Task3 is application to automate various actions like launching application, starting Mac up, unmount volumes and so on. It integrates my applications like MacSSController, SUL and LaLL and has more functions. It helps to execute many kind of tasks, ror instance, it helps to back up or copy files when related volume is mounted, quits designated application after certain duration, ejects volumes when some application is terminated, shut the computer down when Safari finish downloading files...
Features:- Easy: A task consists from 3 sections. "Trigger" defines events which starts the task, "Action" defines what to do and "Condition" defines conditions whether the actions should be run. For example, "Trigger" is "mount of volume A", "Action" is "copy file B, C", "Condition" is "From 8:00 AM till 17:00", then if volume A is mounted, file B and C will be copied only if it's from 8:00 AM till 17:00. To set simple task like "Launch application D at 13:00" requires only 2 steps, contrary complicated task with many actions and conditions can be defined too.
- Various operations: Various operations can be specified with combination of "Trigger", "Action" and "Condition". Not only the time & date or repeat but mounted volume, launch or termination of application, update of file or folder, etc. can be a "Trigger". Action also can set open of app or file, shell script or AppleScript.
- Light-weight: Task3 doesn't use polling (check conditions of the computer over and over) to watch "Trigger" events. It just waits appropriate notifications from various software, so it never wastes CPU power at idling time.
- Power management: Task3 helps you to start up the computer according to designated schedule. Task3 also can shut the computer down according to specific "trigger" like finish of download, time & date and so on.
- Detailed options: Task3 allows you to specify the condition to run tasks, so not only it can execute task by specific trigger event but also it can switch whether it should execute or not depends on its condition. For instance user can make Task3 launch job-related documents and applications if the computer is started up at the morning of weekday, then at the night and weekend make Task3 launch personal documents and applications.
- AppleScript Available: It's AppleScript available. So it's possible to run specific task by sending Email (set rule of Mail.app to run AppleScript when it receive specific titled email like "Task3 run task "run backup and shut down").
For Example, it's available to automate operations like the followings.
- Starts up Mac at midnight, connects to server and mount it, then runs back up.
- Downloads latest episodes of podcast in the morning and synchronizes them to the iPod / iPhone.
- Launches different set of start up items at weekday and weekend.
- Runs back up when designated volume is mounted on Finder.
- Copies photos to designated folder when digital camera's flash drive is mounted.
- When specified application is mounted, opens related applications and files.
- Opens designated files and applications or runs script when hot key is pressed.
- When Safari finishes downloading any file, notifies it with Growl or shut down Mac.
- Opens files and application on specified day of week and time.
