Create fields using related records from another table?

[wedgeman]

Having a bit of a calculation or scripting question, and trying to determine if there's a fast way to do this..

The parent table Project (P1) has a child table of checklists (PC1), related by ProjectType.

When I create a new record in P1, I choose a Project Type.  This becomes useful if the correct project checklist records (list of related-by-type records from PC1) show up for me to view.

The related PC1 checklists may have 1-300 records for any particular Project Type.

The complication is that (while in P1), I need to 1) view a list of PC1 related records, and 2) enter 8 additional data points related to each of the records in that list. 

It was recommended to me, to create a third table PC1A (related to PC1 by ID), which then:

1. has a new record created
2. automatically sets itself to the correct ProjectType (from P1)
3. pulls all related records (from PC1) into a single record
4. contains additional fields for the 8 additional datapoints

It seems to me that there must be a faster/less problematic method of doing this OTHER THAN a looping script..... 

Am I barking up the wrong tree, or should I be doing this in a different way?

I'm working this in FMP12, though if it would be helpful, i could develop it in 14 if necessary...

 

Edited June 2, 2015 by wedgeman

[comment]

Please don't start a new thread with the same issue.