FM Image Catalog Show Stopper w/Photoshop images

[wendykdt]

Help. Recent upgrades to Filemaker, Mac OS and Adobe Software have created a show-stopper of a problem with our Filemaker database. Here's the problem, as succinctly as I can state it:

We've been using Filemaker Server/Filemaker Pro as an image catalog for our art department for years, and we have thousands of images and multiple users on Mac and PC platforms. We import 72-dpi images in the Photoshop EPS image format because this is the only format we've found that carries a clipping path into Filemaker. (The EPS image files are also placed (linked) into Adobe Illustrator and InDesign artwork.)

Photoshop EPS images created in Photoshop CS3 worked fine in Filemaker (8) until we upgraded to OS 10.6.4 iMacs, Photoshop CS5 and Filemaker 11. Now:

- Photoshop EPS images created in new Photoshop CS5 cause consistent Out of Memory errors when imported into Filemaker on the Mac. (Script stops once it hits one of these images.)

- Older Photoshop EPS images created in Photoshop CS3 randomly appear/disappear in Filemaker 11 container fields (known problem).

- We've been using the EPS format for years because it is the only format we've found that shows image clipping paths in Filemaker. (Crucial.)

- To avoid maintaining duplicate libraries, these images should ideally be in a format that can also be placed (linked) into Illustrator and InDesign artwork.

Perusal of various forums has made it clear that Adobe, Apple and Filemaker have been aware of problems with EPS images for quite a while. Meanwhile, we need a solution. Does anyone know how we can save Photoshop CS5 image files in a format that shows clipping paths when imported into Filemaker on both platforms (and, ideally, can also be placed (linked) in Adobe artwork, so we can avoid maintaining duplicate collections)? Or is there any other solution that would allow us to keep using EPS images? I'm going nuts testing various configurations, and our image filing backlog is growing!

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this.

DETAILS IF YOU WANT THEM--AND WHAT WE'VE TRIED:

The catalog has a list view layout showing small thumbnails, and a larger form layout showing each image via a reference. A script is run from both Filemaker 11 Advanced on Mac OS 10.6.4, and from Filemaker Pro on Windows XP Professional (Version 2002 Service Pack 3. We have no control over the PC OS.) The script:

- Determines the user's platform, goes to the appropriate layout, and on the Mac imports 72-dpi EPS images from a folder into a container field (Import records > Picture and movie files > import only a reference).

- It also writes the Mac file path to a text field, and

- Places the image thumbnail in a second container field.

- The PC branch of the script does the same, importing a reference to a container field and a PC file path to a text field, except it does not re-import the thumbnail, as the thumbnail provided via the Mac script has been viewable on both Mac and PC.

The problem began when we upgraded from Mac G5s running 10.4.11 and Adobe CS3 software, to iMacs running 10.6.4 and Adobe CS5 software. The script now ends with an Out Of Memory error as soon as it hits a Photoshop CS5 EPS (without indicating the problem image, dang it, but we've managed to track them all down). We've tried saving in Photoshop with various previews and encoding without success. TIF, PSD and JPG images do not carry clipping paths into Filemaker as far as I can tell. I thought I had a solution when I discovered that saving images as a Photoshop PDF worked beautifully in all programs (Mac Filemaker catalog, Illustrator and InDesign artwork)… only to find that Filemaker on the PC rejects a folder full of Photoshop PDF images as "empty". (Error message: "No files of the specified file type were found in the specified folder.")

Thank you...