I have a complicated layout that works for me but it has a great many container fields. I would like to REuse this process without making over all my scripts and fields and of course it would have different data. I would like to know how to duplicate a layout , its fields, and make it into different table so I don't have to make all the scripts I used over again. Is this possible?and how?

Edited October 12, 200916 yr by Guest

Choose layout - duplicate layout.

This will create a carbon copy of what you have.

To reference that copy to a new table, go into layout setup and specifiy the table you want it to use.

You then will need to adjust and define any fields accordingly.

I thank you for the information but I still have a problem. Lets say the first table is called Photos then the new table is called Photos 2 . I have all the same fields and the same layout. The problem is the scripts. They are all pointed at Photos instead of Photos 2 . That is what I am trying to get away from . I just want the same exact layout fields and scripts without having to change everything.

Hartmut, from your posts it is my humble opinion that your dbase structure is in need of a review. If you are interested, please post a clone of what you have or at least a sketch of your ERD.

My database works extremely well for my purpose which is to show the user where something is on a picture. The picture is a global container field and therefore will use little memory. The user can click on a container field and it fills it with red. No big boxes just something pixel sized. Here is a picture of the layout of all the container fields and a then a picture in browse mode. I am actually quite proud that I came up with a way to make filemaker do this no matter how ridiculous it seems.

Interesting and I bet I have some ancestors in that Coney Island shot.

Seems like the "background" pic should be on the layout and not in a container. If you were to swap it, wouldn't all the "mapping" be inaccurate.

I wish Comment would chime in on this. Michael?

I wouldn't use a new table for a new photo.

You haven't said much about your data structure or what you're trying to accomplish, but simply have a table for photos where each record is a photo in a regular (non-global) field.

The other option would be to duplicate the entire database for each photo.

It is preferable if there is a way to create a new table from the sucessful one I have and retain the same field names from that table, then it would seem that the layout would have the fields in tact - But I guess that is not the case.

Yes I want to be able to swap pictures and that is why I don't have the background picture as part of the layout. The purpose of all the little container fields is simply to be the vehicle for delivering the red dots through those fields with the user clicking on a little container field. I they click again it clears the field and the user gets to put a highlight on each record where they want to indicate something. I was just hoping I could contain it in a new table and not use another database so in a runtime i could put them all together.

Edited October 13, 200916 yr by Guest