Exporting embedded pdf to a new file

[AndyMiller]

I am trying to export my database that contains a container with each record holding an embedded pdf. The pdfs were put into the container by right-clicking on it -> insert object -> Adobe Acrobat document. They are definitely within the Filemaker database file and not just referenced, since the database filesize goes up by 10mb when I add a new record with a 10mb pdf.

Now I need to export this database to a CSV with a "PDF" field that points to the file path of PDFs that are embedded in each record. But, every way I try to export, I can't get the pdf files out. If I right click on the container field of an individual record the "Export Field Contents" option is grayed out, and when I try to export the database using the file menu or a script I get the error message "Container fields cannot be exported".

Also, since my database has over 3000 records built this way, manually opening each pdf and saving it really isn't an option...

I'm not very experienced with filemaker. Is there a way to export the contents of the container embedded in each record to a file first, maybe with filename = record id so it would be easy to relate each one to its record?

I have attached a simplified version of the problem, with one field and one container that has a pdf embedded in it the same way my larger database does in case my description was unclear.

Thanks,

Andy

testdb.zip.8c85142a0df39118a76794ae839ea579

[Matthew F]

I'm able to import PDFs and export them fine from your test database using 'Insert Picture' and the 'Export Field Contents' functions. I'm not exactly sure what it is that you have inserted into your container in the first record, though. It doesn't seem to be a PDF. Like you, I can't export it either. If I copy it to another document it seems to be a .tiff or some other sort or bit-mapped graphic.

You could try adding a calculated field cF = GetAsText(Image). If the container holds a PDF this calculation will give the name of original input file (usually with a .PDF suffix).

[AndyMiller]

I ended up creating a AutoHotkey script to open each pdf and save it using the record identifier. The fact that filemaker can't deal with a file embedded into a container in this way is pretty dissapointing.