Store grapics in the interface file and display based on fields in the datafile

[Claus Lavendt]

Hi

Matt at Filemaker Magazine has previously made a video about how to store graphics into $$globals, which I use now. The great thing is that the graphics is loaded into the client machine's memory and therefore loads fast. I use this primarily to buttons and checkbox graphics. The display e.g. of the checkbox graphic is fast, when it is loaded into $$globals. However, If I have 40-50 graphic records in the graphic table, the startup script, which loads the graphic records into $$globals, takes quite much time. Especially when the data file is opened over the internet.

My schema is;

Data.fp7 holds all data and the graphics table. This file is served from Filemaker Server.

Interface.fp7 is the interface file (which holds no data and could be table empty) This file is placed locally on the client machine.

Beccause $$globals is file dependant, it is neccesary to keep the graphics table in the datafile, if I want to show the checkbox graphic in a field on the Customer record. If(Checkboxnumber = 1 ; $$Graphic[2] ; $$Graphic[1])

This forces me to run the startup script, which loads the graphics into globals, from the data file.

What I would like to be able to do, is to hold the graphic table in the interface file and load the graphics into $$globals locally on the client machine. This will reduce the "startup time" dramatically as the "heavy" graphics always stays local on the client machine.

However, in order to make this work, I need to have a table (lets call it DisplayGraphic) in the interface file with a field to display the checkbox icon.

I imagine that this table only have 1 record and in the relation diagram I have a TO with the basetable; Customer and a TO with DisplayGraphic. Thoose 2 TO's is related to each other with X relation. (then there is always a relation)

The big challenge here, is to have a calculation for this field, so that it will display the proper checkbox graphic icon, based on wether the Customer::Checkboxnumber is 1 or ""

I hope that I have clearified, what the goal is, that I am looking for.

anyone have an idea ?

[comment]

The separate files thing is a red herring - the real issue here is tables, not files.

If a calculation is not in the same table as the data, there is the question from which record is the required data coming. Obviously, if there's only one record in the calc table, there can be only one result of the calculation - so that would automatically rule out displaying the data records in list/table view or a portal.

In form view, you could set a global field in the calc table to the ID of the currently viewed data record, and thus establish a relationship. However, this would require record navigation to be very tightly scripted.

I think the best way is to use graphics very sparingly and make the most out of Filemaker's native objects.