No more Plugins for Referenced File management

[Leb i Sol]

This sample demonstrates how to manage your referenced images without need of any plugins!

The same concept applies to any file-type management!

You can:

- insert an image and automatically have it "referenced" in the DB

- have as many "larger" images that do NOT need to be stored in the container field

- images are viewed by your default image viewing software for this image tyle

(depending on your file assosication with particula fiel type eg. "all JPGs are opened with IE")

- insert ANY TYPE of file that need "other files" associated with the same record

- it DOES NOT require any Relationships NOR multiple Container fields

Let me know what you think of it....

Thanx!

File_Image_Manager.zip

[Lee Smith]

Hi Alen,

I don't know why that the Mac isn't able to utilize the path that is established in order to open a New Document in Internet Explorer, but if I modify the URL by substituting files:/// for files:// than it works.

I modified your file by setting the platform for either Windows or Mac and then using the modified URL to view your Images.

HTH

Lee

Leb i Sol files Modified.zip

[Leb i Sol]

Hi Lee!

Nice, sorry for not testing it on Mac but I have no machine accesible here....nice little trick! Now, we can get Mac people involved.

Thanx!

[Fenton]

Strangely enough, it only works with "file://" on Mac OS X and FileMaker 6 (and 7), at least for me. And it opens with Preview, not I.E., nor Safari; 'cause of the ".jpg". Makes sense to me, as I would expect a graphics program to open an image file, not a web browser.

[Leb i Sol]

Hey Fenton!

Thanx for the posts....this is rather odd as it seems that Lee actually added one more path delimiter to make it work. Yes, this is only FM 6> as "import folder" was introdcued in V6.

File will open stricly with whatever program you have associated with that file type. If anyone is interested into a FREE (windows) software that will open about 99% of media files take a look at http://www.irfanview.com and plugins that go along.

here is a quick list of file supported:

Extension Format Name Read Save

Graphic formats:

ANI, CUR Animated Cursor X

B3D* BodyPaint 3D format X

BMP, DIB Windows Bitmap X X

CAM* Casio digital camera format (JPG version only) X

CLP Windows Clipboard X

CPT CorelDraw Photopaint format (CPT version 6 only) X

CRW* Canon RAW format X

DCM/ACR/IMA* Dicom/ACR/IMA file format for medical images X

DCX Multipage PCX format X

DDS* Direct Draw Surface format X

DJVU, IW44* DjVu File Format X

DXF, DWG, HPGL* Drawing Interchange format, CAD formats X

ECW* Enhanced Compressed Wavelet X X

EMF Enhanced Metafile Format X X

EPS Encapsulated PostScript (TIF preview only) X

FPX* FlashPix format X

FSH* EA Sports FSH format X X

G3* Group 3 Facsimile Apparatus format X

GIF Graphics Interchange Format X X

ICL, EXE, DLL Icon Library formats X

ICO Windows Icon X X

ICS* Image Cytometry Standard format X

IFF, LBM Interchange File Format X

IMG* GEM Raster format X

JP2, JPC, J2K* JPEG 2000 format X X

JPG, JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group X X

JPM* JPEG2000/Part6, LuraDocument.jpm X X

KDC* Kodak digital camera format X

LDF* LuraDocument Format X X

LWF* LuraWave Format X X

Mac PICT, QTIF* Macintosh PICT format (Quicktime required) X

MNG, JNG* Multiple Network Graphics X

MrSID, SID* LizardTech's SID Wavelet format X

NEF, MRW, ORF, RAF, DCR, SRF, PEF* Digital camera RAW formats (Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, Fuji, Kodak, Sony, Pentax) X

NLM, NOL, NGG* Nokia/LogoManager files X

PBM Portable Bitmap format X X

PCD Kodak Photo CD X

PCX PC Paintbrush format from ZSoft Corporation X X

PGM Portable Greymap format X X

PNG Portable Network Graphics X X

PPM Portable Pixelmap format X X

PSD Adobe PhotoShop format X

PSP* Paint Shop Pro format X

RAS, SUN* Sun Raster format X

RAW* Raw (binary) data X

RLE* Utah RLE format X

SFF* Structured Fax File X

SFW* Seattle Film Works format X

SGI, RGB* Silicon Graphics format X

SWF* Macromedia Flash format (Version 4 only) X

TGA Truevision Advanced Raster Graphics Adapter (TARGA) X X

TIF, TIFF Tagged Image File Format X X

TTF* True Type Font X

TXT Text (ASCII) File (as image) X

WAD* WAD3 Game format X

WBMP* WAP Bitmap format X

WMF Windows Metafile Format X

XBM* X11 Bitmap X

XPM* X11 Pixmap X

Video/Audio:

