When you attempt to translate human interaction from the real world into a database, that translation isn’t always the most ideal.

Within a database, you’re storing data within rows and columns and the real world isn’t always laid out so neatly. This is where using an image or graphic fills the gap and shortens that bridge of understanding for the user.

A good example would be a dental office and scheduling appointments within 2 hour blocks of time throughout the day. The office has a physical layout and a fixed number of stations. True, your standard calendaring application can take care of this, however, the person interacting with that data has to interpret it and translate it into understanding which relates to the physical world in which they are interacting with the chairs and equipment. What if certain procedures require certain facilities - as they most often do?

The ideal solution then, in many cases, is to allow a person to interact with that data in the most visually accurate way - with an image or graphic. The problem is, people move things around. But, what if this process can be accomplished super easily - why not go for the image?

In this video, I showcase how you can easily take the output of a standard SVG graphic and provide a level of interaction which allows for solving a lot of real-world data translation issues. If you like making “easy-to-use” solutions, then make sure and add this knowledge to your FileMaker tool belt!