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Groups > comp.databases.filemaker > #3095

Re: Audio in Containers

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On 2018-03-19 20:27:03 +0000, Charles H. Sampson said:
> Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> wrote:
>> On 2018-03-16 18:50:18 +0000, Charles H. Sampson said:
>>> Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> wrote:
>>>> On 2018-03-12 01:15:54 +0000, Charles H. Sampson said:
>>>>> 
>>>>> When I was learning FileMaker, using FMP8, I'm pretty sure that I played
>>>>> around with putting audio files into containers. My memory is that I
>>>>> could double-click on the container and the file would play (in iTunes,
>>>>> I think). If that was ever true, I can't make it happen now. Help?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Going a step farther, if such playback is possible, does it work if I
>>>>> put an alias into the container? (An obvious question is, "Why not let
>>>>> FileMaker set up the alias by telling FileMaker to store only a
>>>>> reference to the file, rather than a copy of the file. I want to use an
>>>>> alias whose name is different from the name of the file.)
>>>> 
>>>> The ability to play the audio (or video) will depend on it's format. It
>>>> has to be a format that both FileMaker and your OS understand.
>>>> 
>>>> FileMaker Container fields can store a reference to an external file.
>>>> There's a tick box option to do just that when inserting the file /
>>>> audio / video.
>>>> 
>>>> There is a set of AV Player script commands in FileMaker Pro 16, but I
>>>> haven't used them ... I haven't had any need to use audio or video in
>>>> FileMaker Pro since about version 3.
>>> 
>>> I just ran a simple test. I created a database that has only one table.
>>> That table has only one field, which is a container.
>>> 
>>> The files I work with are aiff format. (I know that's redundant.) If I
>>> insert such a file into the container and let FileMaker make a alias, I
>>> can get playback after a lot of clicking; eventually iTunes fires up and
>>> plays it. Strangely, if I tell FileMaker to insert a copy of the file
>>> into the container, no amount of clicking gets any playback. Equally
>>> strangely, if I insert my own alias into the container, I get the same
>>> lack of success: No playback.
>> 
>> I've only had a very quick play with the Container fields just now in
>> FileMaker 16, but they seem to be a lot more flakey and
>> over-complictaed than they used to be ... just like pretty much
>> everything else in the newer versions of FileMaker Pro.   :o(
>> 
>> My *guess*, and only a guess, is that when storing a reference to a
>> file, FileMaker calls on the OS to open the original file, but when
>> storing a file itself it tries to use it's own features, which are
>> probably extremely limited (partly due to needing to be cross-platform
>> compatible).
>> 
>> In Layout Mode, you can click on Container Field and "optimize" it for
>> video / audio by using the options in the Inspector panel - the last
>> set of options in the last sub-menu (the one with the drum-like icon).
>> That does give the Field a play / pause bar when storing audio or video.
>> 
>> As for the AVPlayer Script / button commands, they seem like a total
>> waste of space and wouldn't do anything no matter how the field was
>> formatted or the inserted data / file was stored.
>> 
>> My conclusion, based solely on this very quick playing around, would be
>> to NOT use FileMaker Container Fields to store anything except images.
>> They seem to be rather useless for anything else.
> 
> You might well be right, Harry. Unfortunately for me, I want to create a
> database of my classical CDs. Fortunately, I've come up with a
> workaround that gets what I want. It's clumsy, it's ugly, but it works.

Something specifically made for that task would be a much better idea - 
iTunes, as one example, can easily catalogue music files, albums, etc.

Helpful Harry  :o)

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Audio in Containers csampson@inetworld.net (Charles H. Sampson) - 2018-03-11 18:15 -0700
  Re: Audio in Containers Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> - 2018-03-12 19:48 +1300
    Re: Audio in Containers csampson@inetworld.net (Charles H. Sampson) - 2018-03-16 11:50 -0700
      Re: Audio in Containers Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> - 2018-03-18 14:37 +1300
        Re: Audio in Containers csampson@inetworld.net (Charles H. Sampson) - 2018-03-19 13:27 -0700
          Re: Audio in Containers Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> - 2018-03-20 09:45 +1300
            Re: Audio in Containers csampson@inetworld.net (Charles H. Sampson) - 2018-03-20 14:36 -0700
              Re: Audio in Containers Helpful Harry <HelpfulHarry@BusyWorking.com> - 2018-03-21 13:58 +1300

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