Importing Image and Image File Name Concurrently

[histophil]

I want to attach an image file name along with an image when I import it into a container. I have developed a DB for my microscope images. I need the file name attached to the image because the file name contains all of the information about what the tissue type is, what stain was done etc. I want to be able to import the image and also the image's file name at the same time into the DB layout.

Another option would be to import the entire image into one container and concurrently import the file of that image into another container. This would work because when the file itself is imported into a container, the file name is visible. I would want this to be done concurrently because I have a lot of images to import and I don't want them mixed up.

Can this be done? Please help me.

thank you,

Phil

[Fenton]

When you Import a Folder of picture files, as either embedded or referenced, you can specify whether to import the File Name. That's one way, which was available in 6.

In 7 you can also Insert as a file. You cannot, however, Import as a file. Neither can you, AFAIK, set a file into a container as a file with AppleScript. So it's basically 1 file at a time to embed as file. Tedious.

You can, however, reference a file as a file with a calculation ("file:" & relative path); as well as display it as an image, with a separate, but similar calculation ("image:" & relative path), results Container.

So, if you know where the files are, and they're going to remain there (more or less)*, then probably the easiest thing is to import the File Name and the File Path (and maybe a Thumbnail, but maybe not), but not the Image. This gives you a lean & mean database file, containing basically just a little text.

Then you can use a calculation to display the image and reference the original file, for opening as a file. You would use part of the File Path to calculate where the image is, relative to the FileMaker database. It's easiest if the path is "down" from the database, rather than "up," or "across." But it's possible to calculate a relative reference to any file on your computer. I've worked out a calculation to do so (but it isn't pretty).

*You can move a folder of images, if you refresh the stored File Path in FileMaker to reflect the new location. This isn't as hard as it sounds, because it's only a change in the relative folder path; the file names remain the same.

So, there's different ways and different results. It depends to some degree on what form of organization (if any) the image files themselves are going to maintain, how big the images are, whether it needs to be networked (I'm assuming not), etc.. Let us know more and we may be able to help more.

[Fenton]

BTW, when I say you can't import "as a file," I mean just that. I don't mean "as a referenced image in a file." Those are two different things. Imported referenced images are fine; but you can't ever move the folders or files afterwards. I prefer to reference via a calculation; you can move them later if you're willing to adjust the path. Of course, you can also Import again, using Update Matching Records on the File Name, to refresh broken image reference links (if you know where their folder went to). Several possibilites.