Display image via path

[Barrettb]

In FM9:

I would like to provide FM a path to display an image during Browse and Preview on a layout for a record. This image is like a "product image" and part of the record NOT a decoration for the layout.

The scenario would include about a million records and a preexisting local or web based folder of images. The path info string could either be preexisting in a field or calculated.

file://localhost/Pictures/MadeOn_tang.gif

OR maybe a url path

http://domain/graphics/MadeOn_tang.gif

[Fenton]

Yes, you have a couple of choices (at least), the main ones being, 1. Container field with FileMaker syntax path, or 2. Web Viewer with URL path. There are likely pros and cons to either. I've mostly used the container field. But I'm mostly an experimenter; I don't have thousands of images.

The advantage of the web viewer is that you only need the web server path, then relative path. You don't need the "drive" name. But since you're calculating the path anyway, you could easily change the drive name for all images later (in a container field). You would not need to "mount" a volume for the web viewer method, but the web server would need to be online. A web viewer is easier if you have both Mac and PC client machines, though here also you can calculate the prefix and drive name accordingly. Get ( DriveName ) is useful, but that was not in FileMaker 7.

BTW, file://localhost/Pictures/MadeOn_tang.gif is not a FileMaker syntax path to a local image.

It would be more like:

imagemac:/Macintosh HD/Users/fej/Pictures/MadeOn_tang.gif

"fej" being a short user name

or, if on a remote mounted volume,

imagemac:/volume name/path/file name.jpg

If you're going to be doing much manipulation of the images, you might want to check out the application SuperContainer, which lets you do all kind of things:

http://www.360works.com/supercontainer/

[Barrettb]

In a nutshell I need an efficient image display solution on a bulk import basis or calculated field with no manual record editing.

Can FM 9 do this today ???

[Barrettb]

I contacted FM for presales tech info on FM9 today.

This was the second time since I did not get an email back from the first guy I ran this by and stumped him. Today the next guy was way too cocked and locked to go into the spew about custom development bla bla bla

I think I pretty much concluded FM 9 is NOT capable of doing what I need here.

The import folder function is mighty close and imho some project leader needs to be hung by his or her tonails for not developing a simple path string import on a match field to easily associate a record with an image like in a product catalog project.

[Fenton]

You can Match Records on Import Folder, to either a File Name (if unique) or a File Path (if you've got the whole thing). You can import only the file path, then use that in a calculation to produce the image (which gives you a little more flexibility, in case you need to modify it slightly later). I don't really know what technical problems you're foreseeing, but I think FileMaker can do what you want. There are quite a few posts in the forum here about it. So what exactly do you see as the problem?

[comment]

I think I pretty much concluded FM 9 is NOT capable of doing what I need here.

Based on what? Fenton's reply mentions at least two ways of doing it. Another way would be to import all the images in your folder into a separate table, calculate the product's name/number from the image's name, and define a relationship between the two tables.

Neither method requires manual editing of records. They all do require some development work - as does everything else in Filemaker.

[jonjeremia]

1. Container field with FileMaker syntax path

Fenton, how would i place this path in the container field? Using a calculation?

[Fenton]

Yes, a calculation. It is a little confusing perhaps, because the calculation field has a result of container (important), yet you are putting pieces of text in it. The container will show the image. Look at the FileMaker path syntax; it's at the bottom of every one of the Insert dialogs (also in the Help).

Because it is a calculation, you cannot Insert into it. Therefore you must either calculate the entire image path from info you have, or, alternatively, you can use another container field to Insert [x] As reference only, then get the path from the data returned by using GetAsText ( container inserted into ).

Why would you want to do that, Insert into one container field, but produce the image in another calculation field? Well, if the image is inserted on different platforms it may have a slightly different path. Or, you may want to specify the "volume" in the calculation, so if you change servers, and the path is different, then you can just change it in the calculation, ignoring the one that it was inserted on.

Or, perhaps, there are multiple possible images for a field, and you want to use a calculation to decide which one to show; just like any other FileMaker calculation; though normally you'd do this with a relationship toggle to the referenced images table.

[Barrettb]

Ok maybe I'm getting lost in the forest...and think I see what you are getting at now.

All the work I do has always been rooted in matching of a Product Code as golden.

I have or can create a correct file with Product Codes and Image Names like:

PRODUCT_CODE,Image_name_Old

"26-00-01","batthamgf.jpg"

"26-01-01","batexclv2.jpg"

"26-01-02","batsphflp.jpg"

"26-02-01","batexclv1.jpg"

"26-02-02","batsphflpp.jpg"

"26-03-01","batexclv5.jpg"

"26-03-02","batsphflpy.jpg"

On "Import Records|Folder..."

I see I can match on the File Name given my source file is known correct. Ok all that is likely doable then.

NOW let me turn up the heat.

Many and in future most records with have an image on a path like these:

Notice all the same except unique for the directory that is match for Product Code again.

In this scenario if you have 10,000 records you have also 10,000 folders/directories

Image URL Calc

"/26-00-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-01-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-01-02/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-02-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-02-02/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-03-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-03-02/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-04-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-04-02/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

"/26-05-01/TileGroup0/4-5-5.jpg"

This is where I get into what I perceive as a severe FM limitation.

Will FM not allow for creation of a calculated field through string concatenation with the results as a Container to display the resultant image

I would expect to be able to specify a relative path where the images folder resides in the same as the FM file and not have to worry about breaking the links when moving the project folder around.

Very simple for an html project.

[Fenton]

Will FM not allow for creation of a calculated field through string concatenation with the results as a Container to display the resultant image?

Yes, but for an absolute path you need to include the entire path, including the drive. A relative path is more convenient, yes, and if you really want that, then use a Web Viewer object. Then you'll need a little intranet web server, but that's not difficult.

A relative path on the same machine as the FileMaker file will not work in a networked situation. The main reason is that you should not have File Sharing on the same machine that is serving the FileMaker files, so the images cannot be in a relative path from the FileMaker files. It's a known weakness. If you're a network sharing expert and disagree, well then, I'm not; but FileMaker recommends a separate file sharing machine.

[Barrettb]

Ok so a simple relative path like and html page in a folder ain't happening.

So just for my entertainment now what would the syntax be for the "calculation" string to display an image in a calculated "container" results field ?

file://MacintoshHD/Users/barrettb/Pictures/press.JPG (this BB keeps cutting ofF the .JPG)

FM won't allow that for the calculation, but does allow the Field Name that holds the string.

Result is display of the Finder based file icon instead of the image.

Edited September 25, 2007 by Guest
added screen shot