Open application with keyboard shortcut (sans Spark)?

[ero87]

Hi friends,

I currently use Spark on my mac to have a keyboard shortcut for quickly switching to/opening iCal. I would love, however, if I didn't have to be running the SparkDaemon all the time. Anyway to do this within keyboard shortcuts?

Thanks!

 

[spinnerlys]

I use either Spotlight or Alfred, but I don't know of a keyboard shortcut.

 

[ero87]

I guess the question is this: can I create an Automator flow that opens/switches to iCal, and then can I assign a keyboard shortcut (via mac preferences) to run that flow?

 

[ero87]

EDIT: I found the answer here: http://blog.fosketts.net/2010/08/09/assign-keyboard-shortcut-applescript-automator-service/

Unfortunately it takes a few seconds, while Spark was instant...

 

[Corndog5595]

Open Automator
- Choose Service
- - Change method of input to ‘no input’
- - - From the Finder section, drag in ‘Launch Application’
- - - - Change the application to iCal
- - - - - Save this workflow and name it something, ‘Open iCal’ for example

Open System Preferences
- ‘Keyboard’ section; ‘Keyboard Shortcuts’ tab
- - Click ‘Services’ on the left
- - - Scroll down to ‘General’ until you see your new service
- - - - Make sure it is checked and then double click far to the right of it
- - - - - Now press your desired keyboard shortcut

Now every time you press this shortcut, iCal will pop up. If iCal wasn’t running when you pressed the shortcut, then it will launch and then become the foremost application.

 

[Corndog5595]

And this is instant (or very close to it) unlike that applescript one you found above.