Image reference calculation trouble from Mac to PC

[skowens]

I use FMP 10 on both a Mac running OSX and a PC running Vista and I'm essentially a novice when it comes to calculations, scripts, etc.

I have several databases that have container fields for images. In the past, as I've created records, I've just used "Insert Picture" to insert a reference to the image for each record. Copies of the images are stored locally on both the Mac and the PC (though I would like to eventually get this to work without that redundancy).

In the past, when I was running an earlier version of FMP, I was able to host the database on the Mac and access the database from the PC remotely over our wireless network. For whatever reason, the images always showed up just fine and there were no issues with file paths, despite the fact that I never set up any sort of calculation to tailor the filepaths to whichever machine was accessing the database. Recently, after some corruption issues which have been resolved (as best I can tell), and upgrading to FMP 10, the images aren't showing up properly on the PC when it remotely accesses the databases on the Mac.

So, in an effort to correct this, I've been trying to redo the container fields as calculations to automatically reference the proper images, regardless of which machine is accessing the database. The calculation that I'm currently using is:

If (Abs (Get (SystemPlatform)) = 1;

"imagemac:/Macintosh HD/users/kenklosterman/documents/collection apparatus/" & Number & ".jpg" ;

"imagewin:/C:/Users/langsem/Documents/Collection Apparatus/" & Number & ".jpg")

Here "Number" is the field that contains the unique record number, which corresponds to the name of the image files. Copies of the images are stored on both machines (but if I could get it down to one machine, that would be preferable).

The problem is that when I test this on a very basic test database that I've set up, when a record is created by either machine, it automatically and correctly references and displays the proper image file. When I view that same record on the other machine, however, the file path appears to be stuck on the path for the other machine. i.e. if a record is created on the Mac, it always points to the Mac path even if I view it on the PC, and vice versa.

I've read through a thread on pretty much this same topic, located here, which offered a similar calculation to the one I'm using, but I don't see what that calculation has that would make such a difference (again, I'm a novice at calculations and scripts). From what I can tell, the database isn't recalculating the contents of the field every time each record is viewed. So, any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong? Will I also be able to automatically redo all the old images by running a script or a Replace Field Contents calculation? Any advice will be very much appreciated...

[Fenton]

For one thing, the Storage of the calculation must be set to (•) Do not store

[skowens]

Okay, stupid question: where is that option?

[normanicus]

This question comes up pretty frequently and I have had trouble getting images to show up cross platform. Can anybody tell me why Filemaker cannot just detect the platform and do this without user intervention?

[Fenton]

At the lower-right of the field's calculation dialog is a button, "Storage Options".

[zazen]

For one thing, the Storage of the calculation must be set to (•) Do not store

As an interested observer this has piqued my interest! By doing this you are making FMP recalculate the path each time the record is accessed as opposed to storing the calculation result when it was first accessed! Neat and thank you!

[GeorgeC]

I am interested in this also, re normanicus' comment. I have a Dbase shared across a network. Jpgs and pdfs are inserted into containers selecting the "reference only" checkbox. These images cannot be seen by other users across the network in another location (8 miles away), Mac or PC (they are inserted on a Mac).

They can be seen by a computer (another Mac) at the same location, but not by any computers (no matter the access permissions of the account)in the other location.

Any suggestions? Must we do the calculation thing?