Sound FX Library Basics ?

[jepmus]

Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum, and purchased FM5.5 a few days ago. I own loads of sound effects and would like to audition sounds from the FM database. A few questions ...

1. I 've digitized the audio using Toast Audio Extractor, and want to insert the sound in the corresponding record's container field. Do I have to do this 1 file at a time using the "insert quicktime" menu command, or can I automate this process ?

2. Once placed in a container field, is there a way to navigate within the sound file apart from the slider at the bottom of the quicktime window [ which seems to respond rather sluggishly within FM ...]? Is it possible to enter a "go to" time or timecode location ?

3. Finally, can a portion of the file be selected and exported as a new file to another folder ?

thanks,

YaYa

[sneddens]

When it comes to question #1, if you are on a Mac you can automate data entry into container fields using "Applescript". Someone else may be able to tell you the Windows equivalent.

[Anatoli]

IMHO

2. no with FM control

3. yes, export found records.

[Fitch]

1. In addition to Applescript, you could use a macro program such as Quickeys or OneClick. Either way it's going to be a little tricky.

2. Possibly with Quickeys/OneClick, but even then it would just simulate a mouse click... a better way might be to have a script that grabbed the data and opened it with QuickTime Player, or other application that is Applescriptable for time/frame info.

3. If by "portion of a file" you mean, "is FileMaker an audio editing application?" the answer is, "is the pope jewish?"

I think the reason your question didn't get answered right away is that nobody knows how to do what you're asking, which means it's highly likely that they can't be done, and/or perhaps FileMaker is not really the tool for this job.

[jepmus]

1. OK ... so AppleScript, eh ?

{and no, I'm not Canadian .. not that there's anything wrong with that }

I've downloaded the AppleScript guidebooks, and to this point, can't find any applicable tutorial. Surely the process can be automated, right ? I've already ordered the "Special Edition Filemaker Book" by Coloumbre and somebody. Do I need an AppleScript book too ? If so, which one ? ... or can somebody help me automate this process ?

2. Interesting idea ... can FM open the Quicktime app so that the navigation within the sound file might be a bit better ?

3. As for selecting and exporting a section of the sound file, this could be done from within Quicktime Pro, I believe ... so the suggestion concerning my second question would perhaps make my 3rd wish possible ? Unfortunately, my audio software can't handle the database aspect of the problem.

Can anyone help me with any or all of this ?

Please feel free to contact me privately if you prefer ... I need to get Part 1 accomplished at a minimum.

.. and I think the first Pope was jewish ,

cherrs,

YaYa

[sneddens]

I have done what you are trying to do with photos. I had 750 photos on CD and wanted a thumbnail of each entered in my photo database. I had Applescript loop through files on the CD, opening them in Photoshop, making them into thumbnails and copying and pasting the thumbnails into my database. 750 photos done in minutes! (+ time taken to learn Applescript.) It's been over a year but I'll try to find the Scripts I wrote for you to look at and modify for your purpose. I bought "Danny Goodman's Applescript Handbook" after I had figured it out mostly on my own using free sources on the Web. (Danny's free sources included.) It is a good resource.

[sneddens]

Found it!

The best Applescript hint I have learned:

Go to "Edit";"Applescript Formatting" and change the "Variables and Subroutines" font to pink. Do this and then copy and paste the following script into your Applescript Editor. The variables will show as pink and help you figure it out.

The following script will probably come pretty close to what you are trying to do, but of course it won't work till you substitute your own info. This is the only comment I had with this script, "Open the folder with the photos you want to thumbnail and make it the front-most window. Then run this script. You have to edit "set my_data" to your Filemaker Database." Notice how you can call scripts from inside Filemaker (or Photoshop in this case) to really add power.

tell application "Finder"

select disk "5-188/5-214"

set my_data to alias "Macintosh HD:Work:Slide Shows:Robertson:Database"

set no_of_files to count of files in front window

repeat with i from 1 to no_of_files

select disk "5-188/5-214"

set this_file to (a reference to file i of front window)

set pict_name to name of this_file

set notes to comment of this_file

open this_file

tell application "Adobe Photoshop

[sneddens]

Me again. The Applescript thing is all coming back to me now. Quick time is scriptable also. This command will probably address your item #2.

select reference -- the movie whose selection is to be set

[at integer] -- starting time of the selection

[to integer] -- end time of the selection

The [at integer] and [to integer] values could be fields in your database.

To get a list of the Applescript commands for a given application:

from the Script Editor go "File";"Open Dictionary" and navigate to the application.

Have fun!

[jepmus]

Thanks so much for the help ... I may have to buy an AppleScript book, but I'll give it a whirl.

Again, thank you,

YaYa

[stanley]

We did something similar with a video database, and found that the QT player in FMP is too sluggish at times. Our solution involved opening the QTPlayer to show the movie in. The user could set an in & out point if wanted, and the QTPlayer would jump to, and play, that section. I'll see if I can dig up the rest of the script, but this AppleScript was called within the FMP script, after copying the timecode data (for in-point) from the database:

tell application "QuickTime Player"

activate

if not (exists movie 1) then return

stop every movie

set the this_time to the clipboard

set the current time of movie 1 to this_time as number

end tell

If that makes sense, and is any use, let me know and I'll find the rest of it.

-Stanley

[jepmus]

Stanley,

thanks for your help ... I'd love to see more about your solution, but I'm afraid I will have to do a little more Applescript study ...

It seems that the best way is to:

1] Create the fm database containing the sound effect names, descriptions ...

2] Create a script [and/or ] a button for each record which will open the corresponding aiff/sd2/wav file within quicktime.

... more reading for me ...

thanks,

YaYa