Making a container colour with calc

[LaRetta]

[comment]

I think the size of layout which is 1024 x 640.

 

This one works on Mac, might need adjustment for Windows.

 

BigSwatch.fp7.zip

 

To get a swatch of 300 x 500, use a single "g" with font size 500 (calculated, not in Inspector!). Then resize the field to that size.

[Charity]

This is genius!  I mean the file example but the post too.  I had read that post before but thank you for pointing it out again, Lee because it is perfect right now.  

 

Tomorrow I am going to call my bosses boss once I find out who that is and present both these ideas along with a print-out of 'Take Us Seriously.'  In fact, if we have a CEO then I am going there instead so as high as I can.  I want to show them that I may be low but I am not lowly and if they get rid of me it will be their loss.

 

Wow. So this is it a webbing font where the g's are like typing in to text field that many g's?  And we are not limited by size at all in fonts, not by system size or anything? Is that all there is to it, it seems so?  I probably sound like a broken record telling you 'thank you so much' so much but that is all I can think to say.

 

Now it is always good to learn various methods of achieving same or similar things but how would the two ideas compare as far as speed and such?  I do not understand either idea but I understand text calculation more than web htm stuff so that might also be important to consider in case I have to change something.  Eos I am going to learn web stuff and sql and all of it so this is great example for me.

[comment]

And we are not limited by size at all in fonts, not by system size or anything?

 

That's a good question. I thought 500 was the maximum size, but it turns out that's only when using conditional formatting. I haven't been yet able to find a limit when using TextSize(). So actually a single "g" character should suffice for any required size.

[LaRetta]

This is a great concept for displaying rectangles dynamically by colour!

 

Unfortunately, this first new version of 13 does not work with Webdings.  It works fine in 12 but even creating a new field, no matter the theme even classic and specifying Webdings or Wingdings both refuse to render.  It does not matter if it is a converted fp7 file which worked, an fmp12 file which worked or newly created field ... none render in 13.

 

I will be reporting it as a bug since I cannot find any other discussion about it.  

[LaRetta]

It is interesting that, if I create a NEW 13 file, create a field then select Webdings, it tells me that 

 

"The selection contains fields whose storage option language is incompatible with the chosen font or text objects whose characters cannot be displayed by that font. The font will not be changed for these items.   Hold down Command and Option keys while choosing a font if you wish to override this protective action."

 

But doing so does not seem to make a difference.

[comment]

Have you tried adjusting the applications preferences > Fonts: deselect "Synchronize input method ..."?

[LaRetta]

I should have mentioned that I tried that but I reran my tests again.  No combination, no setting seems to matter.  

 

Same file works in 7, works if opened with 12, breaks in 13.

Edited December 12, 2013 by LaRetta

[comment]

Reading that error message again, perhaps you do need to set the field's indexing language to Default or Unicode?

 

EDIT:

Are you able to type on the layout and change the text to Webdings font?

Edited December 12, 2013 by comment

[LaRetta]

Changing to Default (it was on English) made no difference.  Neither did Unicode.

 

Created a new 13 file.  Set preferences font to synchronise.  Created new text field.  Changed its label to Webding and it produced the error.  I then CMD-OPTION the label.  It did not switch to Webding.  Did same with field.  It did not switch.

 

Close file.  Reopen in 12.

 

Now the label displays as Webding but not the field text.  But if I go to layout mode (and have unchecked 'show sample data') then the field displays Webding also.

[LaRetta]

I reported it here http://forums.filemaker.com/posts/0f6fabd1e1

 

I realised this laptop had pre-release version (not sure why the reinstall didn't work the first time).  I uninstalled and reinstalled with release version again, rebooted, created a new file and same results (no Webdings) except I no longer get that error message.

[comment]

Possibly a workaround could be found in this case by specifying the font in the calculation formula, along with the size and the color. But of course, that won't be a solution for all those Boolean fields I have that use Webdings icons for "yes and "no".

 

You didn't say: can you type text in Webdings directly onto the layout? If yes, perhaps merging the field could be another workaround.

[LaRetta]

Unfortunately, I had tried defining Webdings in the calc and it didn't work.  Neither did typing it as text nor as merge field.  Webdings simply will not render.

