Automator: newbie needs information
I have never seriously worked with the Automator app, but I know it can be powerful.
However, I find it very hard to get started. Let me describe what I think it could be helpful with and then invite you to tell me either that it cannot be done, or else how I should do this.... thanks in advance!
I am working in OS Ventura 13.7.5 on a new MacMini.
I have recently subscribed to a cloud storage platform called Sync; it is very similar to Dropbox, but a lot cheaper (20 CAD per month).
The only downside of this fairly young platform is that it is a bit cumbersome to run one of their actions I expect to be using a lot: setting ALL files on the platform to cloud only.
To do that, I have to click on the Sync icon in the top menubar/task bar. Then click on the settings icon. Then clicking on Preferences from a menu. In the window that then pops up, I click 'Store all my Sync files in the cloud now'.
This 4 click sequence is something I would love to try and execute with Automator.
Background:
I am a FileMaker developer and have created an archive for my 50k-plus photo archive.
When I come home from a photoshoot, I offload my memory card, edit the raw images and save the best ones in JPG format. I then move them into logically named folders and upload those to the Sync platform and I am done.
From my archive, I can open individual files. When I do so, they automatically download to their Sync location. After I am done, I want to be able to quickly 'Store all my Sync files in the cloud'. Although I can perform this act manually for each file, my experience is that I tend to edit or open a bunch of files from possibly different locations, so running the'Store all my Sync files in the cloud' is better than trying to remember which files to re-upload to the cloud.
I hope this makes sense.
I tried to create a workflow AND an action.
I also tried to record the above described actions, but it stops working from the moment I try to open the preference menu that gives me access to the option to 'Store all my Sync files in the cloud'.
Since I know absolutely nothing about Automator, specific step by step instructions would be most helpful.
I did try to make sense of the 'user guide' of Automator, but often I cannot find the items it is talking about. For instance: 'use the 'mouse' category to point to a finder item'. I have been unable to find that mouse category anywhere in the Automator interface...
Thanks for considering this topic!
Nicky
Mac mini, macOS 13.7