Automated image sharing?

April 22, 2007 11:06 PM

So I enjoy sharing my screenshots using AllYouCanUpload. Basically I save a screenshot to my desktop using apple+shift+3, browse to AllYouCanUpload, upload the image, paste its URL into my chat dialog, and finally delete the source file. I was wondering, is there anyway I could automate this process in OSX?

I really like AllYouCanUpload, but I hate to have to go through these steps every time I want to share a picture with someone. Is there anyway I can automate the process so that, when I press a shortcut combo, OSX will take a screenshot, upload it, put a URL on the clipboard, and delete the original?

posted by Aanidaani to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

You would create a shell script action with Automator, taking as input the screenshot you've made, or the input will be a screenshot taken with Grab.app. The shell script uses curl to submit the form input into the website.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:35 PM on April 22, 2007

Yeah, use automator or quicksilver.
posted by rhizome at 11:59 PM on April 22, 2007

You can use the screencapture utility (/usr/sbin/screencapture) to do the actual screen-grab, and then curl to upload it — this would avoid any messing about with applescript or automator.
posted by hattifattener at 12:11 AM on April 23, 2007

If you use Flickr to do this rather than AllYouCanUpload, there is a Quicksilver command that allows you to upload photos uisng a quick keystroke in QS. Basically, you take the screenshot and use a command in QS to automatically upload it. Not totally automated, but pretty snazzy nonetheless. Lifehacker explains it here.
posted by sneakin at 4:11 AM on April 23, 2007

Sorry, that won't delete the file though.

But did you know that you can also put image files directly into your chat dialog and send it that way? Won't work with GTalk (at least it doesn't for me) but AIM to AIM or Yahoo to Yahoo or MSN to MSN seems to work fine, no uploading necessary.
posted by sneakin at 4:13 AM on April 23, 2007