FileMaker 4.0 has some serious problems with image management when those
images are handled internally.  Images stored in containers can take up up
to 3 times as much space (MB) as images stored externally (where the
container only contains what FileMaker calls a "link" to the image -- see
the import picture dialog box).

The size of the database, while not a real issue for some applications can
be a major problem as it slows down search and other database features.
But, more detrimentally, filemaker tends to crash frequently when databases
get above 400 or 500 Meg in size.

Finally, if you are intending to use this database as a "web portal" it
makes the best sense to simply maintain a text link to the images, as it is
the easiest to maintain (and normalize as Janice Klein mentioned.

- adam brin


_________________________________
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http://adam.brin.org



On 1/2/02 12:18 PM, "Karen Kienzle" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> This question goes out to all those who use Filemaker as a collections
> management database.
>
> 1) Have any of you been successful integrating images into your database
> despite the inherent Filemaker
> file size limitation? How have you been able to get around Filemaker's file
> size limitation and still incorporate images in your database?
>
> 2) Do any of you have non consistent and/or non standard numbering of
> accession numbers in your database?
> If so, how have you been able to create relational databases within Filemaker
> with these non standard numbers?
>
> 3) Have any of you used Filemaker's web capabilities for making portions of
> your collections management database
> available to the public either on the web or at an on-site kiosk?
>
> The de Saisset Museum is a small university museum on the campus of Santa
> Clara University.
> The de Saisset has a collection of 10,000 objects. We currently use Filemaker
> as our collections management database,
> but are running into some issues incorporating images into the database.
>
> We would appreciate any feedback from the list on our questions!
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Karen Kienzle
> Curator of Exhibits and Collections
> de Saisset Museum
> Santa Clara University
> 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA  95053-0550
> 408.554.2741   fax: 408.554.7840
> [log in to unmask]
>
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