How to make Automator ask the user for a destination directory

automator

How can I make the script output the encoded file in a user defined directory?

I'm trying to build an in-house media file encoder based on Automator and ffmpeg.

I want the source file(s) to be dropped on the app's icon and then ask the user where to output the encoded files.

So far I have an Automator app where I drop files onto it and it runs this AppleScript:

    on run {input, parameters}

    tell application "Terminal"
        activate
        set filesString to ""
        repeat with file_ in input
            set filesString to filesString & " " & quoted form of (POSIX path of file_)
        end repeat
        do script "for f in" & filesString & "; do

ffmpeg -i \"$f\" -c:v copy -an ${f%.*}_264.mp4

done"
    end tell
    return input
end run

Currently the app outputs the encoded file at the same directory as the input file.

How can I make Automator ask the user for and use a destination directory?

Best Answer

Automator - 'Ask for Finder Items'

You should probably want to clean up your code. Now you are using and AppleScript and Automator and BASH.

Anyway, in Automator you can ask for a location, store that variable and use it later in your Shell script. You can 'stack' variables in an array by concatenating 'Get Value of Variable'.

Example code and screenshot:

# all input arguments
echo "${@}"

# The 'Output location' is the first in the stack
echo "Output folder location: ""$1"

# Loop through the remaining arguments
for f in "${@:2}"
do
    echo "Video file:""$f"
done

automator example

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