Viewing Container Fields over a Network

[Elwood Blues]

Hello. I am a new member to www.FMForums.com, and have been working with FM7 for almost a year. I have made some giant steps with the program, and I am in the process of developing an existing database into a user-friendly and eye-pleasing database. The user-friendly part is coming along fine with the help of calculations, scripts, and other automated tasks. The eye-pleasing part, however, is givng me trouble.

I have a database that displays information on parts that we carry in the store's Parts Department. We have been adding references to pictures of the parts in the database in a container field so that the technician can see the part that they are looking for. This works fine on the main computer, which is accessible via the store's network. However, on a remote computer, the pictures in the container field show up as missing. I have tried recreating the file path on the remote computer, with the actual files stored on the hard drive, but that has not worked either. I am lost here, any help would be appreciated!

[transpower]

Check file permissions.

[Elwood Blues]

Hello Transpower,

I've got a full access account, and I can access all other fields/records in the database except for that container field. It almost seems like the remote computer understands that it should read from the main computer to gather data, but for some reason won't read the pictures from the main computer. Why would this be? I really don't want to put the pictures in the actual database, we tried that and it took days to load, the reference is much smoother. For anybody on the main computer, that is.

[Fenton]

The database on the host computer can't show the pictures to client computers, because they are "files," external to FileMaker. It can however show them if they are on a different volume, which is mounted on the client computers.

So, to show them as references you really need 2 "server" computers. One with FileMaker, with OS File Sharing off. And another with the pictures, and whatever other files, with File Sharing on.

The problem is then, "We've already got them on the FileMaker computer! Do we have to move 'em all and re-import or insert?"

Not necessarily. In version 7 you can show the pictures via a calculation, with the sytax:

image:/volume name/file path

So, you just have to create a known logical folder system on the remote machine, so that you can calculate the path to the images in the FileMaker records. The volumn name and common path can be in a global field (set on the host), or part of the calculation.

I don't have 3 computers handy here. But I've tried with my .Mac iDisk, and it works.

[Jarvis]

Fenton,

I have a project that is similar to Elwood's, but mine is for a cabinetshop.

I want to be able to communicate with the shop from the office via some kind of network.

Right now I generate drawings in CAD and print them as PDF documents. The PDF documents are then stored (as references) in container fields on each record.

I am hoping to have several client stations on the shop floor able to access these drawings.

Did you just say that I will need to have more than just one HOST server to do this?

Thanks,

Jarvis

[Fenton]

Yes, if you store them as references. Unless you share the volume that the FileMaker files are in. Which is the #1 cause of corruption, so not an option IMHO. FileMaker and the OS do not play well together sharing the same files.

If you're a whiz, you could partition the drive and set up a separate volume that way. But it's not really recommended; and I'm not that kind of expert (if any).

If you're going to store a lot of referenced graphics the recommended method is another machine, with File Sharing on, mounted on each client. You can then use calculation fields as paths, if you want. Everybody's happy.

An alternative is to embed the PDFs directly in the container fields. Then there's no question that everyone can see them. If you're worried about bloating your file, create another file for this. You can also embed the entire CAD file (or the PDF file), as a file. Then people could, if they wanted, look at the PDF, and optionally export the entire file (Export Field Contents) to their desktop to open or print in its native program.

I haven't checked lately. But earlier versions of FileMaker 7 could embed a PDF fine, except it printed fuzzy. It was more like a preview than the actual file. Anyone know what the quality is now? (I'm stuck trying to fix something else, no time to play.) There's also PNG, which I think works pretty good for CAD drawings.

[Jarvis]

Fenton,

I appreciate your forbearance here.

I'm a cabinetmaker, not a computer programmer.

Let me repeat back what I think I heard you say:

I cannot have one HOST server support several clients, and have those clients be able to view

the contents of a container field if those contents are stored as a reference to a file.

but I can do this if I embed the PDF directly into container field, with no references?

If you're going to store a lot of referenced graphics the recommended method is another machine, with File Sharing on, mounted on each client.

What does "mounted on each client" mean?

I know you're busy right now, but maybe somebody else could illuminate this for me.

Thanks,

Jarvis

[Fenton]

No you cannot have clients view container fields containing graphics which are referenced graphics on an non-shared drive. And you can't share the FileMaker file's drive, without serious risk of damaging the database.

Other partitions, etc., is not recommended. It can be done, but at your own risk.

If you access to ANY other sharable drive, then that's where the pictures should go. This could be any other computer on the network, preferably dedicated (ie., not someone's desktop, where they might do whatever and any time).

Or it could even be something like an iDisk, which is how I test it (otherwise I'd need 3 computers on my desk).

There's another factor. The referenced graphics print fine. The embedded ones print like crap. FileMaker is converting those embedded PDF's to screen resolution Jpeg's I would wager. That's what they look like. View at 200%, looks jagged, prints jagged. This may be fixed or changed in a later version, but I don't know.

