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Capture One Workflow Automation with AppleScript

Denis Huk
  • Updated

Capture One for macOS supports AppleScript, allowing you to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and enhance productivity. This feature is also compatible with JavaScript for Automation (JXA), giving users more flexibility in scripting. Whether you want to automate repetitive actions, create custom commands, or integrate Capture One with other apps, AppleScript provides a powerful solution.

This guide explains how to access Capture One’s AppleScript dictionary, execute scripts, and find helpful documentation.

 

Contents

 

 

Accessing the AppleScript Dictionary

To create scripts for Capture One, you need to access its AppleScript dictionary, which contains all available commands and functions.

There are two ways to open the AppleScript dictionary:

  • Using Capture One’s Script Menu
    • Open Capture One.
    • Go to Scripts -> Open Scripting Dictionary.
  • Using macOS’s Script Editor
    • Open Script Editor, a built-in macOS application.
    • Go to Window -> Library.
    • Select Capture One from the list.
      • If it isn’t listed, click the plus (+) icon, then select your Capture One.app.
      • If you are using Capture One 12 or any other version, select that version instead.

Once you have access, you can explore the dictionary to see what commands are available for scripting.

 

 

Running Scripts in Capture One

Although you can execute scripts from outside Capture One, adding them to the Scripts menu makes them easier to access.

To add a script:

  • Save your AppleScript file (.scpt) in the following location:
~/Library/Scripts/Capture One Scripts/
  • If the script doesn’t appear in the menu, go to Scripts -> Update Scripts or restart Capture One.

Once added, your script will be available in the Scripts menu for quick execution.

 

 

Scripting Documentation and Resources

There are many resources available for learning AppleScript and JXA, so feel free to look around. A great place to start is:

This can help you write effective scripts and troubleshoot common issues.

 

 

Support and Troubleshooting Issues

Our support team does not provide debugging assistance for AppleScript. If you need help, refer to Apple’s documentation or the Capture One communities for guidance.

Due to the wide range of scripting possibilities, some scripts may not execute as expected. If you encounter issues, check the following:

  • Ensure you are using the correct AppleScript syntax.
  • Verify that the AppleScript dictionary for Capture One includes the commands you are using.
  • Restart Capture One after adding or modifying scripts.

One common error users encounter is error -1728, which typically means that a referenced object does not exist or cannot be accessed. If you see this error, review your script’s syntax and logic.

 

 

Recent AppleScript Updates in Capture One

Capture One 16.5.6

New Variant Properties

  • Available crop aspect ratios – A list of text properties.
  • Crop aspect ratio – A text property.
  • Crop orientation – Enum values: landscape, portrait, square.

Rotation Commands

  • Rotate Left and Rotate Right commands added to rotate images in 90° increments.

Crop Aspect Ratio Management

  • Create, delete, and list custom crop aspect ratios via AppleScript.
  • Read and change crop aspect ratios on a selected variant.

Code examples

  • Create a custom crop ratio:
tell current document
  make new user crop aspect ratio with properties {name:"foo", ratio:1.43}
end tell
  • Delete a specific crop ratio:
tell current document
  delete user crop aspect ratio named "foo"
end tell
  • Delete all crop ratios:
tell current document
  delete user crop aspect ratios
end tell
  • Retrieve available crop ratios:
tell current document
  return name of user crop aspect ratios
end tell

 

Capture One 16.5.4

AppleScript "Auto Select New Capture" Options

  • Two new document properties introduced:
    • Auto select new capture – Options: disabled, immediately, when ready.
    • Auto select new capture pause – Boolean (true or false).

Capture One 16.5.2

Visible Variant Property

  • Returns true if the variant is visible in the current collection.

Example:

return variants whose visible is true

Edit All Selected Variants Property

  • Reflects the Edit All Selected Variants setting in the UI.

Example:

set edit all selected variants to true

Synchronizing Property

  • Indicates if a collection is being synchronized with the filesystem.
  • Can be set to true for session folder collections to initiate background synchronization.
  • For catalog folder collections, use the "synchronize" command.

Processing Acceleration Property

  • Now unified, not split between UI and processing.

Example:

set processing acceleration to auto

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