Linking office layout diagram into database

[lintonlad]

Hi,

I hope this is the right forum area. I am a new user to these forums and to FM, so please feel free to direct me to somewhere else (I have searched many places already).

I wish to create a database of all the offices and laboratories in a medical school building with information on each office and the people who reside in it.

I would furthermore like to be able to look at a diagram of the building, and click on an image of the office to retrieve the database information.

Is this easy in FM? Do I need a plug-in? What form should the drawing be (eg Canvas file, or something simpler)? Are there any pre-programmed solutions to this problem that I can tap into?

Any pointers would be useful. I am posting in this particular forum because of the image element.

Thanks

[CobaltSky]

A canvas drawing - or similar - would be a reasonable method of placing the 'map' image of the building floorplan.

As to getting the database to recognise which office is being clicked on, there are two different approaches you could consider.

The first is to create transparent composite 'buttons' which match the shape of each room or office and which, when clicked on, trigger a script which references to associated data.

The second approach would be to employ the image mapping techniques associated with plug-ins such as MouseGrabber from FullFunction, to return mouse-click data and relate it to areas of the layout. Again, scripts would be required to interpret the user actions and relate them to associated data.

If you are interested in this latter approach, the URLs for a couple of plug-ins which are capable of returning the coordinates of a mouse-click are:

DialogMagic - New Millennium Communications:

http://www.newmillennium.com/

MouseGrabber - Full Function Software:

http://www.fullfunction.com/mousegrabber.html

However of these plug-ins, it is probable that the latter is best suited to the kind of application you are contemplating.

[lintonlad]

Thanks. This is GREAT information, and exactly what I wanted to know. Now I've just got to do it!

It was good of you to spend your time, and provide such a comprehensive answer.