How can I make a checkbox "flash"?

[dannylan]

Hello!

How in the world can I make a checked checkbox "flash" in order to attract the attention of the user? Or a similar thing... What happens is that I want to add that to the "owes money" checkbox in our customer service database so when when a customer service representative picks up a call from a customer that owes $$ she can look at the checkbox flashing and take certain actions (we sometimes miss the checked checkbox by itself so we need something to "pull" our attention if the checkbox is checked).

Please explain step-bt-step as I'm novice.

Best!

Danny

[Lee Smith]

Why not just use a background of Red when the client owes money and blank if they don't;

Several samples demos of how to do Change Background color based on calculations. In fact, check out Russ Baker's sample Handy Bits in the Sample File - choose the tab "Colour"

HTH

Lee

[DanielM]

Don't know if this is the simplest way, but you could

1. duplicate the layout,

2. color the checkbox in the second layout;

3. run a script that would switch between the two layouts (thus the flash) until the user clicks in which would end the the script in the first layout.

[Helpful Harry]

Why not combine both approaches and you'll get the final solution.

Instead of switching layouts, simply make the script change the contents of a container field behind the check box ... BUT you'd need a Stop button since there's no way to pick up a mouse button click (unless you put buttons behind every field so when the user tries to click on a field the script is stopped and the appropriate field entered).

[Razumovsky]

Wouldnt it be possible to create a global container and put in a flashing graphic of some sort, and then define a calc container field=

case(BalanceDue >0, GlobalContainer)

and set the calc field as the background to the Balance Due field?

Ah, I see that filemaker does not support flashing GIF's or something? Does anyone know why, or what other graphic/animation type of file might do the job (or is that the reason for the workarounds above)- I am not that experienced with graphics.

-Raz

[kenneth2k1]

I think Lee's suggestion is the best, given the limitations of FM.