, so you can also use any of the examples on the Hammerspoon website.

You can learn more about Lua here.

You can find the Hammerspoon API reference here.

Here's some direct links to some useful Hammerspoon functions:

hs.timer.usleep(microsecs) - Add a delay
hs.eventtap.keyStroke(modifiers, character[, delay, application]) - Trigger a virtual key stroke
hs.application:selectMenuItem(menuitem[, isRegex]) - Trigger an application menu item

Here's some direct links to some useful CommandPost functions:

cp.tools

# Examples

# Press "CMD+C"

hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "c")

# Press & Release

If you want a control surface key to behave like a normal keyboard key, you need seperate actions for Press and Release.

For example, if you want to use the Q key this is the action for press:

hs.eventtap.event.newKeyEvent("q", true):post()

...and this is the code for release:

hs.eventtap.event.newKeyEvent("q", false):post()

# Controlling Final Cut Pro Titles

Lets say for example, you want to control the Animation Amount of Motion VFX's awesome mMusic Video 2, Subtitle 05 Animation Amount:

To do this we can use UI Browser or Xcode's Accessibility Inspector to find some information about the location of this slider in the Accessibility Hierarchy.

Accessibility Inspector:

UI Browser:

With this information we can determine that the AXSlider is contained within a AXScrollArea within an AXGroup.

We can also see that the AXDescription for this particular slider is "animation amount slider".

With this information we can now put together a Lua Snippet to get this slider, and increment it:

local fcp       = require "cp.apple.finalcutpro"
local axutils   = require "cp.ui.axutils"
local Slider    = require "cp.ui.Slider"

animationAmountSlider = Slider(fcp.inspector.title, function()
    local title = fcp.inspector.title
    local ui = title and title:UI()
    local groupA = ui and axutils.childAtIndex(ui, 1)
    local groupB = groupA and axutils.childAtIndex(groupA, 1)
    local animationAmountSliderUI = groupB and axutils.childWithDescription(groupB, "animation amount slider")
    return animationAmountSliderUI
end)

animationAmountSlider:show():increment()

To decrement it we can use:

animationAmountSlider:show():decrement()

To set a specific value we can use:

animationAmountSlider:show():value(12)

# Type "test"

hs.eventtap.keyStrokes("test")

# Trigger Shortcuts with Delay's in-between

-- Type "t"
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "t")

-- Wait 1 second
cp.just.wait(1)

-- Type "e"
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "e")

# Forcefully restart an application by its bundle identifier

local bundleID = "com.logitech.manager.daemon"
local apps = hs.application.applicationsForBundleID(bundleID)
if apps and apps[1] then
    apps[1]:kill9()
end
hs.application.launchOrFocusByBundleID(bundleID)

# Select all even clips in a timeline

cp.apple.finalcutpro:launch()
local clips = cp.apple.finalcutpro:timeline():contents():clipsUI()
table.sort(clips, function(a, b) return a.AXPosition.x < b.AXPosition.x end)
local evenClips = {}
for i, clip in ipairs(clips) do
    if (i % 2 == 0) then
        table.insert(evenClips, clip)
    end
end
cp.apple.finalcutpro:timeline():contents():selectClips(evenClips)

# Go back 500 frames and play

hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "-", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "2", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "return")
cp.apple.finalcutpro:doShortcut("JogForward"):Now()

# Audio Cross Dissolve Backward (J-Cut)

hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "]", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "-", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "1", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "return", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "up", 0)

-- Need To Assign Toggle Fade Out in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "alt"}, "f", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "down", 0)

 -- Need To Assign Toggle Fade In in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "shift"}, "f", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"ctrl"}, "s", 0)

# Audio Cross Dissolve Centre

hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "]", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "-", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "1", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "return", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "up", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "down", 0)

-- Need To Assign Toggle Fade In in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "shift"}, "f", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"ctrl"}, "s", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "down", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "[", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "=", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "1", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "return", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "up", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "down", 0)

-- Need To Assign Toggle Fade Out in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "alt"}, "f")
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"ctrl"}, "s")

# Audio Cross Dissolve Forward (L-Cut)

hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "[", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"shift"}, "=", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "1", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "0", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({}, "return", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "up", 0)

-- Need To Assign Toggle Fade In in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "shift"}, "f", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd"}, "down", 0)

 -- Need To Assign Toggle Fade Out in FCPX
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"cmd", "alt"}, "f", 0)
hs.eventtap.keyStroke({"ctrl"}, "s", 0)