Studio Manager Bulletin

Studio Manager 9 Due for Release Dec 18

We are on the verge of releasing a new version of Studio Manager. It will require FileMaker Pro 9 and take advantage of some of its unique new features like conditional formatting. We hope to have some screenshots up on our studio-manager.com site by Friday afternoon. Come take a look if you are thinking you might want to upgrade or purchase Studio Manager for the new year.

For a period of months, we will continue to sell Studio Manager 8 to users who have recently upgraded to FileMaker Pro 8.5 and aren't ready for another round of upgrades there. We do love FileMaker Pro 9, though, and highly recommend the upgrade.

Feel free to contact me at janet (at) tokerud (dot) com or call my new Tiburon, California phone number at 415 789-5219. More to follow.

Studio Manager 7 and 8 on FileMaker 9

Some users have gotten error messages when trying to open their FileMaker 7 or 8 databases in FileMaker 9. This is true even though FileMaker 9 has the same file format as FileMaker 7 and 8 and is meant to be 100% compatible with all existing FileMaker 7 and 8 databases. I wanted to comment on what I've learned about this so far.

Apparently, FileMaker 9 is more rigorous than previous versions of FileMaker in checking for errors before opening a file. When it finds something not to its liking, it puts up a message advising you to recover the file.

I would advise against this if at all possible. The Recover command in FileMaker really is not a good therapeutic tool. It is instead best for situations where you must recover your data temporarily as it is not guaranteed to leave your database completely in tact. So, use Recover when you must get data because there is no other option and then it is best to use a clone of a clean previous version of your database and import data from the recovered file to the clone. Better still, would be to export data from the recovered file and import that exported file into your clone.

The point is, don't use Recover before trying other much better options. The option I like best is to open the errant file in the highest version of FIleMaker it will open in that you have and use the Save a Copy as command to Compressed Copy (smaller). This is not the normal kind of file compression but is instead a unique-to-FileMaker cleaning process that is lossless and actually good for the file. I have yet to have a FileMaker file that did not open in FIleMaker 9 after it was first Compressed by an earlier version of FileMaker in this way.

I recommend that before you try to open your FileMaker files in FileMaker 9 for the first time, that you do this maintenance step first.

Technorati Tags: FileMaker 9

MacWorld Takes a Look at FileMaker 9

MacWorld.com has a brief First Look at FileMaker 9 that you should check out. See more of my summary comments on FileMaker Fever. Studio Manager 8 should be 100% compatible with FileMaker 9. We are testing to double-check on that over the next couple weeks.

FileMaker scripters will love the ability to clear clutter by putting scripts into folders in ScriptMaker and the new script debugging features in FileMaker Pro Advaced are essentials. FileMaker Server 9 has web features that previously were only available with FileMaker Server Advanced. I'll be writing more about FileMaker 9 in the next couple of months. I attend the FileMaker Developer's Conference in early August and will bring back the scoop upon my return.

Technorati Tags: FileMaker 9, PHP

Learning Enough FileMaker to be Dangerous

I guess I am a risk taker or just an idealist. I want all my Studio Manager customers to learn enough FileMaker to be dangerous. I want you to kick the tires, try things, duplicate stuff, create scripts, add fields and create lots of new reports. I want and give you permission to delete, yes, delete, the pieces of Studio Manager that are in the way.

Before I continue, I want to be clear about one thing. I don't think everyone in your shop needs to be dangerously smart with FileMaker. I just want to make sure that you don't miss out on one of the biggest advantages of FileMaker. In a turbulent world, you need a responsive tool that will allow you to move quickly and get what you want. I don't mean to convert everyone in your shop to be FileMaker tinkerers. One person in your shop or work group who has acquired intermediate FileMaker skills is all you need to get a lot more value.

It is too bad that, for the most part, only my customers who have had previous experience with FileMaker are as dangerous as I would like all my customers to be. Studio Manager is designed to be your mission critical application. It has to be right for you. It is built in the most user-friendly and accessible database available. FileMaker has risen to the top of the database world because it allows users to get what they want and need.

That's why I based Studio Manager on FileMaker. That's why I chose FileMaker. It wasn't going to give me geek cred back in 1986 to use FileMaker. I was already an experienced computer professional at that time and FileMaker was not your database power tool. But it didn't have to be and I seemed to be one of the first computer professionals to realize that complicated power features in vast quantities do not translate into customer satisfaction.

My criteria for a software development tool are: (1) it allows me to rapidly develop useable business applications, (2) it is sturdy so that systems don't break easily and (3) I need to be able to figure out what is wrong and fix it within 5 minutes. I have had to stretch that to an hour with some of my more complex FileMaker features that weren't even possible back in the early days of FileMaker Plus, but FileMaker wins this competition hands down.

Have you been paying attention the last few years? There is a huge movement called user-generated content. Think of FileMaker Pro 8.5 as the best tool to develop user-generated database capabilities. User-generated customization is what I want to talk about in a series of blog posts I am writing.

I kicked off my efforts with an introductory post on FileMaker Fever. Please check it out if you would like to be a little more dangerous with Studio Manager or your home grown FIleMaker solution. Actually, I promise to guide you so that you stay out of trouble. Rule one on that is: you have nothing to worry about once you have a current backup (x2).

When I am actively developing in FileMaker, I just duplicate the file before I start so I have a revision to revert or refer back to if I need it. If you have your backups, you can try new things and experiment. No harm, no foul. Try it!

Technorati Tags: FileMaker 8, FileMaker 8.5

Studio Manager 8 Featured by FileMaker Inc.

