Here's the deal. We are Landscape Architects and use FM to run the office. And one of the solutions is called 'Plant Data Base'.

Within PDB there is a layout called 'Plant List' which is, of course, a list of specified plants for a particular project. We print this list to PDF and then we paste it into our drawings set. each sheet in this set is the normal architectural size, 24" x 26". The plant list is simply placed on the appropriate page.

So far, so good. This really works.

And of course our PDB also has pictures, and we would like to incorporate these pictures in our drawings. Each picture is 2" x 3". We want all of the pictures on one [or more, if needed] sheet, with a caption on each image. We don't want to put the images ad hoc into the drawings.

What we want is to print to PDF pictures for the plants that are shown in the plant list. And this is pretty simple, really, except for one thing.

How do I print these pictures in a large grid that fits on our drawings sheet? we need a PDF that is 22" x 32".

This might be really simple, but I cannot figure out how to do it. I need columns of rows to fill out the grid, and to make more than one page, if necessary.

I've played around with several things, including portals, and repeating fields, but if the solution lies in these two technologies I have not yet found it.

Basically I run into the same problem no matter what I do, which is making FM prepare several columns of images. It does a single column very nicely, but how do I make multiple columns- with the same found set?

I'd rather not have to place a different file for each column, so how do I make this work?

Michael

Hi Michael

I have not fully followed your problem fully ( I cannot visualize the end result) but are you aware that when using portals you can nominate the start row as well as the number of rows?

So for ease of use, lets say that you have 15 images in your column but you want to print as 3 colums of 5.

Find your set

Set up a multi line key to attach the found set to a relationship

Put 3 portals that show records from that relationship side by side, each to show 5 rows but the first set to first row 1, second set to first row 6 and the last set to first row 11.

You now have your single column split into 3 showing records from a found set.

I do not expect this to be an answer for you but I posted just in case it is a key that unlocks other ideas

Regards

Phil

Not sure I understand exactly what you need - can you post a pdfof the final way you want it to look? How about a new FM layout with a label format that prints a container in columns?

Royce

Inky's idea started me thinking but I haven't had time, yet, to work with it. Meanwhile, I attached a page that shows what I am after.

In this case, I made this page by placing each picture individually [which is quite a chore since there are 4 pages]. I did it by printing each plant record to PDF then placing it into my drawing program [PowerCadd].

The title bar on the right is not part of the FM issue. What I want from FM is the ability to make the 'gridded plants': I would make a print setup of the size that I want, and then I'd print to PDF, and then place into the drawing program and then add the titles in the usual way [referencing].

In the example, there are more fields shown than simply the pictures. At some point I will want these fields, too, but I thought I would simplify things by simply asking about the general layout issues.

Is this clearer?

Michael

This actually turned out to be very very simple. I started out with Royce's idea of using a label format, and whilst goofing about, realized that all I was trying to do is print in columns.

It works very very nicely, thanks to everyone for helping me to focus my thinking.

However, I still don't know what a multi line key is!

Michael

You are probably aware that a relationaship will show you ALL the related records and will ignore any found sets that you might be trying to work with.

A multi line key is a key field within a relationship but where we can filter the records that the relationship sees.

You achieve this by establishing a global field as the key field on the left hand side of the relationship and then store the key data from ALL of the records that you wish to include in the relationship in that global and seperate them with a ":paragraph:".

You do this by first of all isolating the records that you want to be in the relationship and then using a script along the following lines

Set field (your global:"")

Go to record (first)

Set field (your global:record ID)

Loop

Go to record(next;exit after last)

Set field (your global:your global & ":paragraph:" & recordID)

endloop

This script will gather all the id's in your found set and store them into the global on seperate lines. You can put this global on a layout and view the result. It would look something like this:

1

45

689

3567

etc...

A portal using this relationship will then display all of the records that have a value in the global rather than all of the related records.

I hope that helps with your understanding. If you need any clarification do not hesitate to get back

Regards

Phil

I didn't see this until today- since my original question was answered- but I cannot BELIEVE I did not know this important piece of information.

Thanks, Phil, I needed that…