Looking for the right "formula" ... 2 points to the winner!

Hi!

I have a folder of MAC manuals/links to screencasts/etc. I have a hazel rule that labels any file red that I have not yet opened.

I have another folder called "ActOn" which is a repository of files I need to do something with.

I want to be able to copy the red files over from my MAC folder into the Acton folder, and then after I open those specific files, they are deleted from the Acton folder.

I tried 2 things:

1) I had hazel make an alias of all the red files from the MAC folder and move them to Acton. That worked perfectly. BUT, it seems that MAC OS does not add metadate for aliases when you open them, so I couldn't delete them based on date opened ...
2) I also tried making a sub-folder within ACTON. But I only want this to be the case if when there are NO files in there, the folder is deleted, but when a file needs to be in there (eg a new red file in MAC folder gets copied over) I want the folder to be created again ...

W/ regard to making subfolders, it seems you can only do it FROM a folder you're already making a rule from.

there HAS to be a way to do this .... ??????

You can use the Sort into subfolders action on any folder, but you need to move the file to the appropriate folder in the first place if it's not the folder where the file started.

Otherwise, another thing you might want to consider is to move the file into the ACTON folder and when acted on, move it back.

I'm sorry; not sure I understand? Can you give me an example workflow?

I'm just saying that instead of copying/aliasing files in ACTON, just move them there and then after you opened them, move them back.

hard-link them?

(I know... this is my solution to everyting =D)