Make Field Transparent But Retain Pattern

Hi -

Another question that's been tormenting me. On list and portal views,
I like to alternate row colors, so one row will be colored, the next
one white, the next one colored, etc. Aesthetically this works best
when fields are transparent. But one of the visual cues I give users
for non-editable fields (such as calculations) is light diagonal
stripes (applied from the pattern box of the paint area on the status
bar). But if you do that, the field goes automatically opaque --
there appears to be no way to apply a pattern and retain transparency.

Is this true? Is there no way to have a transparent field with a
pattern? I've tried just drawing stripes over the field as a
workaround. It's kind of stupid and clunky, but okay -- until you
want to anchor both sides of the field so it grows longer when the
window is dragged wider, at which point the field either becomes half-
shaded when the anchor isn't applied to the stripes, or they distort
out of shape when it is.

Anybody? Anybody? Field patterns with transparency? Seems kinda
basic, but I'm not finding it.

Thanks for any help.

-Jahn

Re: Make Field Transparent But Retain Pattern

In article
,
jahn wrote:

> Hi -
>
> Another question that's been tormenting me. On list and portal views,
> I like to alternate row colors, so one row will be colored, the next
> one white, the next one colored, etc. Aesthetically this works best
> when fields are transparent. But one of the visual cues I give users
> for non-editable fields (such as calculations) is light diagonal
> stripes (applied from the pattern box of the paint area on the status
> bar). But if you do that, the field goes automatically opaque --
> there appears to be no way to apply a pattern and retain transparency.
>
> Is this true? Is there no way to have a transparent field with a
> pattern? I've tried just drawing stripes over the field as a
> workaround. It's kind of stupid and clunky, but okay -- until you
> want to anchor both sides of the field so it grows longer when the
> window is dragged wider, at which point the field either becomes half-
> shaded when the anchor isn't applied to the stripes, or they distort
> out of shape when it is.
>
> Anybody? Anybody? Field patterns with transparency? Seems kinda
> basic, but I'm not finding it.
>
> Thanks for any help.

I don't know if you can have a transparent patterned fill. Mac OS X now
has such graphical abilities built-in, but whether FileMaker can yet
use those abilities is a different question. (I have no idea what is or
isn't available in Vista.)

One work-around would be to draw your manual diagonal stripe pattern
(using the Line tool) so that it is both taller and wider than the
maximum possible size needed. Then group the lines and then copy the
grouped item.

Next make a new Global field of type Container (eg. g_Pattern),
temporarily put it on a Layout and then Paste the grouped item into it.

Then, in the same table as the Portal's records, make a new normal
Container field with an Auto-enter option to copy data from the Global
field above.

Put this field in your Portal (making sure it uses the appropriate
Relationship). Set the Format Image options for the field to center the
image vertically and horizontally, and set it to Crop the image. Also
set the field itself to be transparent with no border line, and anchor
the sides the same as the existing field you are trying to put the
shading behind. Lastly Format the field to not allow user entry and
position it behind the non-editable field.

Now when the portal is stretched or shrunk by the window's changing
size, the Container field will also stretch crop or display more of the
diagonal line graphic.


Helpful Harry
Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships ;o)

Re: Make Field Transparent But Retain Pattern

Dammit, Harry, that's brilliant. Brilliant! Thanks for the help.