Remote Container Fields

Ocean West writes: I am very eager to learn bout these new capabilities, particularly the file-organization feature that I surmise would help keep the actual database file from bloating to massive size from ingesting image and video clips. I've purchased 12, but can't seem to find any explanation of this new system in the support docs or online -- just references to how great it is. Any resources available on this topic? Been waiting a long time for this!

Is it possible to include a file located in a container field (stored on the server, not in the database) from a current record when I use the send e-mail script in filemaker?

https://wormhole.app/9XLK2n#ExvBXhy8ANlJYCMc6rjlTQ neither secure or open showing up images in folder showing empty please help ????

i made a solution with 59 images container set to secure storage then i exported all fields with uuids etc to xlsx file now i deleted all records then i imported xlsx file images are not showing up wat to do plz help?????

A database has about 2000 records, many of them with pdf copies of different documents, associated with each record, that are stored externally via containers. The database is fully encrypted and on a Filemaker Server on a Windows Server. It is getting so large that it takes too long to download backups and I'm also worried about the stability of the files. Each document is in a Container that is External (Secure). These documents don't actually require encryption, but we'd like to keep it if possible. The file and the container folders total about 5 GB. I want to keep the current feature where the record indicates which documents are available for that …

Is there anyway to create an additional Base Directory in Manage containers? I have additional volumes connected to my server and would like to store my external images there. The New, Edit and Delete are greyed out..

I have a hosted filemaker file.. From my Server I have a Drive called S: which is mapped to an Amazon s3 bucket. Right now the photos are being stored on my hosted server but I would like to store on my AWS s3 bucket. I am not clear how to format this below in my sorage tab. Any help would be aprreciated

We have our images as PDFs stored on google drive and the container field is linked to pull these PDFs based on the item#. recently we have converted all our PDfs to JPGs and uploaded everything to google drive and changed the container type to .jpg and the images are not linking up. What am I doing wrong? I am not a programmer but just trying to get this simple thing to work. Below is the code where I have changed the $fileExt to PDF to JPG. BE_ConvertContainer ( PRODUCT_IMAGE::photo ; If( $fileExt = "jpg" ; "JPG" ; $fileExt ) ) Any help is appreciated on this.

It will ask to select the file, add a new record. It will insert the Title Field Name, add the filetype extracted from container field, but when getting the path it is extracting absolute path not relative path. *Ex: /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/Username/filename.pages This does not let me open the related application file. file://Macintosh HD/Users/Username/Documents/Document Name.pages. This will. This is what I want. I have tried everything I can think of. Set Error Capture [ On ] New Record/Request Set Variable [ $file; Value:Documents::Document ] Show Custom Dialog [ Title: "Import Single…

Is it possible to create a button in Navision that opens Windows Explorer, preferably in a folder linked to the name of the current record? So for example record IRC-10-00001 should open Explorer in the folder X:\Navision Documents\Purchase\IRC-10-00001 This folder contains all kinds of documents that have to do with this contract. Is that possible?

I'm writing up our backup restoration/ procedures and I am not sure exactly how External Storage "matches up" with the corresponding fmp12 database file - that is, whether it is safe to use an older copy of External Storage with the database file, or vice versa. This is an issue because there are a lot of files within our External Storage (50gb in total), which is Secure. This means lengthy transfer times in the case of a restore (although of course the FMS backup is fast). As such, I've implemented an option within the database to disable the ability to add, edit, or clear existing externally stored container data. This would allow for the users to use nearly all th…

Environment: Windows 10 based PCs, using Server v14 Hosted DB We currently have images being stored using path [hosted location]TISDBImages and all is working, but when I go to Files|Manage|Containers the options for NEW... Edit... DELETE are all greyed out and we cannot create a new directory. I asked the Hosting company to create a another directory at the same level, which they say they have: [hosted location]TISDBImages2 but we cannot see this listed and cannot create the directory ourselves. Can somebody suggest what is wrong - why the NEW EDIT & DELETE options are greyed out and why we cannot create these ourself. TIA

Hello I run into an issue with a a container and the navigation: we have a documentation of cases, and in that we carry PDFs, pictures, Word and Excel files (plus some others) There is a button to open the attached file. While it works with all tested format, it doesn't for .xlsx (.xls works) I tried to rename, which works but then it cannot open correctly. Any hint how I could bring that to work? Cheers and stay safe

I have several container fields in my database and I would like to set them up so that when a file is dragged into them it automatically renames it. Each container field will rename the file dragged into it in the accordance of the field it goes into to. Example container field1, renames it to Field1.zip, container 2, Field2.zip, etc..... I have the script set to go off in set script triggers under OnObjectModify. I know the path where the file will be stored. I just can't seem to get it to figure it out. Do I need to use the "rename file" command in a script? I am trying this and it is telling me it Rename File [ : "change.log" ; Ne…

