Export images from container field - HELP ?

[Pedro8000]

Hi guys

Can somebody please help with this, im beggining to lose the plot. When i omit records and then export them i would like to do a similar thing with the pictures held in the container fields. How can i export the pictures that are taken and stored in the container field ??

I can export all my data fine but when i come to export pictures its a different story. Ity surely cant be that difficult bit i cant work it our ?

Also when im taking pictures on the ipad where are they stored ? They arent in images when i look in the photo album?

Any help would be massively appreciated as this is thr last hurdle in finishing off my database !!

Thanks

Peter

[comment]

Use the Export Field Contents command/script step. To export from than one record, use it in a loop. See also:

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/45545-looping-script-to-extract-container-jpegs/page__st__-20#entry212714

[Pedro8000]

thanks so much for the reply.

When i run this it says "container fields cannot be exported"

These are pictures im taking my ipad and appear on the database. I havent imported them. I read somewhere that all images have to be embedded what ever that means ?

Thanks

Peter

or even if i could store the images i take with my ipad in the photo directory so i could upload them manually when i get back to the office. Its just at the moment im taking pictures with the ipad and i cant get them off the ipad ? Very frustrating !

Peter

[comment]

Sorry, I haven't realized you were speaking of FM Go. I don't really know much about it. I think you need to use Insert Image[] to embed a referenced file - but I am not really sure.

[xtrim]

Hi Comment,

I looked at your post about exporting images.

The problem is that you assume that all files are "jpg".

what if I dont know the file extention? what if I have multiple extentions? I dont know what the user decided to put in the container...

is there anyway to get the file type? file name?

getastext(field) is not working....

[comment]

See if this helps:

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/85887-writing-an-export-contents-script-for-all-records-but-what-about-different-extensions/

getastext(field) is not working....

Not sure what "not working" means. If user has pasted an image into the field, there is no filename and no extension either.

[xtrim]

Well the user drag & drop the files into the container (windows) - so there is no filename according to what you say - but the fact is that the container shows the file type (icon) and the name and when you double click the field FM knows how to open it.

So how can I know it?

the reason I am asking is becaus I need to update FM runtimes from v11 to v12 and I need it to be an automatic proccess,

I can export all data to tab files but Iam stuck with the containers... I have to figure it out...

[comment]

What exactly do you get from GetAsText ( Containerfield )? If double-clicking opens the file, then either the file was inserted as reference only (and therefore the container holds the path to it), or the container contains an OLE object.

[xtrim]

it looks like the container contains an OLE object...what can we do about it?

[comment]

You are not providing enough information. What do you get from GetAsText ( Containerfield )? And what leads you to conclude the container contains an OLE object? Which application opens when you double-click the container? Does the window that opens have a name? Can you export the container field's content manually and if yes, does Filemaker offer a filename and/or an extension for saving the file?

[xtrim]

Hi Comment,

GetAsText ( Containerfield ) provides me with "?".

I know it is an OLE object because right-click on it gives me the "activate contents packager shell object" menu options

when I double click it it does the same as "activate contents packager shell object" and it automatically gives me the original file name.

"export field content" is disabled (grayed out).

trying to export it via script fails with error "container fields cannot be exported"

looks like i'm stuck....

[comment]

Yes, I am afraid you might well be. The help says that you can:

import and export OLE objects to and from other FileMaker Pro files

I guess that means you cannot export to files of another type. This is a purely Windows thing (and, IIUC, obsolete even there) so I wouldn't know much about it. For a small number of records, I suppose you could save the file from the native application. For a larger number, you should be able to automate the process using OS-level scripting.

[xtrim]

you should be able to automate the process using OS-level scripting.

any idea how to start? where to look? who to ask? :hmm:

[comment]

It's not really a Filemaker issue, but try posting in the Windows Automation section. Wim Decorte is the leading expert there, I believe.

[xtrim]

thank you for all your help!

[xtrim]

Well, there is not easy way to do it..and it is also very complicated as many file types give you different options so automating it very very herd.

I just found the script step "Convert File"

(13 years of filemakeing and I've never used it )

I put all my hopes right there!