FileMaker 17: Layout Mode Changes

The release of FileMaker Pro Advanced 17 brings some changes to layout mode with the positioning of some of the toolbars. The Field Picker toolbar has also been updated with some minor tweaks. Overall only minor changes to layout mode have been made. The workflow should be familiar to most seasoned FileMaker Pro users.

Updated Toolbar Positions

The first thing you will notice is the absence of the Field Picker, Inspector and Layout Objects buttons below the status toolbar in layout mode. All three of these toolbars have been moved to new panes which are anchored to the left and right of the window.

There are several ways to open and close the panes for these tool bars:

The Show/Hide Panes buttons at the top right of the status toolbar will open and close them. Keyboard shortcuts are also available:

• Inspector: Command-I (Mac OS) or Control-I (Windows)
• Field Picker: Command-K (Mac OS) or Control-K (Windows)
• Layout Objects: Command-Alt-T (Mac OS) or Control-Alt-T (Windows)

A few additional changes may be noticed with the Field Picker:

The field type icons have changed.

The manage database button is gone from the picker. It has been moved to the bottom of the Table drop down menu. Expanding the “Drag Preferences” at the bottom of the Field Picker will display a new option to select a control style. Right-clicking on a field now presents the “Rename Field” option. Previously you had to select the field then pause and click the field name a second time to rename. This “double click” still works in 17.

Other Notes:

The functionality within both the Objects pane (formerly Layout Objects window) and the Inspector remains largely unchanged from FileMaker 16. You can still open a floating inspector window (or several) with the View->Inspectors->New Inspector menu option. It is now possible to make changes to individual objects when they are included in a grouped object. Monica Blum has written a more in-depth blog post about this new feature. You can read her post here: https://skeletonkey.com/filemaker-17-selecting-objects-in-a-group/ A new theme has been introduced in FileMaker 17: Universal Touch. This theme includes several sets of styles and a neutral color palette for simple customization.   Calvin Cooper is a FileMaker 16 Certified Developer at Skeleton Key in St. Louis, MO.

About Skeleton Key

Skeleton Key helps turn complex, complicated, and outdated systems into true information platforms. Our team of consultants and developers do this by developing custom-fit software tools and reporting dashboards that help businesses find, use, and understand their data, freeing them to focus on and grow their core business. In addition to custom databases and applications, we also provide training and coaching for getting the most out of your existing systems and understanding your unruly data. Skeleton Key is an open-book management company and active player of the Great Game of Business.