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Floating Card Windows

This video will teach you all about using the new FileMaker 16 Card Window and show you how to take advantage of the fact that you can have a totally different position for the card window outside of the parent which where it belongs.

With a bit of creative FileMaker scripting you can create some really nice features for your FileMaker database.

Tags:
UI

Custom Function Database - Part 10 - Saving User State

While it would be wonderful if FileMaker Pro had built-in functionality for all of the features we can possibly think up, it’s not too practical. Besides, what would be left for us to develop?

So, what about saving user state? Do you think you would enjoy leaving your desk for a few moments and coming back to a completely rearranged environment? I doubt it, and that’s almost exactly what FileMaker does when working within a hosted file.

The most common approach to solving this problem is to simply provide a “directory like” structure. Like walking into a mall and heading to the directory map in order to find out where you can possibly go. Call it what you like, a dashboard, main navigation, whatever. You’re simply reseting the user each time they leave and come back into the software.

Well, if you’d like to take another approach, then all you need to do is save the user’s last know state. What you save and how you return the user to their last known state is in your full control. It’s not that hard to do and this video will give you all the details you need to know.

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
CustomFunctions10.zip721.53 KB

Checkmarking Sub-ranges in List Views

One of the most enjoyable things about working in FileMaker, or any development environment where looping is supported, is the pure joy of automation.

Even thinking about checking off any more than a few records at a time brings me to a mental state of counting the number of seconds it takes for the single action itself, then multiplying times the number of objects I need to affect.

So the question arrives. “How do I automate this?” or “How do I make this process easier for the user?”. The answer, quite simply is applying the knowledge you have about solving it. There are, however, times when you just don’t know what can be done to make it even easier.

In this video, I showcase a technique and method for offering users with the ability to checkmark whole sub-ranges of records by simply clicking a button within a sub-summary area of a list view. It’s a wonderfully sublime method of solving the problem. And, understanding the fundamentals means you can use the method for a lot more than just a simple checkbox.

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
CheckmarkingSubranges.zip378.38 KB

Single Portal Drill Down

We’ve all been inspired by the creativity and wide array of UI widgets which have come from the mobile side of computing. In fact, what you present and when/how you present it always offers the opportunity to find new ways if doing so. The whole swipe down to “rubber band” a refresh was a breath of fresh UI air.

When presenting users with options, one of the more common methods for presenting these is using a Pop-up menu. After making a selection in an initial menu a second menu presents options specific to the selection made in the first and so on down the tree. It’s a very common UI pattern.

Sometimes, however, this doesn’t quite work from a UI standpoint. It’s at this point in time when another option may be desired. If you’re comfortable with learning and using ExecuteSQL and how Virtual List works, then you’ll find that presenting a hierarchical tree of options can easily be managed within a single portal. Drilling down through the options and having a way to traverse back up the tree is everything you’ll find in this video. The sample file will have all the parts you need in order to copy into your own FileMaker solutions!

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
SinglePortalDrillDown.zip371.34 KB

Dynamic Column Sorting Indicators

Providing visual feedback about the sort state, and direction, of your list views is always a nice feature to have. Not only does it fulfill the expectations of what users are already used to within the OS, but it let’s users know they can actually sort on those columns.

In this video, I walk through the use of a Button Bar object in conjunction with some other common tricks in order to provide dynamic column sorting indicators.

This is one of those standard must-have features within your FileMaker solution!

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
DynamicColumnSortingIndicators.zip357.03 KB

Custom Clickable Calendar Widget

You like being in control don’t you? Being able to control things exactly as you wish? Well, it’s one of the more addicting qualities of creating solutions quickly within FileMaker Pro.

When you’re working with dates, there are times when the native date picker just doesn’t cut it. You can’t make it larger or smaller, you can’t change its colors, and if you’re on iOS then you’re limited to the default iOS date picker. You’ve got no control.

