FileMaker® Pro Design & Scripting For Dummies®

Chapter 5. Whipping the Layout into Shape

In This Chapter

• Getting the layout objects to line up

• Putting the Format Painter to work

• Using graphics to make the layout pretty

• Turning a picture into a button

• Managing field behavior

• Adding subtables to the layout

All right, you objects! I want you all to snap to attention! Get into proper alignment, and show me your best behavior! You think they listen to me? Of course they do! Because I have the power of FileMaker! Muhahahaha!

You've got the power too. FileMaker has an extensive set of tools and features for making those layouts look nice and orderly. Just take a look at the current view of the Job Details layout in the Hey, Look at Me! database, as shown in Figure 5-1 . At first glance, this might look like a nice layout. However, the labels are slightly out of alignment; the font type and style of the labels is too close to the style used for the fields; the black on white is nice for printing, but for a pleasant look on the monitor, it's a little plain. So, what to do? Well, I guess it's time to whip this layout into shape!

Figure 5.1.  Figure 5-1: The Job Details layout could use some improvement.

Aligning Objects the Easy Way

Ever see a crooked row of growing corn? If you have, the farmer has been planting while drunk. In a typical cornfield, the rows of plants are nice and straight. Having nice and straight alignment on a FileMaker layout ...