An overly-complex AppleScript utility to autoplay videos in QuickTime X and QuickTime 7. For use by independent artists and non-profit institutions.

• Supports QuickTime 7 and X (must be pre-installed before use)
• Two types of startup delay:
  • minute integer
  • 'hh:mm' time string
• Automatically fits video to fullscreen and sets to loop forever
• Includes a wait video to hide desktop in a theater/blackbox environment
• Notification support (Mavericks 10.9+)

Either drop your video file onto the app, or double-click to create a sidecar folder, and place inside.

On every run, QTLauncher will check for the first video file in that folder (alphabetically), and tell Quicktime to loop that file.

• place this Application in this user's Login Items in System Preferences > Users & Groups
• set this user to login automatically in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General
• set a schedule in System Preferences > Energy Saver
• while you're in there, set the display and computer to never sleep
• note: on older machines opening but not autoplaying, the setting fileLoadDelay may be useful

• drag the app onto Script Editor to open the main.scpt inside,
• edit the property variables only,
• save to confirm changes
  • do not re-export
  • make sure this app isn't running while you save, or it will not compile correctly.
    • if you do save while running, close the app, just add a small change like a space, then re-save
• please test by running the app, NOT the play script button in Script Editor

• make sure your developer macOS certificate is registered in Xcode or KeyChain before coming back to Script Editor,
• use the Developer ID Application certificate in Export under Code Sign.
• IMPORTANT: make sure "run only" and "show startup screen" are deselected, and "stay open after run handler" is selected!
• redo this whenever the code is altered, rather than simply saving in Script Editor.

• x.x: basic load script, per machine, by Matt/Wade/Asa
• 2.0: folder functionality, only QTX, plays first video in folder
• 2.1: added QT7 support for Snow Leopard (10.6.x) and lower
• 2.2: change QT7 support to Mavericks (10.9.x) and lower
• 2.3: change QT7 to a t/f switch, add startup delay until the hour, add run handler
• 2.4: fix run call at end of open()
• 2.5: add delay until a list of startup times, some reorganization/cleanup
• 2.6: QTX wasn't receiving loop command, add fit to screen command
• 3.0: new time-checking system, adds idle handler (so we no longer require Force Quit), adds wait screen, adds notifications
• 3.1: add fileLoadDelay for older machines opening large videos
• 3.2: add macOS Developer ID Certificate instructions and future notes (end-of-life)

• Export as Application with only Stay open after run handler enabled, if such action is necessary.
• Idle loops do not run in Script Editor: please save script and run from the app icon to debug real-world behavior.
• A "quit check" has been added to make sure "quit" doesn't exit Script Editor if run from the play button.

• these macOS versions have implemented a series of restrictions like GateKeeper, sandboxing, and 32-bit deprecation (R.I.P. QT7 😟)
• further "unidentified developer" warnings limit the ease of use, though this can easily be bypassed by shift+launch or ctrl-menu+open
• this leaves QTLauncher asking for permission for basic tasks like controlling QuickTime and using its Finder functions to access files
• signing instructions have been added to bypass some of these issues, but it seems to only get worse after Mojave. Apple is killing applescript slowly.
• an alternate solution is a baked-in application with QTKit support and registration/schedulers to handle autoplaying and playlists, along with custom behaviour. Future pipedream.