Sorry if I'm repeating this question, I couldn't find any answers in my searches.

I'd like to design a layout that uses several different types of records. I'd also like to be able to sort each of these records so the final print layout can be read like a story from beginning to end.

FileMaker Version: 7

Platform: Windows XP

Portals allow you to display sets of related records. You could design a layout with several portas on it.

Yes. Moreover portal data can be sorted - eg in chronological sequence - to get your 'story' effect.

Perhaps, I do not understand portals and how I can use them, but I don't think that would do what I'm looking for.

I'd like to display several differently styled records (header, description, dialogue, location) in one layout. So a description record will look much different than a dialogue record, but you can insert anyone of them in the layout and see all of them in sequence.

EXAMPLE:

(each "*" denotes a type of record, the "---" separates the records):

--------------

* INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY

---

* Craig waits at the coffee machine. Checks his watch.

Finally Maxine approaches.

---

* CRAIG

Hi.

---

MAXINE

You're not someone I could get

interested in. Craig. You play

with dolls.

---

CRAIG

(rehearsed)

Puppets. Maxine. It's the idea

of being inside someone else,

feeling what they feel, seeing

what they see...

---

MAXINE

Yikes.

---

CRAIG

Please, let me explain.

---

Craig grabs Maxine's hand and drags her into an empty

office.

--------------

(example from BEING JOHN MALKOVICH by Charlie Kaufman)

The first * is the location and scene, the second * is the description, and the third * is the dialogue. The location and description are simple enough records, but the dialogue is more complex having a Character Cue (list menu), a parenthetical (describing tone) and then the actual dialogue.

So in this example, I would need to insert the location, the description and then 5 different dialogue records and then end with another description. Can this be done in a single FileMaker layout?

oops, the formating didn't work... anyway hopefully you get the idea.

Ahhh, a script-writing database ... well, seeing that I moved to LA 10 years ago to be a screenwriter and ended up a database programmer (oops), let me take a crack at it:

It may be possible to make a master table/layout that relates to all the other tables (each table containing a style). Then, on that layout place and format the related fields the way they should be (center/uppercase character name from dialog record, right justify transitions, etc).

Now, the Master Table will contain a record for every piece of the script. (if you have 3 lines of dialog, 2 actions and a scene, you would have 6 records in the master table along with the corresponding record in the Dialog table, Action table and Scene table.

The relationships from the master table to the various style tables will be based on a unique ID of the MasterTableRecord and the style, call it MasterKey. Example:

--------------

MASTERKEY = "Location100"

* INT. HALLWAY 7 1/2 FLOOR - DAY

---

MASTERKEY = "Action101"

* Craig waits at the coffee machine. Checks his watch.

Finally Maxine approaches.

---

MASTERKEY = "Dialog102"

* CRAIG

Hi.

---

MASTERKEY = "Dialog103"

MAXINE

You're not someone I could get

interested in. Craig. You play

with dolls.

===============

As long as your fields are transparent and without borders, they should invisible unless the style is appropriate for that field.

Editing becomes an issue if you have fields behind unlinked fields. You may not be able to click in them, in which case you need to make an invisible button over the group of fields then go to whichever field is relevent for the specific syle.

One thing you won't be able to change is the size of the layout, though. So, onscreen you may see huge globs of blank space; printing should be ok though since you can slide the objects.

This all just occured to me in the last 10 minutes, so maybe it won't work .. but it's what I would try.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff.

Sorry for the late reply. I'll try this this weekend and see if it will work for me. I'll let you know.