storing relative paths to images in a container?

[kate13]

Is there a way to store relative reference-paths to images in a container field rather than absolute paths (same as with web sites)?

My database and the files are all in the same folder, I have to use references as the files are extremely large...however, if I have to switch platforms between mac/pc, or rename the main folder, or publish it on a CD- the images are no longer displayed as it is still searching for file://D:/Archive/image.jpg or file://Macintosh HD/desktop/image.jpg....

please help...thanx!

[Leb i Sol]

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/109002/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

[kate13]

That doesnt help...i am already using refrences- the files are not in the DB. My problem is that the references seem to be absolute, so if I copy the entire folder to a different computer(MAC/PC), or rename the folder (where the database and all the images are located, which if it was just looking one directory down should have effected things) the files are not found...surely- there must be some way around this???

[Fenton]

I think the answer is that FileMaker 6 is a decent image catalog app, but FileMaker 7 is better. You don't say which you're using. In 6 you have problem if you move a database and its referenced images. Just moving them over one folder breaks the links. FileMaker 6 uses a kind of absolute path (I don't know the gruesome details).

In that case you'd be better off embedding them into a separate database file, or even files, which could be related to another "text data" file. Not ideal, as the images would then no longer be separate files of their own. And you have the unbreakable 2 GB file size limit.

Or, to keep them as separate referenced files, you can store just a relative path to the files from the database file as text, then use OpenURL [url type file path] to open the files. This will open them in either a browser or graphics app, depending on the extension, platform, etc.; but they would not display in FileMaker.

You'd need a thumbnail or jpeg to embed directly if you want to see it in FileMaker (not a bad solution; it's not such a great idea to display really large image files in FileMaker anyway, tiffs, etc., IMHO). You have to calculate that relative path, using Status(Current Filepath) (which we can help with). It's slightly different on different platforms.

The best solution is to use FileMaker 7. It allows you to use a similar (but simpler) calculated path to reference the image file, and display it in FileMaker. If the image is an "images" folder it would look like:

image:images/file name

You can also open the image in its native app from the above. Or, embed a jpeg, and reference the large image file as a file; or even embed the large image file directly, as a file, which can be exported again as a file. The field and file size limits are so insanely high in 7 you will not have a problem.

This "display a referenced image via calculation" doesn't work on a network (as far as I can tell, and I'd love to be wrong), but it's the easiest way to deal with a stand-alone photo catalog of large referenced images (I think).

So it depends partly on what version of FileMaker, what you have already, what you need to be able to do, whether the images are going to change, be edited, etc., and whether this needs to be networked as to what method you use. None are perfect, sorry to say; but there should be a way to achieve what you need.

[bruceR]

"This "display a referenced image via calculation" doesn't work on a network (as far as I can tell, and I'd love to be wrong), "

I don't see why that should be the case as long as you provide a valid network path. I'll try something and edit the message in a second here...

Yup. Not a problem. Calculated images can be displayed from a shared folder - including your iDisk.

In my case the file from the shared volume was:

filemac:/brucerob/FM World 2002/TEC203/Tec203paper.PDF

iDisk:

imagemac:/bfr/Pictures/Luney.jpg

[Fenton]

You're right (of course), a "shared" volume, ie., not the volume that the FileMaker file was on (unless you like living dangerously); that's what I was trying earlier. But this is still good news.

[Leb i Sol]

as bruce said....

each user must have the same mapped drive....if u have a domain set it in your loginscript

if the files are moved from one location then...adjust the script of folder import as well as the mapped drive

[Colin2]

I am interested in your comment that Status(Current Filepath) is slightly different on different platforms. This could explain why my image database performs differently on a PC platform, only finding image files placed directly in the same folder as the database. I am using an Insidescan plug-in function to "store a reference only" to the image and the calculation includes Status(Current Filepath).

Incidentally, the thumbnail making function of this plug-in does not work properly on my PC, returning an error code -2003. Does this mean anything to anyone?