This is weird: I have three .png's I want stored in a global container field, so I created the field--set for three repetitions--and inserted a .png in each "slot" using Insert Picture (when I right-click on the field.) They insert fine and referenced calculations associated with the field work as they should while I'm connected to the file. (It's hosted on virtualized FM server.) However, after I exit the file and re-enter it, the images are missing from the container field as well as from the referenced calculation fields. As a troubleshooting step, I created three separately-named global container fields and inserted the appropriate image in each. Same thing: leav…

Hello I have read the thread below about a script that will export container images to an external folder I have 11000 jpgs embedded in an FM file and I wish to migrate these files from an embedded state to an external folder. Go to Layout [ MyPics ] Show All Records Go to Record/Request/Page [First] Loop Set Variable [$filePath; Value: Get ( DesktopPath ) & MyPics::Description & ".jpg"] Export Field Contents [MyPics::Picture; “$filePath”] Go to Record/Request/Page [Next; Exit after last] End Loop Firstly, I am unsure if the above script rewrites the container path to the new folder or just exports the data but leaves the container inta…

I'm attempting a document management system with externally stored containers. When I open a stored file, change the content, then save and close the file, the container does not update, with the result that my changes are lost. In one experiment, it created another copy in the file system, (filename, and filename-1). I'm not attempting any versioning. I just need to open the file from the FM container, modify it, and save the changed file back into the container, leaving only the changed file in the file system. The only way I've found to reliably save changes is to open the file in the container, save a copy to the Desktop, delete the file in the container, insert the f…

Hi, I am hoping you can help me with this concern. I am storing signature forms (pdf and word documents) in container fields on a hosted FileMaker Server (externally). The file name uses a confirmation number (unique each time) as the file name. After three years, we have to delete (shred) the signature forms. My question is does the actual file get deleted from the server when I "cut or delete" the document from the container field in the FileMaker record? For security reasons, we need both the actual document and the Filemaker reference to be removed or deleted. If deleting the content from the container field does not actually delete the file fro…

I calculate a path (through a calculation field) that is displayed in a container. If the referenced file is not present, the container field displays the text "The file cannot be found." Is there anyway to create a calculation field to note if that file is present. In other words, is there anyway to have another calculation field read the container field to note that the file isn't present? I have tried "isempty", but the record with an invalid reference is not considered empty. I have tried "patterncount" for the word "cannot", but it seems that Filemaker doesn't consider the error message "The file cannot be found" as text in the container field. I can't …

good night gurus, need guidance on how to put together a script that would allow me to import multiple "PDF" documents from a folder. e.g. a users would scan a series of documents placed them in a folder, (the folder would be manually created and named based on the record ID), once a button is press FM would go to that location and import whatever documents are in the folder. FYI... I tried looking for a scanning plugin but unfortunately the scanners i have are Canon and they are not TWAIN compatible. Thanks RudyM

Hi, My company has an extensive database of songs--each record contains information on the song and also the ability to play it with a container field. Currently, I have a folder of mp3s which is hosted at one ftp site while the db is hosted on a server computer in the cloud. We are accessing fm using the cloud ip/fms. There is a lag whenever we go to a new record in the db because it takes a second or two for the mp3 to load in the player. (Even without auto play, it wants to load the mp3.) I am wanting to explore two options to get the mp3s to load faster: 1) Put the folder of mp3s on the server cloud computer where fms and the dbs are. However, do…

I have a container field, which "stores container data externally" with "Open Storage". In the container field, I inserted audio with the name in the format: "AAAA.m4a". The audio is working perfectly fine when I connect to Filemaker via Internal IP Address of the Server (please see the attached picture) However, when my clients are outside of network and connect to Filemaker via External IP Address, the audio display "error" (please see the attached picture). The server is FMS 15 and my clients are using FM14 Do you know how to solve the problem? Thanks

Hi everyone, it has been some time since I have touched my database. I am facing a new problem: I have a list of prices with a foundset total. I would like to get a new total of that foundset omitting amounts equal and less than $500. Each amount of the list is the result of a calculation. Do I need to create a new relationship for that or a portal for both foundsets. Thank you for your time and guidance. Patrick D.

