Photo Catalogs

[poolephoto]

This is my first post; I am a novice filemaker user (although have been reading alot, online tutorials, etc). I am trying to see if I can save $200 (the cost of a dedicated digital asset management program) by creating my own, much simpler solution.

Can someone guide me as I create this? I am familiar with all the basic concepts, eg fields, tables, portals, repeating fields, etc. I don't know anything about calculations or functions (and don't want to get into those yet), or Scripts.

My main goal to start with (and I will probably make it much more involved at a later date) is to simply be able to show all images (thumbnail size) on the screen at one time (might have to flip to other pages as my collection grows), as I do a find on some keyword. I would like to show at least 9 at a time on one page.

Each thumbnail would have under or over it some text, like a stock #.

I have looked at the template photo catalog, but it is way too complicated to even modify or understand, at my novice level.

So, how do I get started?

Thank you much,

[Lee Smith]

There is a file that was included on your FileMaker disk, called [color:blue]Photo Catalog.fp7 that may fill your bill.

Lee

[Vaughan]

Tip: create this database either to learn, to have fun, or as a buisness investment.

Don't create it to save money because you won't! :P

[poolephoto]

Thank you for replying to my post; I was not clear about the template I mentioned; the one you suggested using is the same one I said in my post was way too complicated.

I am hoping someone with more experience than I can give me some suggestions as to how to actually set a simple one up, so that multiple thumbnails can be seen on one page.

If this is not appropriate to ask on this forum, just let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[Lee Smith]

Look at the [color:blue]List View in the file. Although the [color:blue]List View will show you a Found Set of Records, when you look at it, it shows multiple photos, which acts like Thumbnails.

BTW, the [color:blue]Import Picture Button is set up to make it as easy as possible.

Have you played with it at all?

Lee

[Fenton]

Well, create a list view, show the thumbnails in a list. If they're 128 you should see several. That's simple. Do a Find for what you want to see. The reason "photo catalogs" are complex is because the above is just a list, not really a "catalog." Everyone wants to also see a "contact sheet", with multiple photos in each row, showing a found set. That is not so simple.

Strangley enough, if you download FileMaker 8 demo and look at the Photo Catalog example, it's completely stripped down from the FileMaker 7 one. It's too bad in a way. I used to complain that they hadn't really optimized the Photo Catalog when they converted it from FileMaker 6. I did that myself and it wasn't all that difficult. Now, rather than fixing it up nicely, they've gutted it.

I think my next stab at this may try a Custom Function, using GetNthRecord() to build a list of keys for side-by-side portals. Also not simple, and maybe not as good as the old copy/paste the preview method.

(P.S. I think Lee is looking at the one that came with 8, the simple one. It's named the same as the one that came with 7, but it's very different.)

[Lee Smith]

I think Lee is looking at the one that came with 8, ...

Yep, I hadn't noticed that.

Wow, they are different.

Lee

[juststo]

I want to use something like the photo cataloge that comes with FMP 7. I want to attach documents or document paths to my records and then open them from FMP when I need to access them. Is there a way to "open" the attached file instead of exporting it to a new location? For example, if I attach a MS Word doc, can I then "open" it with whatever program created it by clicking a button. I can't find a comand for that.

[Joe Fab]

try "open url". You need to have a field for your file path and then in the specify portion of the open url choose the path field. I am using this to open images that I have imported as a reference in Photoshop CS2. I think it would work with any documents native app.