Minimizing file size

[Tony Leslie]

I have a separate table with only 60 records, each with 2 container fields and (2 text fields to establish a relationship with another table). The container fields have small jpeg images, only about 50KB each. Another related table has about a thousand records. With only about half of the container field records filled the file size jumps to almost 300 MB, from only 15MB with no container records. When I deleted all the jpegs from the container fields the file size dropped back to 15MB, I added one small jpeg in one of the records and the file size jumped up 5 meg! I thought perhaps the relationship to the 1,000 record table was multiplying the jpeg data, however, taking away the relationship didn't matter. I need to keep the entire file as small as possible to help facilitate emailing the entire file back and forth for continueing development. It I continued the way I'm going now I am sure the file will exceed a gig and larger. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Fenton]

Probably the best thing would be to create a separate file, and put the container fields into that one, wherever you're worried about size. Unless you're adding/changing them often, and it's important that the other person sees them. Then you can just send the file without the container fields.

A couple more things. First, images should not be copy/pasted into container fields; always use Insert or Import Folder.

If you delete a bunch of images, and you're concerned about file size, then you should Save a Copy as Compacted. Toss the original (carefully), then rename (to original) and use the compacted file.* That will clean it up a bit.

*Do not empty the trash until you're sure the compacted one will open properly. It's not good practice to have multiple copies of the file using the same name. Best to trash (and empty), or zip.

[bdonelson]

I agree!

I saved approximately 50 pictures to files, and inserted them.

The file size dropped from 43 Megabytes to 748 Kilobytes.

Enough of a difference, that I probably would not have separated the photos from the other fields to begin with.