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I think Automator is one of the most neglected applications by Mac users included in OSX. My guess is that many people assume that the process of setting up workflows is complex. On the contrary. Automator is pretty straight forward. One important aspect of this tool to keep in mind is that any created workflow, specifically the file reference to it - placed in the proper folder [user/library/workflows/applications/finder] will be available when control clicking [or right clicking] on any system file.

Here is a specific example: I have a dedicated folder on my main system that receives all files and applications downloaded from the web. Many of these files also need to be subsequently transferred to my Powerbook. I have a separate folder named Powerbook Transfer that is essentially a shared folder on my internal network. I set up an Automator workflow that simply sends selected files to the Powerbook Transfer folder for future access. I control + click on a file, choose the Automator menu and select the workflow. The file is transferred instantaneously This really speeds up the process of moving files around.

Are you looking for a fast and easy way to tag Quicktime files? My guess is that most, if not all Quicktime annotations are repetitive. Producer, Copyright, and Artist are perfect examples of static annotations. You can quickly annotate Quicktime files using an Automator workflow.

Setup:

• Launch Automator and select Quicktime form the Library pane.

• In the Action pane, scroll down to Set Movie Annotations action and drag over into the workflow bin

• Check your required annotations and edit accordingly

• Save the workflow to the folder specified in paragraph one

That’s it. In the future, simply select a Quicktime file - control + click … automator … your annotations action.