 

Even when I create Webding character in text application, copy and paste onto layout as text, nada.  It indicates no font was pasted at all and I only get a strange symbol of (not sure this will take):

 

That symbol wasn't a 'g' so I redid it.  This is what it produces and it doesn't seem to be a true 'y' 

γ

Edited December 13, 2013 by LaRetta

[comment]

Hm. The letter you have posted is GREEK SMALL LETTER XI, Char (958) in Filemaker. I wonder if this could possibly be a question of keyboard mapping? Does Mavericks still have a Keyboard Viewer? If yes, perhaps you should try switching it to Webdings and type from there.

 

I am sorry if I sound like I am assigning you tasks - that's not my meaning.

[LaRetta]

I love this stuff, as you know.  I cannot find anything like Keyboard Viewer in Maverick but I am new to Mac.  Using Finder, I search for keyboard but what is listed shows nothing similar.  I tried to find a utility for characters like in Windows CharMap but nada.  I am sure Mac would have such a thing.

 

I would like to test Mac Maverick producing Webding.  There is a TextEdit.App and it allows Webding to be selected but when I try to change an existing g to Webding font nothing happens.  It will change for all other fonts but not Webding.  

 

And did you see that I changed the character; sorry about that; I had been trying different characters and forgot to re-grab the g when I pasted originally.

I used Open Office to create the Webding which pasted onto layout as that strange y.  And Open Office displayed Webding font just fine!!

Edited December 13, 2013 by LaRetta

[Lee Smith]

System Preferences >> Keyoard >> checkbox = Show Keyboard & Characters in Menu bar

[comment]

Let me try and make it easier(?) for you. Try using a calculation field =

Char ( 61500 )

or perhaps =

TextFont ( Char ( 61500 ) ; "Webdings" )

[LaRetta]

I had tried only wrapping with TextFont ( ... ; "Webdings" ) .

 

Both of your examples produce same effect - they work! 

So since TextFont() didn't work in my test, and since I get the same result in both of yours, then I would suspect that TextFont() isn't working in yours either and Char() is handling it.

[Charity]

Wow, you guys are sure thorough and tenacious!  I am trying to catch up. Lost my laptop, trouble getting server up etc but I will catch up soon so I can see what you mean in 13.  

 

And big boss said they would not get rid of me.  He laughed at the post from Comment and told me not to get too big for my britches.  I translate that to mean that he thinks I will.  I like that.  And that he expects he'll be paying me a lot more money. 

[comment]

Well, I wish I could explain it, but I'd have to understand it myself first... I am working on a hunch here: it's possible that Filemaker may have actually fixed something here, rather than broke it.

 

So since TextFont() didn't work in my test, and since I get the same result in both of yours, then I would suspect that TextFont() isn't working in yours either and Char() is handling it.

 

The effect of TextFont() is only to override the selection of the font for the field on the layout. However, as you have seen with TextEdit, "g" is NOT the same Unicode point as the Webdings rectangle. This is why changing the font to Webdings did nothing. It's a bit more complicated than that, because in some applications - such as BBEdit and, apparently, FMP 12 - the Webdings rectangle is "g".

 

Anyway, if my theory is correct, you should be able to paste the calculated rectangle into the box for Boolean display, or even directly onto the layout, and still retain its "rectangleness".

 

 

 He laughed at the post from Comment

 

 

It looks like I have a permanent gig there.

[LaRetta]

So Char ( 61500 ) works as a calculation but the resize seems to be an issue when I apply it.  As I increase the font size using the calc ( over the size specified by the layout for that font which is 12 ), it increases the left and top gutter.  For example, your file (untouched except for different calc) which is set top/left alignment, leaves a 1/2" gutter top and left.  Increasing the font just moves it down and to the right until at 2000 pt it occupies the bottom right quadrant of your layout perfectly.  Increasing past that value makes it continue to move over/down until it disappears.  This is what I used.

 

TextColor ( TextSize ( Char ( 61500 ) ; 260 ) ; gColor )

 

Very strange that, if I copy the rectangle created with only Char (61550) then paste it directly onto the layout, I get this ... I enlarged the font to 200 so you could see it.  In browse mode, it produces the same symbol.

[LaRetta]

Please note correction of this sentence ... I added the bold:

 

As I increase the font size using the calc ( over the size specified by the layout for that font which is 12 ), it increases the left and top gutter (with the calc set at 260).  

 

ADDED:  I just looked it up and it says that is the Apple logo, LOL.

[comment]

This is what I used.

 

TextColor ( TextSize ( Char ( 61500 ) ; 260 ) ; gColor )

 

Ok, correction: make it Char ( 61543 ). It's very strange, I am pretty sure I picked the right rectangle before - but I am not going to argue with success.

