Printing big text field as book, over 200 pages

[rainman]

Filemaker has a limit to the size of a layout meaning 11 pages long. I have a text field holding the text of a book which I'd like an easy way to print. Perhaps an xslt export through xml or html. Also, I'd like to find a way to go through a body of text and make it format like a screenplay. Anyone have an idea?

[Genx]

You could always reparse the text into lots of related records, each roughly a page in length, then print a report from there.

[Genx]

... or easier still would probably be reparsing it into related records roughly a line in length. This would however require a static font size and font type.

[comment]

I believe it easiest way would be to export the field as text, import it into a word processor and take it from there. For decent printing, you should finish in a page layout application.

AFAIK, you can get screenplay templates for most any word processor. I am not sure how automated the process can be - most likely it will require some human intervention.

[LaRetta]

I'd like to find a way to go through a body of text and make it format like a screenplay.

I'm out of my territory here (no knowledge about screenplays) but it seems that a book should be broken into segments with a minimum of Chapter (and maybe Scene, smile). I simply couldn't imagine working with one huge data field. Might you not want to move things around within this book? I would want to segment the data in an outline form of some sort by adding Chapter, Scene category fields. You might even want to duplicate a single Scene (record) and make changes; thus providing a 'history' of the book as you go (letting the auto-enter modification timestamp track it). In this way, you could compare various chapter/verse/scene modifications. You might change your mind and go back to a prior version of a specific Scene.

I agree with Michael. But even if you export to produce the final document, splitting that text field will make it easier to handle regardless. And who knows ... if it is properly categorized, printing might take place within FM. I say might; I know nothing about professional print quality and I have no idea what would be involved to break your book into segments to fit a screenplay format. Just a thought ...

Hey Rainman! Welcome to FM Forums, by the way!!

LaRetta :wink2: