New FileMaker Interface Design with FileMaker 16
With the release of FileMaker Pro 16 a great new feature has been introduced for those of us who use the Windows operating system. The FileMaker Pro 16 Windows interface has been redesigned to work more like the Mac OS version by now allowing multiple and separate windows! No longer will Windows users be limited to keeping all their layout windows within the FileMaker Pro application window.
Separate Windows
Individual windows can now be resized independently. Each window also contains its own menu bar and status toolbar.
Window Snapping
Windows natively has a window snapping feature when dragging windows to the sides of the screen. You can now effectively leverage this snapping feature with the changes to the FileMaker Pro 16 Windows interface.
Improved Scrolling
Another perk of the FileMaker Pro 16 Windows interface is that mouse scrolling no longer scrolls records and instead vertically scrolls the layout! This is a much-requested feature that I hear from many clients. You no longer must rely on “workarounds” to keep the user from navigating away from their current record due to an awry flick of the scroll wheel.
And One Minor Inconvenience from FileMaker’s Updated Interface
Finally, there is one change that I have come across so far that may cause some frustration. FileMaker 16 has removed the toolbar that was displayed at the bottom of the layout windows in previous versions. This toolbar contained the zoom buttons, window mode selection and a toggle for the status toolbar. If you are accustomed to using the status toolbar toggle… you may find yourself at a loss. Fortunately, FileMaker 16 now includes a keyboard shortcut for this toggle. On Windows using Control-Alt-S will toggle the Status Toolbar. On Mac OS Alt-Command-S will toggle the Status toolbar.
Notice that the menu commands for Zoom In and Zoom Out also have new keyboard shortcuts in FileMaker Pro 16. In Layout Mode, the button that toggled between vertical and horizontal part labels has been removed. To toggle between vertical and horizontal part labels, simply control-click (Windows) or command-click (Mac) the part label. As well, there is a script step that was introduced in FileMaker 13 “called Show/Hide Menubar”. Using this script step or opening a new window without a menu bar selected will result in a window as seen below. The Status Toolbar hotkey toggle is also very useful in this scenario.
Overall, I think the changes to FileMaker Pro 16 on Windows are a welcome and much needed improvement. Have you noticed any other perks of the new Windows interface? Calvin Cooper is a FileMaker 15 Certified Developer at Skeleton Key. 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.
