Note This feature is available when the Use advanced tools general preference is selected. See Using advanced tools.
Use the Developer Utilities to produce a standalone runtime database solution that users can access without running FileMaker Pro Advanced. The Developer Utilities create a copy of your files, and bind the database file or files to a runtime application with a name that you specify.
1. Close all database files that you are going to customize.
2. Choose Tools menu > Developer Utilities.
3. If you have used the Developer Utilities on the same database before and saved your settings, click Load Settings.
4. Click Add to locate the files that you want to customize.
5. If you add multiple files, double-click a file in the list to specify the primary file.
6. Select Developer Utilities settings as required. See Setting up files for developer solutions.
7. For Solution Options, click Specify.
8. In the Specify Solution Options dialog box, select Create Runtime solution application(s).
9. For Runtime Name, type a name for your runtime application.
The runtime name is used for the runtime application filename and for the name of the folder that contains the runtime database solution files.
10. For Extension, type a one- to five-character filename extension or use the default extension .fmpur.
The extension is used to associate the solution files with the runtime applications. See Naming runtime solutions.
11. For Bindkey, type a key between 1 and 24 characters long.
Important The binding keys are case sensitive.
The binding key links the runtime application to the database files and ensures that the bound files will only open in the appropriate runtime application.
Important Binding installs system files pertaining to each platform. See Preparing files for a runtime solution.
12. To add a company logo or other custom image to the closing splash screen, click Specify, select the closing image, and click Select.
The image should be at least 382 x 175 pixels (72 dpi) or higher, otherwise it will be distorted when displayed. The supported image formats are JPEG and GIF.
13. For Delay, set the number of seconds that you want the splash screen to display.
You can preview the effect that your custom splash screen will have by clicking Preview.
14. Select other options as required. See Specifying options for developer solutions.
15. Click OK.
16. To be able to quickly repeat the process, click Save Settings, and choose a folder and location for your settings file. See Saving solution settings.
17. Click Create.
•Setting the binding key:
•If you need to add auxiliary files later to the existing runtime database solution, rebind the files using the same key.
•Use a binding key you’ll remember and record it in a safe place. (You can do this by saving the Developer Utilities settings file. See Saving solution settings) If you forget your binding key and want to change a runtime database solution, you’ll need to rebind all of the database files using a new binding key and then redistribute the entire solution, including a new runtime application.
•You can open a bound runtime file in FileMaker Pro Advanced to make modifications to it. However, if you selected the Remove admin access from files permanently option when you bound the files, then you can’t regain access to some features. See Removing Admin access to databases. In this case, you’ll have to open the original database files in order to make design changes in FileMaker Pro Advanced and then rebind them using the binding key that you assigned to that runtime database solution.