Re: Storing Big JPEG Images In a FileMaker database

Anne

I hereby repost an answer I wrote a couple of weeks ago. Concerning the same
question. My answer was to implement referenced images only. Here is how to
do that.

>
>> Filemaker is not a picture/pdf/wav file storage program.
>
> Oh.. then why does it have features like "insert picture", "insert
> sound", "insert file" and "insert object"?

dunno, to store very small images??

>
>> For my pics I always use a calculated container,
>
> Could you please describe briefly how you created the calculated
> container (what kind of formula?) and how you are using it?
>

here we go:
FileMaker 7&8 offers the "Insert Picture/QuickTime/File" script commands to
place data into a container field. However, these script steps are limited
in that they must explicitly identify the particular file to be imported.
(You cannot express a path using a calculated value.)

If you want to dynamically control the contents of a container field, you
can instead use either the "Set Field" script step, or auto-enter options.
Both will accept a calculated value as a parameter.

The calculation must result in a string representing the file path in the
same format used by the "Insert Picture/QuickTime/File" script commands.
(Just an in any calculation, literals must be enclosed in quotes.) Supported
formats for the pathname include the following:

file:directoryName/fileName
filemac:/volumeName/directoryName/fileName
filewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/fileName
filewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/fileName
image:directoryName/fileName
imagemac:/volumeName/directoryName/fileName
imagewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/fileName
imagewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/fileName
movie:directoryName/fileName
moviemac:/volumeName/directoryName/fileName
moviewin:/driveletter:/directoryName/fileName
moviewin://computerName/shareName/directoryName/fileName

For example:

Set Field [Personnel::idPhoto; "imagewin:/D:/Photos/" &
Personnel::employeeID & ".jpg"]

will set the conatinerfield idPhoto to show "23456.jpg" from the D:/Photos
directory, when
employeeID is 23456.

When a container field is set using this method, the files are always stored
"by reference" only. They are not copied into the FileMaker database file.
If the original file is moved or renamed, FileMaker will display "the file
cannot be found" in the container field. If the original file is modified,
the new contents will be shown when it is updated.

Calculations may also reference container fields. for example, if you import
a picture "rose.gif" into field, "myImage" then the calculation

checkPic (calculation, text result) = TestDB::myImage

will return:

- "rose.gif" if you imported the picture from disk and stored it within
FileMaker
- "?" if you placed it into the field via the clipboard
- "size: 630,240
image:../../My Documents/My Pictures/rose.gif
imagewin:/D:/My Documents/My Pictures/rose.gif" if you imported it from
disk and stored only a reference to the file.

Using both techniques together, you could handle a situation where a
directory of images had to be moved or converted to a different format,
without re-importing them. For example:

Substitute ( Catalog::ProductImage; "/images/"; "/archived/")

If all the images referenced in your file had been moved to the "archived"
directory.

Ursus

"Anne DeBlois" <adNOeblSPAMois@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> schreef in bericht
news:C7tcf.14584$1L3.608057@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hi,
>
> I inserted 44 high-quality JPEG pictures, each one between 1 and 2 MB in
> size, into a FileMaker database. I expected an 80 or 100-MB file, but I
> ended up with a huge, 500-MB database instead. I am sorry for being
> graphically-impaired (especially with FileMaker), but are JPEG pictures
> always uncompressed when inserted into a FileMaker database? Or is there
> something I must do to keep the compression?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Anne (from Canada)
>


.

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