 

Re the character on the layout, I believe you need to set the font of the text object to Webdings in order to get it to display properly. What you see now is a symbol for "the selected font doesn't have a glyph to display for this Unicode point".

[LaRetta]

Oh, I figured since I copied from Webding that it would paste as Webding but I see it didn't.  Re-specifying it as Webding did the job.  Also 61543 completely fills the rectangle if size is set to 1200 pt!

 

SUCCESS!!  And it does work pasting as Boolean as well.

[comment]

I would like to know if this is cross-platform, before declaring success.

[LaRetta]

And it is not consistent ( although I know consistency exists somewhere in everything ).

 

In your file which was converted, I copied 61543 calc and pasted into Boolean and it shows as UG (Unidentified glyph) but displays in browse as the rectangle.  However, when I removed the number and type a number again, it displays as UG.   If I create a new field and repeat the test, copying new rectangle and pasting Boolean again, it displays in browse as UG and I never get the rectangle back again.

 

And now new file created in 13, the calc produces the rectangle but copying and pasting Boolean will not produce the rectangle - only the UG.   

 

UGG

 

Hopefully someone will step forward with tests on Windows.  I have a windows system but it will not run 13 yet.   

But I DO have two great Mac laptops now!!  

[Charity]

I have talked them out of colour completely for the ranking thing.  

 

I sure appreciate you both for helping me so thoroughly on this.  I see what you mean about inconsistent, LaRetta.  I never get it to work as number boolean in 13 on Mac.  It all works fine on our Windows 7 systems at work, Comment.  I will still want to use colour sometimes so I also notice that the calculation if stretched using the pins will not grow wide enough unless I set the calculation to 5000 in size.  If I end up using this in some way will that large of a font size stress our server or cause issues, say for example if I have a calculation like this in a file with 200,000 records maybe using it to provide a colour for managers, will it stress fm or the server to change to 5000 pt font?

 

Instead of using colour for the ranking thing, I have told them that 'there is a better way of doing it' and now I just have to come up with it.  

[comment]

I also notice that the calculation if stretched using the pins will not grow wide enough unless I set the calculation to 5000 in size.  If I end up using this in some way will that large of a font size stress our server

 

No. That is the beauty of vector graphics: the amount of data required to describe a shape is independent of the shape's size.

 

---

5000? What kind of a monster monitor can show 5000 size font?

[Charity]

Well I am just trying to be prepared.  If 5000 then it would I think cover almost the 32 inch in our conference room at work.  But this is all guess you understand.  It is hard to hold things up and I cannot use that so I multiply.  Then whatever they need I will have.  That is the theory.

 

And by the way if you could please tell me what you mean about using a web viewer I would appreciate it.  And now I think a web viewer was mentioned and why didn't I want to do that either?  Except web viewers looks slow on work system in 11 on windows.  I am not sure how newer versions work with it.

 

See I have to use mom's laptop so I can have at Home and the program is not allowed at work yet because it has not been approved by corporate IT or something so we can only have it sometimes when my mom allows.  This makes working and testing difficult not that I am complaining although yes I am.  Soon we will have approval and server hardware and everything but I cannot wait.

 

Prepared.  Because I need colours somewhere and conditional formatting does not allow changes.  I see that will get me in trouble because manager already picked 5 colours as MUST-HAVES.  You see? 

 

And thank you.  I shall cut back that number maybe a bit. 

[comment]

if you could please tell me what you mean about using a web viewer

 

Wasn't there a demo posted by eos earlier in the thread? I couldn't see it myself, being stuck in v.11 (you're not the only one with hardware issues), but it's only a matter of entering =

"data:text/html,<body style='background-color:rgb(79,105,154);'/>"

as the Web Address (might need a tweak to fix the borders on Windows).

 

 

And now I think a web viewer was mentioned and why didn't I want to do that either?

 

 

I think the main reason not to use a web viewer here is that a web viewer, unless it's absolutely empty, will always be in front of everything else. I don't think there should be a performance issue, although a character placed directly on the layout will always beat what is basically a browser stitched to the window. OTOH, there are some things that are possible only with a web viewer - see, for example:

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/63664-display-stored-gif-in-web-viewer/#321564

 

 

 

manager already picked 5 colours as MUST-HAVES.

 

I guess somewhere a graphic designer is writing a post entitled "Does anyone take us seriously?"...