When a user is choosing a date from a calendar, you should probably have a bit more control. This means you need a calendar widget which is under your total control. In this video I showcase a calendar picker I’ve been using for years and years. In this case, however, I’ve updated it to fit the more modern methods of doing things within FileMaker Pro.

If you’ve ever needed full control over a custom calendar widget then look no further than this video!

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
CustomClickableCalendarWidget.zip362.67 KB

FM Devcon 2016 - Designing in Tight Spaces

In July of 2016, Matt was afforded the opportunity to present as a speaker at the annual FileMaker Developer's Conference. FileMaker Inc. decided to make the release of the session videos available for the general public. The session was well received with high marks given all around.

The session was a jam-packed roundup all the various things you can do with FileMaker layout objects in order to meet the objective of creating designs which work well within a small form factor. If taking advantage of FileMaker Go's highly portable convenience is one of your personal objectives, then set aside an hour of time and watch this video.

If you're looking for the sample file provided, then the link is provided below and within the video itself as well.

Tags:
UI

Pill Menu Button Bars

I can’t recall a situation where some technology from the past isn’t superseded by the new technology which replaces it. In the context of FileMaker Pro, a good example of this is your basic button.

Yes, it’s been there ever since FileMaker was created. There never was a FileMaker Pro without the button widget. Enter FileMaker 14 and Button Bars and we now have a lot of possible options. Especially when you combine the Hide object calc which arrived in FileMaker 13. You can control which segments are shown and take advantage of this is various other ways.

In this video, I show you how to make a few minor tweaks to a default Button Bar object in order to streamline one of the available FileMaker templates. It’s a great exercise in optimizing your layouts so you don’t have to copy/paste and manage as many different layout objects. You get all the same results with some added benefits provided by the Button Bar layout widget. If you’ve got a lot of layouts with a lot of buttons all aligned in a row, then this video may have a nice little trick or two when making your design considerations.

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
SnippetEditor.zip79.6 KB

(Re)Theming Solutions

As FileMaker Inc adds new features and functionality to FileMaker, it’s really easy for older projects to start to feel like they’re aging pretty quickly. Fortunately, one of the easiest fixes to make is to give things a brand new look and feel.

The process, however, of going about a re-theming isn’t always as easy as it seems. You’ve got new layout objects which may have been added and there are a ton of “older tricks” which may be replaced with newer ways of doing things.

Without going down the rabbit hole of a complete do-over, you can start re-theming with a good starter theme.

In this video, I showcase how I tackle the project of starting a new project or re-theming and existing solution. It’s a process which can put new life into an older project. You just need to have a good place to start and a way to approach the process. That’s what this particular video is all about. Taking full advantage of FileMaker’s Theming tools!

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
Petrowsky_Starter_Theme.zip78.88 KB

Button Bar Tricks

When developing within tools like Xcode, the sky’s the limit in terms of providing user interaction and user feedback. Fortunately, with FileMaker, we have access to many of the core interaction elements from iOS. Popovers are a great example of a critical iOS UI element.

When FileMaker 13 was released we got the wonderful Popover objects. To follow that up within FileMaker 14, we got the new objects named Button Bars. These new objects were an enhancement on the ages old Button objects. The cool addition to these legacy objects was the fact that we can use multiple segments (buttons) within Button Bars. Each of these segments can then take advantage of the existing features. They can simply act as buttons or become Popovers in their own right.

The primary, and key distinction with Button Bars over standard buttons is access to FileMaker’s calculation engine. With access to the calc engine, we can now do a lot of things to the data shown on those buttons which can’t be done with standard buttons.

When you consider that a Button Bar can have any number of segments from one to 400 (which I wouldn’t suggest) you can think of a lot of creative uses for not just user interaction, but for user feedback and information display as well.

This video showcases a number of creative uses for FileMaker’s Button Bar objects.

Tags:
UI
AttachmentSize
ButtonBarTricks.zip372.35 KB

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