FileMaker Pro basics > New features in FileMaker Pro 16
 
New features in FileMaker Pro 16
FileMaker Pro 16 includes the following new features and improvements.
Improved layout object editing
Layout Objects window – Use the Layout Objects window to view and work with all the objects that are on the current layout. You can select, hide, and name objects, and change the stacking order. See Using the Layout Objects window to work with objects.
Improved usability
Windows: All document windows are now independent of one another, all can be positioned in any available monitor, and each window has its own menu bar.
Enhanced Specify Calculation dialog box – For information about a function, click an item in the functions pane, then click Help button. See Specify Calculation dialog box.
Accessing plug-in features – You can use external script steps provided by a plug-in to access the features of the plug-in. See Creating custom plug-ins.
Copying and pasting value lists – You can now use standard keyboard shortcuts to copy a value list and paste it into another FileMaker Pro file. See Defining value lists.
Support for JSON data
JSON parsing, character encoding, and cryptographic functions – You can use these functions to process and encrypt JSON data exchanged with other data sources, such as web services that have REST APIs. See Working with the JSON functions.
Enhanced security
OAuth identity provider accounts – You can authenticate user accounts via third-party OAuth identity providers that have been specified in FileMaker Server. See Creating accounts that authenticate via an OAuth identity provider.
fmrest extended privilege – Allows access to a database file from a web service via the FileMaker Data API (FileMaker Server only). See Editing extended privileges for a privilege set.
fmurlscript extended privilege – Allows users to run a script from a URL. See Editing extended privileges for a privilege set.
fmextscriptaccess extended privilege – Allows users to access solutions with Apple events and ActiveX. See Editing extended privileges for a privilege set.
Interactive lock icons – When you open a shared file, click the lock icon to view encryption information about your connection to the host. See About the security lock icons.
Script steps
New script steps
Configure Region Monitor Script – Configures a specified script to run when an iOS device enters or exits a specified region. See Configure Region Monitor Script script step.
Open Launch Center – Opens the Launch Center, where you open, create, and manage FileMaker solutions. See Open Launch Center script step.
Changed script steps
AVPlayer Set Options now allows you to change the zoom setting for the video and volume settings for the audio. AVPlayer Play and AVPlayer Set Options now provide Embedded Only as an additional option for displaying the media. See AVPlayer Play script step and AVPlayer Set Options script step.
Go To Layout now allows you to specify the animation to use for switching to the new layout in FileMaker Go. See Go to Layout script step.
Go To Related Record now allows you to specify the animation to use when displaying the related record in FileMaker Go. See Go to Related Record script step.
Insert From Device now allows you to specify the presentation for displaying the signature capture screen. See Insert From Device script step.
Insert From URL now allows you to specify many supported cURL options. See Insert From URL script step.
New Window now allows you create a card, a window that is modal to its parent window. See New Window script step.
Print now allows you to create PDFs in web browsers with FileMaker WebDirect. See Print script step.
Print Setup now allows you to specify PDF options for the Print script step and Save Records As PDF script step on FileMaker Server and FileMaker WebDirect. See Print Setup script step.
Save Records as PDF now allows you to save PDFs with FileMaker Server and FileMaker WebDirect. See Save Records As PDF script step.
Several Insert script steps now allow you to specify a variable as the target. See Insert From URL script step, Insert Calculated Result script step, Insert Current Date script step, Insert Current Time script step, Insert Current User Name script step, Insert File script step, and Insert Text script step.
Removed script steps
The Set Allowed Orientations script step has been removed.
Functions
New functions
Base64EncodeRFC – Returns data as text in the specified Base64 format. See Base64EncodeRFC function.
CryptAuthCode – Returns a binary HMAC (keyed-hash message authentication code) using the specified cryptographic hash algorithm. See CryptAuthCode function.
CryptDecrypt – Decrypts container data with the specified key and returns text or container data. See CryptDecrypt function.
CryptDecryptBase64 – Decrypts Base64-encoded text with the specified key and returns text or container data. See CryptDecryptBase64 function.
CryptDigest – Returns a binary hash value generated by the specified cryptographic hash algorithm. See CryptDigest function.
CryptEncrypt – Encrypts data with the specified key and returns container data. See CryptEncrypt function.
CryptEncryptBase64 – Encrypts data with the specified key and returns text in Base64 format. See CryptEncryptBase64 function.
