Welcome to Kofax RPA > Desktop Automation > Use Local Desktop Automation

Use Local Desktop Automation

The Local Desktop Automation feature helps you design and run your robots on the same computer as the devices you wish to automate, which accelerates and facilitates the process of Desktop Automation. Local Desktop Automation is only supported on the Windows operating system.

To enable Local Desktop Automation, follow these steps:

  1. Install the Desktop Automation Service and Design Studio on the same computer, which is also the computer that runs the applications you wish to automate. For more information, see the Kofax RPA Installation Guide.
    Tip If your computer is set up with dual monitors, you can open the automated applications on one monitor and Design Studio on the other for convenience.

  2. Configure the Desktop Automation Service as described in Configure Desktop Automation. When specifying the properties in the Desktop Automation Service configuration window, we recommend that you select the Single User option to set up a direct connection to the automated applications from Design Studio. Do not forget to type labels to use for mapping.

When finished, follow these steps:

  1. Create a mapping to the Desktop Automation Service installed on a local computer.
    1. Right-click the project you are working on and click New > Automation Device Mapping.
    2. Fill in the fields as described in Map Automation Device and click Finish.
  2. In Design Studio, create a robot.
    1. Right-click the project and click New > Robot.
    2. Enter the name for the new robot and click Next.
    3. In the Execution Mode list, select Smart Re-execution (Full), specify other options if necessary, and then click Finish.

    By default, the End step is selected in the created robot.

  3. Insert an action step in the new robot.
  4. To make it a Desktop Automation step, on the Action tab on the right, click Select an Action and then select Desktop Automation.
  5. On the same tab, configure input values and output mappings.
    1. In the Required Devices property, click the plus icon, select Static Reference, and then select the mapping you made in Step 1.
    2. Click OK.

    Once the connection is established, the Local Desktop Automation mode is automatically enabled.

  6. In the Workflow property, click Edit to start designing the Desktop Automation Workflow. The Desktop Automation Editor appears. Below the menu, a notification is shown that the Local Desktop Automation mode is enabled.
  7. In the Recorder View, select a tab with the application to automate. It must already be open on the computer, or you can add an Open action step to your robot that opens the application. Now you can create steps that you wish to perform on the application.

    • If you need to automate application elements that disappear when you remove the pointer, such as context and drop-down menus, use a Bundle step. A Bundle step connects a number of steps that you perform on the automated application and turns them into a sequence that will be executed in order, starting with the first step.

      • To wrap existing steps in a Bundle step, in the Automation Workflow view, select the steps containing the use of disappearing elements, right-click the group, and then click Surround with Bundle step. Also, you can insert a Bundle step directly inside the workflow and then add the necessary steps to it.

      • To insert a Bundle step that contains a right-click or left-click action or points to an application component, in the Recorder View, right-click the required component of an application and click Smart Focus Menu Click. Click Right, Left, or Hover, respectively.

      To add action steps to the Bundle step, right-click the program point inside it and make a selection. Some steps are not available inside the Bundle step, but you can add them to your robot before or after the Bundle step.

      Tip To execute a Bundle step from its beginning to a particular program point inside it, double-click the program point or right-click it and then click Execute to here. If you use the Step Over or Start Execution buttons on the toolbar, the Bundle step is always executed from beginning to end.

    • You can immediately execute and stream newly added action steps. Prior to adding a step or a number of steps, under the Recorder View, click Auto Execute (the circle on the button becomes red). If a step opens a new application or a dialog box, a respective tab appears in the stream view and becomes the active tab. To stop auto execution, click Auto Execute again.

  8. When you are automating several applications in your robot, switch the focus among them. By default, when the execution starts, the focus is set on the first application being automated in the robot. To change or switch the focus to the other automated applications, add a Click action step to each of them. You can add a step that clicks inside the application, or one that clicks the application on the Windows taskbar.
  9. Save the changes. To execute the created workflow, in the Automation Workflow, click the Start Execution button.

    When the workflow execution starts, the focus is instantly switched to the automated applications, and the stream status is changed to LIVE, which is shown in the bottom right corner of the Recorder View.

    When the execution is completed, to return the focus to the Desktop Automation Editor, click inside it. The stream status will be changed to PAUSED. When the stream is paused, the application status is not updated in the Recorder View.

    Note During the execution of the Desktop Automation steps, the keyboard and mouse are automatically blocked to prevent accidental interaction with the execution, and then unblocked when it is completed. If you need to use the keyboard and mouse during the execution, press Esc.
A robot created in the Local Desktop Automation mode can then be edited and run on a remote computer, just like any other robot.