Alternatively, you could embed the file itself (as a file), as well as the "jpegged" PDF (as a picture),* then build the mechanism for them to easily export the field contents out. This works well also. It can be scripted fairly easily, especially on a Mac with AppleScript. But it's easy enough with no scripting. Edit menu, Export Field Contents...

They can use the embedded picture for a "preview," then get the real file if they want to print. Cheaper than another computer; though if you have tons of graphics and lots of people, the separate graphics and file server begins to make a lot of sense.

And, if it's referenced, or an embedded file, it knows what the name and extension is for the export, which is convenient.

[MEditor]

I am trying to solve a related problem: I have a database which stores references to jpeg and pdf files, along with a thumbnail of the file. I do have my jpeg and pdf files on a separate server, a shared volume that is mounted on all my users' desktops. But how can my users open the original file if they need to (not download it, just open it)? When I imported the files, I imported the File Path into its own text field. And if I select the file path and control+click (I'm using a Mac), one of the options in the contextual menu is to open the file. But if I select this option, nothing happens. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

[Fenton]

When I right-click (also on a Mac, but with a 2 button mouse :-) I see Export Field Contents, which allows me to save it wherever I want, like on my desktop.

It is no longer the "original" file however. So any changes to it would need to be reinserted, into the original container field to be saved.

[Jarvis]

Fenton,

It's me again.

Just want to make sure I got this right.

If I want to have 4 guest computers be able to access a referenced PDF file, I need 6 computers.

Computer 5 is a repository for image files.

Computer 6 is a host for Filemaker Server Software.

The 4 guest computers access the referenced files via OS file sharing with Computer 5.

The 4 guest computers access the filemaker solution in Computer 6 via Filemaker Sharing.

Computers 1 thru 5 have OS filesharing ON.

Computer 6 has OS filesharing OFF

The solution itself will be built with Developer 7 on one of the four guest computers.

The solution can be updated to Server 7 without corruption because Computer 6 has OS filesharing turned off???

(That last part was a question.)

Did I get it right?

Thanks,

Jarvis

[Fenton]

That is the recommended configuration. A couple things. Computer 5 can have all kinds of files available to everyone, so it can have other uses besides just being the image server for FileMaker. What you are essentially doing is adding a FileMaker server computer to a regular office network; rather than trying to make the FileMaker computer replace the regular office shared machine. I suppose the image files could just sit on one of the client machines, but you know that's going to cause slow downs and other problems. The image server doesn't have to be much of a hot shot machine.

A big question to consider I think is what method to use for referencing. There's a new way, to create a calculation with a container result (I said in an earlier post; and other posts). This has the advantage that no "import" or "insert" is needed. It has the disadvantage that you need to know what the folder structure and names are going to be for the pictures. But, if you do, then you can just create the folders and put the pictures in them, and they'll show.

It's 6 of 1, half-dozen of the other. I don't know how your pictures, locations and names relate to the database. But it's something worth thinking about.

FileMaker Server on a dedicated machine with OS File Sharing off is the optimal stable configuration. It's best to turn off virus auto-checking and OS indexing also. You don't need them (especially on a Mac which isn't even using the internet). They can (rarely) interfere with FileMaker (from Jimmy Jones, a FileMaker engineer).

[Jarvis]

Fenton,

Thank you so much.

You've been very generous with your time.

If you ever need some kitchen cabinets or a computer work station, email me.

I will try to reciprocate.

Jarvis

[MEditor]

I'm not looking to export field contents and create a new file. Just to do what the right+click implies I should be able to do: open the file. Has anyone else had experience with this apparent bug?

[Elwood Blues]

Thanks for all your help Fenton! Your previous advice as well as the advice you gave Jarvis has helped quite a bit. I'm curious about this calculated file reference stuff, so I'll probably be giving that a try as well, I'll let you know what problems I run into. Thanks again!

[Jarvis]

Fenton,

I started to buy two computers yesterday in order to host Filemaker server & graphics separately.

When I explained my requirement to the Mac reseller, he asked if these corruption issues were still germane if we used one server running OSX Server instead of OSX Panther.

He was also curious if these concerns would be mitigated with different hardware (i.e. X Serve G5).

What he is trying to do is minimize the footprint (boxes and monitors) as well as simplify overall backup issues (I.e. backing up reference graphics & filemaker server on common media).

Does this different operating system make a difference or should I just move ahead with the two CPUs

as discussed above?

Thanks again,

Jarvis

[Eponymous]

Over a year later...

I have a mixed Mac/Win office and am hosting a file on a Mac. I have a container field with an image in it. I have the images on a separate server and so could easily have both machines access them there, but how do I handle the different filenames on each platform? / vs and the way the servername shows up in AFP versus the NetWare.

Thanks.

[M Hooper]

Place images in the "web" folder inside the FileMaker app folder. Here is a link to FileMakers help file:

http://filemaker.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/filemaker.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5812&p_created=1138926659&p_sid=QSUFcE4i&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9ODI4JnBfcHJvZHM9MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1jb250YWluZXI*&p_li=&p_topview=1