Is it possible to make a field transparent with conditional formatting?

[gessie]

Hi all,

I have a FMP database that tracks artwork for a London gallery - images of various pictures and information about them - all fairly simple and straightforward.

One thing I'd like to do, however, is to drop a big red SOLD graphic across all those images of pictures that have been sold - leaving those unsold images just as they are on the main layout. It'll need some sort of script that, say, if the buyer_name field is empty then the image remains as is - but if that field - or another chosen field that means the same thing sale_date or something - is filled then the SOLD sign drops in somehow across the image, or becomes visible across it.

I can think of no way to make such a graphic field entirely invisible most of the time - and then show through, or be dropped on top of, each record that's sold. If there were such a field behind the image of the artwork that could be brought to the front in the case of a sale being indicated - that'd work with conditional formatting - but I can find no functions that allows me to bring a field to the front - though I'm guessing there might be one somewhere.

I'd be grateful for any indications as to how to go about thinking about producing this effect - which would make it obvious to any database user that this image is still available for sale - whereas that one has already been sold.

Regards

gessie

[Ocean West]

you could use just text when the item is not "sold" then make it same color as background and one pixel in size.

test.fp7.zip

[Ocean West]

here is another possibility

test.fp7_2.zip

[gessie]

Dear Steven

Thanks ever so much for posting those two files that I was able to dissect and use to understand how you'd done your magic. I shall definitely use the 1 point/background colour routine - and it'll make a difference both to the look and feel of the database. I think I had become a bit fixated with using a 'Sold' image as part of the solution - and this led me off barking up all the wrong trees! The usage of the text field is so much simpler - and elegant.

Again - many thanks for your guidance.

gessie

[Conner]

You can try this:

Make a global container field with the "Sold" sign you love.

Make a calculation field with a container output using a formula like this: If ( Status field = "Sold" ; Sold Container field ; "")

That formula says that if the picture is sold, then show the container field with the Sold sign, otherwise don't show anything.

-Conner