X/Y Recording & Playback Error

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cmuld3r
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:16 pm

X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by cmuld3r » Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:35 pm

Does the x/y reference for recording & playing back click points originate from the area to the right of the imacros toolbar?

When I change the horizontal size of the imacros toolbar (and with different resolution settings... perhaps because of a different default size toolbar), it seems to push my clicks over so they don't line up correctly on sites (which I assume shouldn't happen if the axis is at the top of the window to the right of the imacros toolbar).

Anyone else notice this glitch or have a explanation/fix?


imacros for firefox 7.0.3.0
RE222
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:01 am

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by RE222 » Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:23 am

I have noticed that if my screen is not the exact same size and shape as when I recorded the macro, as when I actually play it, the x and y coordinates do not line up.

I have found the below link to be helpful. It says:
The zero position (origin) of the coordinate system is in the top left corner of the webpage. The x axis is positive to the right, the y axis is positive downwards.

http://wiki.imacros.net/CLICK
cmuld3r
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:16 pm

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by cmuld3r » Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:39 pm

Interesting, so it seems the 'X' axis does not originate from the right of the toolbar. Why not? It keeps messing up my macros with x/y clicks!

I will submit it to the 'feature requests/bug fixes'
jbwocky
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:36 am

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by jbwocky » Thu Nov 18, 2010 6:07 pm

Hi,

Did you check whether the resolution is the same? If I remember correctly, the resolution had to remain the same for XY coordinates to work...
RE222
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:01 am

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by RE222 » Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:20 pm

"Interesting, so it seems the 'X' axis does not originate from the right of the toolbar. Why not? It keeps messing up my macros with x/y clicks!

I will submit it to the 'feature requests/bug fixes'"

...I am unsure why it originates where it does. However, if your Firefox window is always the same screen size and your computer resolution is the same as when you recorded the Macro, you should be ok. It may be tough to have the exact same screen size when using Firefox. What I would recommend is that you stretch your Firefox window to the exact 4 corners of your screen and then record your macro. When you play it, stretch your Firefox window to the exact 4 corner of your screen and hit play. This should help you have virtually the same screen size each time you run the macro. Perhaps somebody has a better way of making sure you have an identical screen size each time? Another option if you didn't want to use the entire screen would be to place icons on the desktop to use as measurement markers. Then you could stretch your screen as described above but not to the corner of the screen, but rather to your icons. Crude, I know but it should work.
cmuld3r
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:16 pm

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by cmuld3r » Mon Nov 22, 2010 4:25 pm

I think I know why it doesn't work right. The x/y does originate from the right of the toolbar. However, when the toolbar is moved, it shifts elements on the page (same with resolution changes)... as some pages reference center/right positions instead of just left side references - and those center/right references shift with resolution and toolbar/window size.

So... not sure of a fix to the problem - perhaps the only fix is to not use x/y mode whenever possible when creating macros for different users/machines.
cmuld3r
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:16 pm

Re: X/Y Recording & Playback Error

Post by cmuld3r » Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:26 pm

For image buttons, etc, with the 'Power Surfer' editions and above, Image Recognition would help:

"The Image Recognition Plugin is the world's first technology that allows you to automate and test websites using images instead of cumbersome X/Y coordinates: Now you can tell iMacros how a button looks like and iMacros can find it on the page. Even when the button has moved or if it has changed color."

source: http://www.iopus.com/imacros/irp/
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