Help Help! Photos don't show up on network!

[database]

I am using Filemaker Pro 6 on a G4 Mac OS9 that is used from remote computers.

I have attached photos (as a reference) from a folder to various containers throughout the database. When I go through the database, all of the photos are visible from my G4, however the other two computers in the network do not display the pictures in the container fields. The containers show the link text, like house.jpg or whatever, so I know it has some knowledge of the pictures, but the photos do not show up.

I have checked the box "Store Compatable Graphics" on all of the computers on the network and it doesn't make any difference.

What am I doing wrong?

FileMaker Version: 6

Platform: Mac OS 9

[Reed]

I don't think it will work if you store as reference. Try not storing as ref.

Dana

[Kurt Knippel]

We do this routinely. Storing as a reference will work.

HOWEVER, the reference needs to be valid from all computers. For instance, you may have the pictures on a volume mounted as "Photos", while the other computers may mount it as "G4_Photos" or ever worse (if they are WindowsOS) as "E:".

It is imperative that all are accessing the location in the same way. Either via a shared volume on a server, an FTP or HTTP address or whatever.

[database]

Thank you very much. I'm afraid to say I don't know how the other computers mount the photos. The computer we're using as a server is a G4 on OS9.2. On that computer, I have to keep the database files open and active on the desktop so the other computers can access the database via Remote Server. But I don't leave the "photos" folder open. Is that what I'm doing wrong?

Or do I need to go into the other computers and set something so they can access remote "photos" folder?

We're all on Mac, G4's. One uses OSX and the other uses OS 9.2

Thanks so much for anything you can tell me.

[Steve T.]

Hi, database! I think Kurt is telling you to check your paths... in other words, every computer accessing the db and photos needs to be accessing the same way and the directory or folder path (myHD/myDocuments/photos or whatever) needs to be the same, too. For example, in OS9 if you go to chooser > appleshare and login as a general user, you may mount directly to the photos folder and see "photos" mounted volume icon on your desktop. If someone else then logs in as an administrator, that person may mount the whole hard drive and "Macintosh HD" may be mounted on that person's desktop.

The general user's path may be something like Server/photos/photo.jpg.

The administrator's path may be something like Server/Macintosh HD/photos/photo.jpg.

Therefore, the photo may show for 1 person and not the other since FileMaker is saying the photo is along a specific path only and cannot compensate for how someone is connecting.

Of course, I am not sure if my example is valid, but I hope it helps you with the general concept of what folks are saying. I guess your reasonable assumption was that all points of view will be from the SERVER's point-of-view, but it sounds like it is more like it is from the USER's point of view; hence the warning to make sure everyone connects the same way and that the paths are the same.

Correct me if I'm wrong, folks!

--ST

[Fenton]

I'm afraid this is kind of a Catch-22 situation. You can only see the photos stored as references if all work stations have the same path to them. However, they should not (according the FileMaker) be on the same volume hosting the database files; because their folder needs to be "shared" by the operating system and FM files shoud NEVER be in a shared folder (or even a shared volume).

So, there are 2 good solutions.

1. Put them on another older machine that can be shared. Insert them as a reference from there; yeah, you have to re-insert, but you can do it with the Import Folder (and subfolders) command. But somehow you'd have to link those with the data records.

2. Import directly, not as reference. Uses lots of space, but works from everywhere. You can do this in a dedicated file, related to the real data files, to keep those from getting bloated.

Version 7 will help with some of this, because you can use a calculated path to the files. So you could just tell it where the files are with a calculation and they'd appear. Useful if you decided to move them all to another known location later.

Or you can just insert them directly, since the file size limit in 7 is virtually unlimited.

Most of this is only theoretical knowledge. One of these days I'll test more.

There is a simple way to get the referenced filepath using AppleScript, then re-inserting that file directly.

[database]

Thank you all ever so much!!!

I know I can insert them directly, and at the moment I have, but because there are so many photos, it has really slowed things down.

So if I put the photos folder on another computer on the network, ideally my bosses, and set that folder to be shared, will I create more problems for myself by putting it on a computer running OSX? I don't know if that would cause problems since there can be multiple users on that system.

Thanks again.

[database]

For anyone who wants to know... I spoke with a database consultant by phone and he told me that in Fpro 6 v 4, no matter what I do, the photos won't show over the network. They'll only show on the computer that's hosting the photos folder.

He said FPro 7 makes it better, but it's still not perfect.

[Kurt Knippel]

That is a load of BULLS#!* I am doing exactly what you are trying in a mixed environment of Filemaker v5, 5.5 and 6.

I have the databases hosted on a Filemaker Server, with the photos stored on a shared network volume from the Fileserver. Since I setup all the share points on the network, I know that all machines (Macs of various OS versions) mount this as PHOTO_LIBRARY.

Other methods would include mounting them from a server with FTP or HTTP protocols (i.e. ftp://192.1681.231/photo_library/) if you are in some kind of environment where not everyone's configuration/setup (or file system) uses the same convention of mounting shared volumes.

Bottom line: your path MUST be a common one that everyone can access by the same name.