View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript

The following script will take the frontmost finder window and maximize it for a 15" MacBookPro while changing the Finder's view mode to Cover Flow. I have found it helpful if I need to quickly use Cover Flow to find a file. Although it is set for a 15" screen, the parameters can be edited for any screen type. I invoke it using Quicksilver, and have named the script max.

tell application "Finder"
  activate
  select Finder window 1
  set window 1's position to {0, 44}
  set bounds of Finder window 1 to {0, 44, 1440, 900}
  set current view of Finder window 1 to flow view
end tell

I also use an AppleScript to minimize the size of the window once I have found my file. Again I use quicksilver to invoke it, and have named this one min:

tell application "Finder"
  activate
  set bounds of Finder window 1 to {143, 164, 1300, 825}
  set position of Finder window 1 to {143, 164}
  set current view of Finder window 1 to column view
end tell

[robg adds: The lines to edit if you'd like to modify this for your screen size are those that begin set bounds of....]

property original_bounds : missing value property original_view : missing value if original_bounds = missing value then my expand_window() else my revert_window() end if on expand_window() tell application "Finder" activate try if class of window 1 is not Finder window then return set desktop_bounds to (get bounds of window of desktop) tell Finder window 1 set original_bounds to (get bounds) set original_view to (get current view) set bounds to desktop_bounds set current view to flow view end tell end try end tell end expand_window on revert_window() tell application "Finder" activate try if class of window 1 is Finder window then tell Finder window 1 set bounds to original_bounds set current view to original_view end tell end if end try end tell set original_bounds to missing value set original_view to missing value end revert_window

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View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: jonn8n on Fri, May 16 2008 at 8:29AM PDT

You can get the bounds of the desktop from the Finder and use that for the maximum expanded size. Also, if you use one script for this, you can set it so that on subsequent runs it reverts the Finder window to its previous size and view without hard coding these values. I would use something like this:

Save this as a script and call it to expand the front Finder window. Calling it a second time will revert the window.

Jon

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: waderz on Fri, May 16 2008 at 8:34AM PDT

This is one of the most totally useful scripts I have seen in awhile. And since I use Quicksilver already this makes maximizing windows with Coverflow view a snap.

Jon's improvement needs to be the main hint
Authored by: jweaks on Fri, May 16 2008 at 8:48AM PDT

Not infrequently, the original hint prompts a better solution in the comments... this is one such case. If there's a way to replace the original script, or at least add a link to the comment "Find an improved version here" in the main article, that'd help.

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: garee on Fri, May 16 2008 at 2:17PM PDT

I love jonn8n's script. I saved it as an application and put it in finders toolbar. I've made one small change:

in line 20 I changed
set bounds to desktop_bounds
to
set bounds to {0, 44, item 3 of desktop_bounds, item 4 of desktop_bounds}

this prevents the finder's status bar from disappearing at the bottom of the screen.

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: mr. applescript on Fri, May 16 2008 at 9:12PM PDT

Apple posted a Finder toolbar script for sizing a window to full screen Flow many months ago. You can find it here:

<http://www.apple.com/applescript/toolbar/index.html>;

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: ccjensen on Sat, May 17 2008 at 7:44AM PDT

thanks! apple's script worked even better (go figure...).
Link is actually:
http://www.apple.com/applescript/toolbar/index.html, u had an extra angle bracket

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: shenry318 on Mon, May 19 2008 at 3:27PM PDT

This script that you can download from Apple doesn't seem to treat the "Dock Status" properly. I have my Dock set to "Hide" but after I use this script the Dock auto hide gets set to show and I have to go back and tell the dock to "Hide". I looked at the script and it tries to save and restore the preference but it doesn't seem to do it correctly! Other than that the script is great!

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: Karl Ottenstein on Sat, May 17 2008 at 8:20PM PDT

The script on the Apple page, and the ones here, don't work with an even number of monitors, since the main coverflow image is then centered in the crack between monitors.

A quick and dirty, but not really satisfactory fix is to use:

set bounds to {0, 44, (item 3 of desktop_bounds) / 2, item 4 of desktop_bounds}

in Jon's script if you have two monitors. But, this doesn't work if the finder window is on the second monitor when you run the script - the maximized window will appear on the first and when you restore, you'll be back on the 2nd.

So, really need to determine monitor count, and the monitor on which the finder window resides and do the math accordingly. More than I have time for at the moment...

Thanks for the tip/script though!

Karl

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: asmeurer on Tue, May 20 2008 at 12:03PM PDT

Actually, the 15" MacBook Pro has the same screen resolution as my 17" original iMac G5: 1440x900.

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: asmeurer on Tue, May 20 2008 at 1:02PM PDT

Or you could just do a select all and activate Quicklook. That will give you full screen and a grid, which is easier to look through than Cover Flow, at least in my opinion.

View maximized Cover Flow window via AppleScript
Authored by: OldDogNewTricks on Wed, May 21 2008 at 8:21PM PDT

Duh. Didn't realize that multi-select gives so much flexibility. Great for documents, too. Thanks! I agree - makes more sense than Cover Flow.

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