AIF Sound file, Audio Interchange Format X

AU, SND Audio format used by Sun and NeXT machines X

MED* MED/OctaMED sound format X

MID Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) X

MP3* MPEG audio layer 3 format X

OGG* OGG Vorbis sound format X

RA* Real Audio sound format (Real Player required) X

WAV Windows audio file X

ASF Advanced Systems Format X

AVI Audio Video Interleaved X

MOV* QuickTime Movie format X

MPG, MPEG Moving Pictures Experts Group format X

WMA, WMV Windows Media Audio/Video format X

* = PlugIn required, see the plugins page.

Take care!

[Fenton]

I assume the difference between Lee's and mine is the difference between Mac OS 9 and X.

[Lee Smith]

Hi Fenton and Alen,

That was my thought too Fenton, I was hoping that someone else using either 9 or X would confirm it for us though.

Lee

[Leb i Sol]

Hello again!

Some of your have asked me to explain how to edit the script before (saving it) setting to execute without dialog....

The key is to Select a "Folder" as a type of import as filemaker will not leave it seleccted as deafult.It will only remain defaulted if the script is executed without dialogs...as you know.

Even if the script is set to execute without dialogs this is NOT dynamic import= if u decide the alter your Folder structre you must edit your script so it points to the right folder.

Original File /Download UPDATED -screenshot!

Take care!

[bruceR]

I wish i could understand what you are saying. Can you try that again?

[Leb i Sol]

Hi Bruce!

Ones you downlaod the file and extract it to your local HardDrive you will find files:

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

-FileMakaner.fp5

-folder [ IMAGES ]

|_ subfolders [T] contains "Thumbnail" images that are smaller size than

|_ subfolder [L] images of larger resolution/file size

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

You can DELTE all (3) records and then click on Button "Insert Image..."

which will then initiate "Folder Import" without any interaction with user and save the "Relative Paths" in container field.

The reson it works so "seemlessly" is that this sample forces import from folder "IMAGES" as it is designated in the scrit called "DO > Insert image_T"

Now, you would want this import to happen from your folder that can be located anywhere and called any other name....soooo we need to edit the script.

Edit the script "DO > Insert image_T" as it is shown on the screenshot in the file ( I hope Mac users can see the images).

In oder words:

ScriptMaker--->Edit Script "DO > Insert image_T" and then edit it so that

you select

File of Type :[ Folder....]

which will bring up a window where u can specify your folder of choice

then UNCHECK the entire script to "perform without a dialog" as you want to set the proper field match. Again, you need to do this only 1st time u run the script.

My fields:

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

Image --> IMG_T (container)

FileName <==> IMG_Name_T (text)

FilePath --> IMG_Path_T (text) path of the image location

eg. C:Documents and SettingsMachineNameDesktopFile_Image_ManagerIMAGEST

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

and you want to run an Import of "Upadate Matching Records and add Remaninig" where the "match" is being done on FileNames

eg. a.jpg <==> a.jpg

so if there are no records ALL will be added..."all records are considered to be NEW"; so essentially if u add a new image into your folder it will be added as "the only one that didn't match".

Ones you run your import and are happy with results GO BACK and edit the script again where you would check the box "Perfrom Wihtout Dialog" and "Keep The Import Order" to avoid having to set the imports manaually and keep browsing to your folders.

Side note:______________________________________________________

One way to make your DB truly "mobile" could be setting your Image path to be eg. location on your web server ("http://www.mysite.com/IMAGES/") so whenever you DB is viewed from station that has internat access they will be able to see the files wihtout being on your LAN

_______________________________________________________________

That's IT!

Now, about the "View Button" does nothing but "opens URL" with your deafult viewer software...

The "zoom" button does nothing more than "Opne URL" step much like the 1st button but it opens ULR from calcuated field - the the location of larger image which is located in "IMAGES/L/" folder.

If you can estimate the location of your "Larger" folder you can eliminate the need to store 2 sizes of image into 2 container fields....

I hope this helps a bit.

take care!

[Leb i Sol]

_