I'm trying to find a way to make it easier for some of the people in my office to get to our database. Is there a way to reduce the number of steps needed for opening a remote file? As of now they have to open FileMaker, choose Open Remote, then select the database. For some here, that's two too many steps. Is there a way to make an icon or something else clickable that will do these three steps for the user? Thanks.

Is there a way to make an icon or something else clickable that will do these three steps for the user?

Yes, indeed - search filemakers site for the term Opener such as here:

http://filemaker.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/filemaker.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5296&p_created=1119021717&p_sid=UiRXFNCi&p_accessibility=0&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9ODk3JnBfcHJvZHM9MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1vcGVuZXI*&p_li=&p_topview=1

....this is a genuine filemaker file that call's up the remote database system, just as if an alias was made - but since os-level filesharing is a no-no, do you have to make either a opener or even better join the Separation Model bandwaggon, that let you have customized layouts laying on each users desktop in it's own file:

http://www.newcenturydata.com/downloads/separation_demo.zip

One benefit claimed by some of the Photoshop minded developers is that elaborate skins are posible with very little networked footprint. But as such is it only one way to implement the separation model!

--sd

Thanks again, this is exactly what I was looking for.