Hi, Im not sure how to explain why im trying to do or if its in the right area. Im making a small event management setup to make my life easier. I use the goverments public file for risk assesments here https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/excel_doc/0030/38775/risk-mangemen-plan.xlsx What i want to do is if i click create new risk assessment then it opens a new layout with this file open so i can then fill in the form and then it saves local into my fm database. I want the link as sometimes the file is updated so the link will always be the newest one. Hopefully this makes sense if someone could help me explaining how to make this happen or a more simple w…

I have a table called Phone Log that displays all phone log entries and also has a container field. WE store all of our pdf documents in this container field but it seems to be using significant resources to show and display all phone log records for each customer. Is there a way to disable the .pdf preview in the container? SO I can just show a static label or something less processor intensive

I have a need to archive documents that of been uploaded years ago into our container fields which Are stored by reference on our file maker server 17 - Does anyone in efficient way to do this? Can we store documents in a cloud setting via Filemaker server ?

Greets, all: I can't seem to find a definitive answer as to how to view .pdfs stored in container fields (on our PC server, stored externally, open storage) and via WebDirect. I have the Data Formatting command set to Interactive Content and have Adobe Acrobat Pro (and Reader) on my client machine (Mac), but that's as far as I've gotten; database is stored on our FMPS v17.x server (Windows). TIA for your help!

In the past, we have been using filemaker to take care of everything business related. Due to many people now working connected while on the move and the mix between clients and team collaborating on files, there are more and more times where people work on say e.g. an Excel file together while on the move. The mac server that hosts filemaker server could have the dropbox app installed and be logged in and a specific folder on the dropbox share of that server could have the permission for fmserver to read and write. What would be the drawbacks besides the time to synch once something is posted to use a folder on dropbox to host external container data? …

I am asked by a fellow FileMaker Developer is it possible and in which way to store container data of the file that is hosted on a FileMaker Server 17 on a different or even remote volume. Strait from the bat i would say no but then i read this on https://fmhelp.filemaker.com/help/16/fmp/en/index.html#page/FMP_Help/container-fields.html: "•FileMaker Pro saves externally stored container data in the same folder in which the database file is located. When externally stored container data is hosted on FileMaker Server, the data CAN BE located on a different volume from the databases, including on a remote volume. See Managing external storage of container data and FileM…

We upgraded to a new server with Filemaker 17. Transferred the database over, but naturally the images in the fields did not come over. Is there a protocol for moving databases that have container fields? A link would be appreciated. Does one embed the images into the database and then transfer the entire thing? Or move the files into their new home on the new server and then point Filemaker to the proper directory?

I've been told by The Powers That Be that we don't have the money to purchase a plug-in to view .pdfs in externally-stored containers, so I need a native solution to accomplish that with solutions stored in FileMaker Server (Windows). Mind you, users won't be editing .pdfs, just looking at them. I perused this forum and found the suggestion in a post to open the .pdf using Open URL so it can be viewed in a Web browser but try as I might, I just can't nail down two tasks: (1) What script/calculation do I use to grab the .pdf's filename, and (2) Setting the path to the file in the Open URL script step. I included a screenshot of the paths. TIA for your help!

I've read that container data shouldn't be embedded in a FileMaker Pro (FMP) solution because it can slow performance so external storage is a better way to go. I get that. However, I'm a little confused as to how to go about it even after reading the online FileMaker Help/Info pages. Here's what we have: a portal, accessible by IWP, where users will upload their .pdf's to our (virtualized) Windows/FileMaker Pro server by clicking the button, UPLOAD. Currently, .pdf's are embedded in the field, Container__lxr; the plan is to use SuperContainer--or some other means--to allow users to view the stored (or referenced) .pdf's instead of having to download them to be viewe…

I would like to set up an existing Container Field to store the files inserted by Drag and Drop as reference only. I've looked at the FileMaker Help for container fields, and the External Storage method seems to be the what I need, but I'm lost. Currently, I have script steps that use AppleScript from way back provided by Fenton. When we upgraded from fp7, it stoped working so I have been inserting them manually. I'm in the process of updating a file that the old links were broken because of a Hard Disk Failure. would like to automize this process. The files are NOT in a single folder, but are kept in individual folders that are tied to different clien…

I am not a FileMaker power user by any stretch of the imagination, nor does my question relate to any particularly sophisticated use of the program, so I hope others here will forgive and bear with me. I formed a band my junior year of college with guys who have remained my best friends throughout all of the subsequent 46 years. Though we’re scattered in different parts of the country now, we reunite at least twice a year to make music again, and for the past 23 years we have recorded songs together at these reunions. I created a FileMaker database to chronicle these recording sessions, and all of the songs done at each of them. The record for each song contains…

Here's a quick screenshot... As you can see in my floating window I have an interactive container field with an mp3 loaded. Plays fine, but for some reason the audio scrubber isn't displaying. Anyone have any initial thoughts about how to remedy this? FMP 14.0.6 Happening on two different Macs: Macbook Pro 2011 El Capitain 10.11.6 2Ghz Intel i7 iMac 2009 El Capitain 10.11.6 2.66Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo Thanks, Paul