mac Interactive Containers (PDFs) fail when hosted + remote client?

[Justin Close]

I am having some troubles with containers and PDF files.  I want to be able to display the files to end users within the solution (i.e. they aren't downloading them), so wanted to use a container w/ interactive/preview capabilities so they could just scroll through it then and there.

 

However, I seem to run into a problem whenever I host the file on our server and access from a remote client.  Here's my testing:   Create new file, add container field (internal storage); add field to basic layout, enabling 'Interactive content...' for the field; add PDFs to the file.

 

A ) Storing and viewing this file on my local machine:  works fine.  I can right click and get 'Insert PDF' from the popup; files that I add to records preview fine. 

 

B ) Host the file on a server and open it with a remote client running on the same server hardware as is hosting the file:  works fine.  Same as A, above.

 

C ) Host the file on a server (same server as B ) and open it with my local machine's client:  FAILS.  The PDFs don't preview; I am unable to get the right click menu to display anything other than 'Reload'. 

 

Can someone help me understand what I need to do here?  I thought it might be an 'installed PDF viewer' issue, but the fact that it runs fine when the file is opened from my own local machine seems to go against that.

 

Server is Mac OS X 10.6.8, FMSA v12.03.  My system is Mac OS X 10.8 running FMPA 12.05; remote client is FMP 12.03 (?).

 

Thanks,

C

[Justin Close]

I haven't gotten back around to messing with this yet myself; simpler solution is just to forget the UI idea and do something else.

 

Any suggestions?  Bueller?  Bueller?  

 

Someone out there has to have an idea...

[The Software Man]

This blows. I've got the same issue. Totally holding me up. 

 

It's something with the workstation? Maybe the Adobe install?

 

I have FMP Advanced v13 on a MacBook Pro Mavericks connecting to a RackServer WinServer2008 with FMS v12. I also have Adobe Acrobat Pro on the workstation. 

 

If the FileMaker file lives on the workstation all seems well. But, hosted on the server? The solution randomly displays a blank!

 

And right clicking to open in Preview fails too.

 

I think that internal paths to pdf containers fields and the interactive layout are buggy? Just guessing.

 

I'll keep trying to find a pattern to all this.

 

 

Bueller? !!

 

 

-m

[The Software Man]

I opened the same hosted solution file in two clients at once on the same workstation. 

 

One client is v12.05, the other is v13.01.

 

Opened the same file on the same server to the same layout.

 

If you create a record in v12 and drag and drop a PDF onto a container field, everything works everywhere. v13 look right, you can interact, even right-click open in Preview.

 

If you create a record in v13 and drag and drop a PDF onto the container field, everything fails with blank. v12 + v13 show blanks, right-click open to Preview fails.

 

There is data in the field after dropping (well there is a data length and filename for the field at least)

 

-m

[Justin Close]

I was testing with FMPA 12.05 and the server was running 12.03.  I haven't tested with 13 yet. 

 

So I was still encountering problems with 12, whereas it appears you had good luck when creating records from 12.

[IdealData]

I am having similar issues, but FMP actually crashes.

 

It is quite random though.

FMPA 12.05 OS X 10.9

[Wim Decorte]

Streaming of the interactive containers requires port 16000 (which is different than the normal FM data port 5003).  Could that be an issue?  (firewall,...)

[RyanESmith7]

I recently starting having the same problem... on records that have been working for a long time. The only thing that has changed is that I upgraded the server to 12.05 (from 12.03). I get the same "File does not being with..." error. http://prntscr.com/2pxvt5

 

Any help would be appreciated! My customers are a little jacked.

[RyanESmith7]

I do have port 16000 open... this was working literally 5 days ago. Now it isn't... even for files that were added to our containers months ago.

[Ernesto]

Same Issue

 

Three Scenarios with one File:

1) Opened locally on FMPA 13 with OSX10.9.2  =>  Interactive Container works as it should with pdf file

2) Hosted on FMSA 12 with Win2008r2

       => FMP12 & FMPA 12 Clients work as intended

       => FMPA13 Client displays Error Message that "File does not begin with '%PDF-'FM......pdf (see above error)

3) Hosted on FMS 13 with Win2008r2

       => FMPA 13 Client uploads fine, shows documents in design mode when show sample data is acitvated, in Browse Mode I get an "HTTP Status 404" Error Message - We tried this on 2 installations with all necessary Ports opened.

 

Whether the Container storage is internal or external open or secure storage does not matter ... we tried all possible combinations.

 

 

Additional:  It seems that the Files located at the location .../Streaming/MainDB are named with UUIDs as filenames. This should not be a problem except for Windows claiming that the file names are either too long or invalid.  We changed back and fourth between temp and permanent storage of thumbnails ... to no avail. I wonder if this would be the problem

[RyanESmith7]

I called FM support on this and paid the $45. It's been about 3 weeks and still no resolution. They were able to replicate the problem. It happens with "Insert PDF" on a Go13 device when hosted on FMS12. A Go12 device works fine (but Go12 has been pulled from the AppStore so I can't send my customers back to it). 

[Justin Close]

It's unfortunate that FMI hasn't addressed this issue.  I don't have a solution, except to use a workflow and UI that doesn't require them to view the PDF live.  I hope that something becomes avaiable, but kind of doubt that v12 will get any more attention with 13 being live. 

[RyanESmith7]

I talked with support again, yesterday, and they indicated my best course of action was to upgrade my server to 13. Apparently v12 Pro clients will still be able to use v13 server. 

 

I will probably be doing this shortly as this bug is a no-can-do for me.

[innodat]

I'm having the same issue. Local network, no firewall, all open. Since I've activated the secure external storage feature, the content doesn't display anymore. No pictures, no PDFs.

 

FMP 13.x, FMS 13.x - all the newest gear. This concerns me... or am I missing something?

[innodat]

One more observation: the files which were transferred by FMP to the secure directory - files that were stored inside container fields before the feature was turned on - display as interactive content. Any files inserted afterwards FAIL.

 

Some people seem to think it might be a OS level problem. I tested it on three machines with different OSX versions, above 100% reproducible.

[innodat]

SOLUTION

 

I'm posting a workaround here, because this has been driving me NUTS and I have lost hours on this. I hope this helps someone...

 

1. Previews of PDFs and images only work in containers with secure external storage, if the file was inserted into the container in question by

 

     A - drag and drop

     B - by using the "Insert Picture" script step (NOT "Insert File")

 

2. IMPORTING records from another table or file apparently treats images as files (!) which is why there will be no preview available.

 

The workaround I have resorted to is to first import the container content into an additional container field without external storage. Now export the content from this field (to temp directory, for example), navigate to the container with external storage enabled and use "Insert Picture". If you set error capture to "on", this will also work for non-interactive content, such as Word or Excel files. Lastly, clear the additional container field to avoid having your database balloon. Crazy. C'mon FM.

[JCRamirez-Celis]

This issues is related with the webserver component of the FilemakerWebServer. Most likely, the webserver could not start and therefore any 'interactive' fields will not show as they are delivered to the client via http protocol. You will see that in the Filemaker Server Console the webserver componente will not be marked with a green dot but with a grey one, meaning the server is down. You can test this by changing the field to 'no interactive display' and contents will show (only first page of pdf). The solution - I am afraid - is to reinstall the FMServer so the WebServer starts correctly.