Re-sizing graphic container fields

[PiedPiper]

Hi Forum, this is probably dumb but here goes ... when I paste a graphic into a containr field, it's too small. I enlarge the container but then the graphic gets funky. It loses it's clarity.

I've tried changing the graphics options, using a calc container to display the image, preview mode ... nothing seems to help. My secretary has to be able to see these images clearly so she can select the right one but she cant see em very well. Is there anything I can do?

I search on containers and graphics but can't find any discussion about this. I'd appreciate any suggustions given

Pete

[Lee Smith]

Hi Pete,

There is a box for choosing how you want a Grapic to be desplayed. You should checkout the options by selecting and viewing the results.

In the layout mode, select the box containing the Graphic. Next, go to Menu Bar - Format - Graphic the box that comes up offers these possiblilities:

Reduce (default)

Crop

Enlarge

Reduce or Enlarge.

Select Enlarge.

Under this box is another box to be checked or unchecked that says maintain original porportions Make sure it is checked.

HTH

Lee

[PiedPiper]

Thanks for responding, Lee. As I said, I tried all of the graphics options but the display ofthe container loses it's clarity.

I forgot to mentn that I'm on WinXP and using FM 5.(something)

Thanks for trying. Any other ideas?

Pete

[Lee Smith]

Hi Pete,

Sorry, I must have read right over the [color:"blue"]"I tried all of the graphics options" in your post. I'm not a Windows persons, so I can't be to much of a help. However, I seem to remember a discussion not long ago about one of the Windows OS not being supported by FM, was that the XP? Also, make sure you have the latest update for your version of FM.

HTH

Lee

[cjaeger]

FM is not certified for XP. FM 6 works with XP without known limitations, FM 5 may cause problems here.

To test, simply download the FM 6 demo, then open the database with it. See if your prob goes away.

I have some shared databases which are used simultaniously frorm a mixed enviroment of clients(MacOS 9 5.0, win 98 5.5, MacOS X 6.0, win2k 5.5, win2k 6.0). So it should be enough that you upgrade to 6 but leave your secretary on 5.

[jfmcel]

One thing to check... FileMaker, like web browsers, use a screen resolution of 72 dpi. If your image started at a higher resolution, you might have lost the extra information on importing the image. If this is not the problem, but you could always increase the size of the image in just about any photoshop type program.

[PiedPiper]

thanks all for suggestions on this. I tried upgrading to vs. 6, planned to anyway but didnt help. I don't understand this 72dpi thing. my secratary had been putting pictures in thatshe had copied (clipboard). I don't know what picture was

Is there a way to tell what resolution the picture should be? Or should I tell her to do it differently. How can she tell what dpi a picture is ... she just sees one she likes and copies it. Wrong, huh?

i've read all posts on this , well most, and don't understand how to do it, I guess. If we see something we want to copy, how do I paste into container without losing its clarity. I hope some one can help us on this. And why does some things turn white afterward? I saw posts on transparent but when I rotate them, exactly as a demo by cJaeger, on some pics it works so i know demo is right, but sometimes it won't work even trying several times.

Can anyon give me a first grade lesson on graphics especialy resolution? should we enlarge the container before pasting into it? would that help? Oh I also mad sure i had the compatible graphicsthing checked. Thanks.

Pete

[cjaeger]

some simple questions:

is the graphic in question very small and you want to enlarge it?

does it loose it's clarity when pasted in other applications?

is the picture copied out of another application (like jpgs embedded in Word), so you are not copying the original image, but an OLE representation of a Word object? (you can test by double-clicking the image)

[PiedPiper]

Thanks for responding. To answer your questions:

"is the graphic in question very small and you want to enlarge it?" Graphic size: Example, on website and see graphic I like (it looks about the size of the User pictures appear here on screen. We select 'copy'. The container we paste into is about the same size. Sometimes pictures are larger, but it's usually graphics (to paste into word etc)about the size of user pictures.

"does it loose it's clarity when pasted in other applications?" Pasting into word - looks the same. If I enlarge it in Word, it loses it's clarity.

"is the picture copied out of another application (like jpgs embedded in Word), so you are not copying the original image, but an OLE representation of a Word object? (you can test by double-clicking the image)" Hmmm, I can't double click the image because it was only stored on the clipboard and not as a file? If I paste into word, and I double-click it it brings up a Format Picture box

I think most pictures come from websites (all I've done have but I'm mot sure about her). I know that on graphics websites, I could download the jpg (or bmp or whatever) but we've been just right-click 'copy' to get them.

I hope this answered your questions - I know very little about FM and even less about grapics. Is there somewhere I can study on graphics that you can sugest or will my answers tell you? We've copied 145 pictures and ... well, I don't want to do anymore until I know how to handle it. I want to be able to paste a picture into Word and then enlarge it and have it look good - or enlarge a container in FM and have it look good. thank you for helping me

God, I hope I don't have to paste (as jfmcel suggested) each one into Photoshop and resize then repaste (or should I save as jpg) and save as file - and then just link to it. Please tell me I don't have to redo all of them . Lie if you have to Christian

Pete

[jfmcel]

So the image looks fine in the web browser and then is too small in FileMaker. Both programs should be using the same screen resolution and the images should appear the same... if you have your container preferences set properly. In layout mode, you should control click on the container field and select Graphics Format and then "crop image to fit frame". You should make sure the container field is large enough to accommodate the largest image you are importing.

[PiedPiper]

Hi jfmcel,

[Ugo DI LUCA]

i wonder if in future we should download jpg or bmp and only store link. Would that then allow resizing without quality loss?

From what you're saying you're doing (resizing in FM a Web image imported by copy/paste), it surely would make sense, if the web site offers a link to a .jpg or .bmp, to use this link, re-work the image with Photoshop and then use this new image in FM.

More work though, it depends of what you're doing with these images...

[PiedPiper]

hi Ugo

"re-work the image with Photoshop" why would i need to do that if I've saved as jpg? what re-work would I need to do? would we still have to residze in photoshop if we want it larger? we've been copy/past because it's much quicker than downloading a file

not the answer i want - your fired well if we have to we have to but anything we can do with all these pasted useles pics that are too small or do we need to 'open in photoshp and enlarge them then resave them? some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

oh sorry i didn't tell what we were doing. she uses pics in presentations like on front page or frames in word. she sometimes makes them bigger or smaller but they look terribe.

im so sorry i get all spaces when i edit. i cant seem to stop it. i apologize for all extra spacesin this email

Pete

[jfmcel]

I don't think you picked the right tool for the job. Sounds like a picture organizer might have done a better job for you. I am not familiar with the options on windows, but I am sure there is a tool like iPhoto available for browsing your images.

But you have them in FM and sounds like there is no good comprimise. If you were a mac user I could recommend resizing all the images with an applescript.

The problem here is essentially that you have a fixed container size and the enlarge option will enlarge the images in fractions... resulting in the fuzzyness. (other image browser will better handle individual photos by enlarging them at standard zoom ratios.) You have copied and pasted these images -- so on windows your only option for getting them back is to copy and paste them back out. Just wondering if there might be some sort of web option that would enlarge all the images by a set percentage... Seems like that came up sometime recently...