We re-wrote Studio Manager virtually from scratch to take advantage of features in FileMaker Pro 7 and 8. Later we re-designed the interface when FileMaker Pro 8.5 was released with its full support of the new tab control feature. We felt that we had achieved a level of excellence in programming with Studio Manager 8 that was worthy of attention. That feeling was recently acknowledged by FileMaker, Inc. when they selected Studio Manager 8 as one of only ten ready-made product solutions to be featured on their website. What an honor!

The description of Studio Manager 8 is not 100% correct (we have multiple pricing and they only show the new single-user price) but we don't care. We are thrilled to have this important show of support from the developers of FileMaker Pro. They see an awful lot of good FileMaker-based products. We like being noticed and hope the exposure will get the word out about Studio Manager.

FileMaker Inc. has been good to us before. Twice in the last three or four years, FileMaker has run success stories about our clients. The first was a local San Francisco design firm. The more recent story was about Brains Design in Sydney, Australia. But, this top ten thing is even more special.

Over the years we have been champing at the bit to see new features in FileMaker. We were always eager to jump on the new tools and opportunities and turn them into cool features in Studio Manager. We've kept pace with FileMaker Pro as it has become much more powerful in recent years. Studio Manager 8 reflects our commitment to produce the best possible software for the management of creative services.

We encourage you to check out the Studio Manager 8 Details page for yourself and while you are at it, tell your colleagues. Jump there with this link, or follow the path on the FileMaker site: home... products... ready-made solutions... Studio Manager 8 details.

Studio Manager 8 is Out

Wow! We did it! Studio Manager 8 with its beautiful new streamlined UI is out and available for sale.

By all means, check out the screen shots at Studio-Manager.com to see the difference. Try out the demo to feel the difference.

And don't miss the 4-week schedule. Up till now you got only 2 weeks at a time. Now you get 4 weeks plus an option to narrow the view to only jobs that have deadlines in the time period. Scheduling and allocating resources can make or break a creative services operation. You gotta see this.

Takes advantage of and requires FileMaker Pro 8.5. FileMaker Inc. has deals for FileMaker 6 upgraders running until December 20.

Studio Manager 8 Demo Out

The demo is out as of about an hour ago. The UI is transformed!

There are other positives but that's all for now. The UI was the thrust of this release. We think the UI gives you a new level of power and ease of use in using and customizing Studio Manager.

It's a free download here. You will need to enter the fields in red. We promise to take extraordinary care of your data. You can fake the data if you feel the need.

The product will be done soon. We will take the extra time to do justice to updating the full user manual -- it has a lot of screenshots to update.

Importing from Address Book to Studio Manager

A new version of a FileMaker Plug-in called Address Book Manipulator was released last week. This is great news for new Studio Manager customers who would like to bring their Address Book entries into Studio Manager.

Even without buying this plug-in which costs $60, you can use their demo to pull All Contacts from Address Book into a free demo FileMaker file. That takes all of a minute. From there, you can import that data directly into Studio Manager. This could be a huge time saver for some folks!

I've got more details on my FileMaker Fever blog.

Coming Soon: Studio Manager 8

We are getting really close to releasing Studio Manager 8. It has a new look which took many woman hours to hammer out. It is based on FileMaker 8.5. So it's not for the faint of heart. It requires the commitment to purchase or upgrade to the very latest FileMaker technology that's only available in version 8.5.

When we created this new version, we had the choice to support FileMaker 8 but it really didn't make sense because FileMaker 8.5 included essential new features that, when taken advantage of, make Studio Manager a better tool.

The main feature we are running with in Studio Manager 8 is what FileMaker calls Tab Controls. Tab controls let you create a tabbed interface in minutes. Well, one tab interface, we've got a whole bunch of them and we put tab controls within tab controls, so it took us longer than a few minutes to re-do all our entry screens with the new tabs.

Tab controls were introduced in FileMaker 8 but they needed a few auxiliary features that didn't come out until 8.5. I've been wishing for an easy tab-making tool in FileMaker for years because they are essential when dealing with a lot of information. And, drum roll please, they look better now that they are native in FileMaker.

The interface of Studio Manager 7 was already modifiable. But, tab controls, make it falling-off-a-log easy. You can simply sit down and do it right now without breaking a sweat. It's like flipping a switch.

The advantage to our users is that you now have this amazingly flexible interface architecture to work with. You can say to yourself. I sure wish that those Studio Manager folks would have put the Tasks tab after the Estimates tab, and then just drag and drop to make it so. It takes about 30 seconds to add a whole new tab that you decide you want. Really.

By putting more tab controls on the screen, I can tuck away less frequently used functions and reference information. This helps create sanity. You don't have to see everything at once. Just the stuff that you think is important. We've set up the screens in Studio Manager with a lot less of the information shouting for your attention, but it's still safely tucked away if you should ever want it. And, you can drag items out from hiding in a back tab, if you need them. Drag and drop.

If we haven't hidden complexity to your satisfaction, you can make your own tab controls or extra tabs in a couple minutes and hide anything you want.

So, this new product is targeted for release on November 15th. We wanted you to have time to consider Studio Manager 8 before holiday madness sets in. We'll do our best to have the Studio Manager 8 demo ready for evaluation by November 15th as well.

There's lots to do to get this baby out the door, so I better get back to work. Even now at the eleventh hour, designers are working to put in some critical finishing touches. Stay tuned.

We Overhauled our User Manual

Wow, writing a user manual of over 100 pages is hard work! Finally, we've got a version of the Studio Manager user manual that goes all the way up to Studio Manager 7.7. It's better written and more accurate, since we went over every sentence with a fine tooth comb. Plus, our graphics maven, Scout Tomyris, made sure it looks good. Customers, please just drop me a line if you want a copy by clicking Email Me in the left column at the top.