[LaRetta]

You got me thinking, Michael, and we want to offer choice of banner to our various Locations to match the colour of their logo.  I just tested this and I believe it holds merit if one needs developer flexibility with the colour but not at User level.

 

Charity, you might wish to consider this approach:

 

Create your green colour however you wish and save the file.  Then in FM create a text object with a space in it.  Set the image to your colour.  And now why it is rocking' cool ... save it as a new Style, maybe called Bar.Green.  Create another one if you wish, called Bar.Blue.  You needn't create colours ahead of time.

 

Then duplicate one of them.  It will not let you rename it until you make a change so change the image to Slice or something.  Then save as new Style called Bar.Master  Change the Slice back to Tile.  And then be sure to save the Styles again abut this time to current Style nd be sure to save to your new Theme which will replicate it everywhere Bar.Master exists.  Place it on every layout you want with the 'flexible colour' needs.

 

Now whenever you want this bar, just select any button and rename it to the Bar.Master.  And even better ... if you wish to change from it's current colour of green to blue, select your blue Style bar, upArrow it to it's new clipboard style, open Bar.Master Style, and downArrow which makes the Master blue.  Save to Style then save to Theme which replicates throughout your solution.  It might sound complex but it really is very simple!!

 

File size in testing decreased noticeably going from containers to text objects on two layouts only (in a fairly new file).  And testing over LAN and WAN both prove quite snappy but tests are still very preliminary.  It resizes to anchors and looks great WebDirect and is perfectly clear on MBP with retina display (although untested yet on iPad).

 

Before inserting any object or graphic into FM, I drag its file to ImageOptim which reduces the file size greatly without decrease the quality.  I am not a great graphics person so others may suggest better techniques to optimise the concept.    But I had been a bit worried about containers and speed/display and with WebDirect and refresh, and text object seems to rock in comparison.  I would be interested in others' opinion on it as well.  I could even provide a sample in 13 or screen shots if anyone would like it.

 

I am not trying to take over this thread; on contrary ... I just get excited as well and this is something I was currently testing with containers anyway.  Best of all about using text ... no relationship needed, no field needed.  Now if only we could change Themes per script User by script.  

I guess somewhere a graphic designer is writing a post entitled "Does anyone take us seriously?"...

 

OH THAT IS HILARIOUS!  

[LaRetta]

I forgot to mention that this works with icons as well and we can now import Themes so my icons can go anywhere I want them.  :-)  13 truly rocks!!

[Charity]

It took me a bit to figure it out.  It is easy once I did it once and see what you mean.  We had already decided we did not want anyone to pick colours.  And although Comment is correct and very funny as well, making me laugh again and yes you are now expected to be a regular for us since you are good at it.  The boss picked good colours which go with our logo.  However I will suggest that our graphics guy checks them to be sure they are close or contrasting or whatever the thing is about colours.  Ha ha ha.  I read enough to know I know nothing.

 

I am going to have so much fun setting up the theme.  And now knowing I can change it takes the pressure off.  I will try web viewer way also.  I feel an aversion to it since first experiences last summer on something else but I will give it another go as well just to compare and stuff.  You both are stables here on FM forums and I really appreciate that you both are here.  If either of you are every in California I would buy you lunch.  

 

Happy holidays to everyone.  

[comment]

Create your green colour however you wish and save the file.  Then in FM create a text object with a space in it.  Set the image to your colour.  And now why it is rocking' cool ... save it as a new Style, maybe called Bar.Green.  Create another one if you wish, called Bar.Blue.  You needn't create colours ahead of time.

 

What am I missing here? Isn't the selected color hard-coded in the graphics file? If so, where's the "flexible" part?

[LaRetta]

The image is embedded in the file yes but not the graphics file.  It is embedded in the text block as a graphic and FM is smart enough to embed the image only once.  So all she has to do if she decides to change the colour throughout her file easily is select the colour bar on any layout which is currently assigned to the style of Bar.Master, insert a different colour into the image and save the Style then save the Theme and it changes throughout her file.  So this is an in-between solution - not fully dynamic where anyone can select colours throughout the file but SHE can change the colour of the solution for the manager any time they wish it.  But no, it can't change per User or by calculation.   :-)

 

I believe it also has a lighter footprint (being text) than web viewer or containers.  I might be wrong but it seems like good solution.  We can use this technique to make a solute match a Business's Logo to personalise ... a one-time setting during installation.  In Charity's case, she can give them the panels of colour they want (the five).  And if they change their minds later, she can change the Master Styles.