I am looking for a way to export to Excel format where I can control a great deal of details about the output formatting. I want my output to resemble this spreadsheet that I put together by hand. But I'd like it automated:

https://goo.gl/GrNDDp

So I'd like to be able to control row height, skipping rows, shading, etc.  (I'd also like very detailed exporting to PDF too.)

I'm assuming that I'll have to use a plugin to be able to do this?  I Googled a little bit for plugins but wasn't sure if any of them do exactly what I want, so I thought I'd ask and get some opinions about plugins.

Also... I also would like to be able to export fields based on sorting and filtering.  I have tried using a portal, but it seems to export all the data, and doesn't take into account the sorting and filtering I use to create the portal. I've also used a Layout List View, and while the sorting works fine and seems to export okay, I don't see where I can specify filtering in a Layout List View.

Perhaps these things would also be controlled by a plugin?

Or are there things with FileMaker I'm missing? I'm very new to Filemaker and I'm sure I don't know 25% of what it can do.

Thanks!

 

Edited September 14, 20178 yr by Cynthia Heyman

See a previous discussion on the same topic:
https://fmforums.com/topic/100534-creating-an-excel-file-from-filemaker-data/

 

Okay, thanks. Looks like that post also suggests plugins but doesn't recommend any specific plugins.

Also, I was able to export my records from my portal, using Go To Portal Row and then Go To Related Record, but this option exports all the fields in the portal table, and I only would like the fields specified in the portal to be exported.

4 minutes ago, Cynthia Heyman said:

doesn't recommend any specific plugins.

Actually it does mention 360Works' Scribe.

 

6 minutes ago, Cynthia Heyman said:

I only would like the fields specified in the portal to be exported.

This has very little to do with the main topic here. In any case, only fields selected in the export field order are exported. There is no way to point the export to the portal - you need to replicate the choice in both places.