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Using data in container fields

A container field can store pictures, multimedia files, sounds you record, or any other type of file that you want to keep in a database. The way you insert the data determines how you see and interact with the data in the container field.

For a list of files that FileMaker Pro supports, see the table below.

 

To insert	Do this
A picture	Choose Insert menu > Picture, then choose the picture to insert. FileMaker Pro displays the picture in the field.
A QuickTime file	Choose Insert menu > QuickTime, then choose the file to insert. FileMaker Pro displays the contents of the QuickTime file in the container field. If you insert a QuickTime movie or sound file, you can play the movie using the standard QuickTime controls.
An audio or video file	For an interactive container, choose Insert menu > Audio/Video, then choose the file to insert. You can then play the audio or video file in the field. For more information about using audio and video files in container fields, see Working with content in interactive containers.
A sound	Choose Insert menu > QuickTime and select a sound file in a supported format. You can play the sound using the standard QuickTime controls. To record a sound and store it in a container field, choose Insert menu > Sound.
A PDF file	For an interactive container, choose Insert menu > PDF, then choose the PDF file to insert. For more information, see Working with PDF files in interactive containers.
Any file	Choose Insert menu > File, then choose the file to insert (such as a spreadsheet file, word processing file, or any other file type that you want to track). FileMaker Pro displays the file’s icon and name in the container field, but not the actual content.

Note  To insert packaged files such as Keynote files into a container field, archive or zip the packaged files.

 

Container field with an inserted picture	Container field with an inserted file

FileMaker Pro supports the following picture, audio/video, QuickTime, and sound formats.

 

Picture formats	Audio/video formats	QuickTime formats	Sound formats
Encapsulated Postscript (.eps)	AIFF Audio file (.aif, .aiff)	AVI (.avi)	AIFF (.aif)
FlashPix (.fpx)	AVI movie (.avi)	Cubic VR	AU
GIF (.gif)	MP3 Audio File (.mp3)	DV (.dv)	Audio CD Data (Mac OS)
JPEG/JFIF (.jpg)	MPEG-4 Audio File (.m4a)	FLC	MP3 (.mp3)
JPEG 2000 (.jp2) (Mac OS)	MPEG-4 movie (.mp4)	Karaoke (.kar)	SoundFont 2 (.sf2)
MacPaint (.mac) (Mac OS)	MPEG movie (.mpg, .mpeg)	Flash 5 (.flv)	Sound (.snd)
PDF (.pdf) (Mac OS)	MPEG-4 video file (.m4v)	MPEG (Playback)	WAV (.wav)
Photoshop (.psd)	QuickTime movie (.mov, .qt) (see notes below)	QuickTime Movie (.qtm)
PICT (.pct)	Sun Audio file (.au)	QuickTime VR
PNG (.png)	WAVE Audio File (.wav)	Virtual Reality (VR)
QuickTime Image File (.qt)	Windows Media Audio (.wma)
SGI (.sgi)	Windows Media Videos (.wmv) (see notes below)
Targa (.tga)
TIFF (.tif)
Windows bitmap (.bmp)
Windows Metafile/Enhanced Metafile (.wmf/.emf) (Windows)
PICT (.pct)

Notes

•	For the QuickTime movie (.mov, .qt) formats:

•	Windows: Requires QuickTime to be installed. Some formats, such as QTVR, aren’t supported.

•	Mac OS: Some formats, such as QTVR, aren’t supported.

•	For the Windows Media Videos (.wmv) format:

•	Mac OS: Requires Flip4Mac to be installed.

•	Insert menu > QuickTime supports all media file types supported by QuickTime, including movie, sound, and graphics files.

•	You can export the content of a container field to a file. You can also choose to automatically open or email the exported file. See Exporting the contents of a field.

•	When you insert a very large file into a container field, a dialog box appears showing you the progress. You can click Cancel to cancel inserting the file.