Get(AccountGroupName) – Returns the current account’s group name when the account authenticates via an external server or an OAuth identity provider. See Get(AccountGroupName) function.
Get(RegionMonitorEvents) – Returns events that caused the script specified in the Configure Region Monitor Script script step to run. See Get(RegionMonitorEvents) function.
HexDecode – Returns either container or text content from text encoded in hexadecimal format. See HexDecode function.
HexEncode – Returns data as text in hexadecimal format. See HexEncode function.
JSONDeleteElement – Deletes a JSON data element specified by an object name, an array index, or a path. See JSONDeleteElement function.
JSONFormatElements – Formats elements in JSON data to make them easier to read. See JSONFormatElements function.
JSONGetElement – Queries JSON data for an element specified by an object name, an array index, or a path. See JSONGetElement function.
JSONListKeys – Lists the object names (keys) or array indexes in JSON data for an element specified by an object name, an array index, or a path. See JSONListKeys function.
JSONListValues – Lists the values in JSON data for an element specified by an object name, an array index, or a path. See JSONListValues function.
JSONSetElement – Adds or modifies an element in JSON data specified by an object name, an array index, or a path. See JSONSetElement function.
SortValues – Sorts a list of values based on the specified data type and locale. See SortValues function.
TextDecode – Returns text decoded from container data using the specified character encoding. See TextDecode function.
TextEncode – Returns a text file as container data from text using the specified character encoding and line endings. See TextEncode function.
UniqueValues – Returns unique values that are in a list based on the specified data type and locale. See UniqueValues function.
Changed functions
GetAVPlayerAttribute returns the following additional settings: zoom, pictureInPicture, volume, and externalPlayback. See GetAVPlayerAttribute function.
GetLayoutObjectAttribute – In Windows, the object coordinate measurement has changed. In previous versions of FileMaker Pro, the starting point was relative to the bottom-left corner of the FileMaker Pro menu bar (and toolbar, if present). It is now relative to the top-left corner of the primary display’s desktop area. See GetLayoutObjectAttribute function.
Removed functions
The External( ) function has been removed. To use functions or script steps provided by a plug-in, see Creating custom plug-ins.
Note  Plug-ins written for version 6.0 and earlier are no longer supported.
Changed and removed features
Variables are now supported in FileMaker data source references. See Editing FileMaker data sources.
The maximum cache size has been increased to 2048 MB. See Setting memory preferences.
Windows: The Launch Center now displays a menu bar. When the last document window is closed, FileMaker Pro quits unless the Launch Center or another window is open, or there is a hidden window.
The zoom control area, which included the zoom controls, status toolbar control, and Mode pop-up menu, has been removed from the bottom left of the document window.
To zoom in or out, use the View menu, keyboard shortcuts, or the Set Zoom Level script step. See Setting the zoom level.
To show or hide the status toolbar or switch modes, use the View menu, keyboard shortcuts, or a script step. See Show/Hide Toolbars script step or Windows script steps.
The fmscriptdisabled extended privilege has been removed. To enable ActiveX Automation and Apple events to access a solution, use the fmextscriptaccess extended privilege. See Editing extended privileges for a privilege set.
The following layout themes have been removed from FileMaker Pro. Any layout created in a previous version of FileMaker Pro that uses a removed theme will continue to use that theme in FileMaker Pro 16 and will be displayed in the Change Theme dialog box. See Changing the theme of a layout.
 
Family
Layout theme
Condensed
Dark, Light
Contrast
Black, Blue, Green, Red
FileMaker Millennium
Cool Brown, Cool Gray, Cool Gray Touch, Warm Blue, Warm Bronze, Warm Green
Glass
Onyx, Onyx Touch, Purple, Silver
Rectangular
Bamboo, Ice, Pine, Shell, Stone
Rounded
Cosmos, Desert, Forest, Ocean, Ocean Touch, Sky
Semi-Rounded
Beach, Canyon, Meadow, Quarry, River, River Touch
Specialty
Electric, Retro, Wave, Wave Touch
FileMaker Pro 16 Advanced
Improved Edit Expression dialog box in the Data Viewer – Expressions can be evaluated as you type. You can now resize the Result area. See Using the Data Viewer (FileMaker Pro Advanced).
Related topics 
FileMaker Pro features not compatible with previous versions