Changing File Paths For Referenced Files - Issue With MP3s?

Hi,

I would like to direct this inquiry to anyone, but particularly to
Bridgete Eley, since she has addressed this issue a number of times
before.

I’m using FMP 9.0v3 on a MacIntosh G4 running Tiger.

I’ve been trying on and off for months to change the file reference
paths of files in container fields when their folder is moved to a
different location, and haven’t been able to do it.

I’m working with a database of MP3 files. Hopefully it works the same
way as with picture, movie or text files, but I’m starting to wonder
if there might be a difference.

The MP3 file’s reference is stored in a container field called “FILE”..

The MP3 file’s name is stored in a text field called “FILE NAME”

I also have a calculation field called “FILE PATH” that shows me the
file’s path.

The folder of MP3s has now been moved, so of course when I double-
click on the “FILE” field, instead of opening the MP3 file, it says
“The file “[name of the file].mp3”
could not be found and is required to complete this operation.”

I’ve got 1249 of them so obviously I don’t want to re-path them
manually.

When I try to do the procedure you described, I can see from my FILE
PATH field that it does update the file path. However, I end up with
the song going into the “FILE” field as a play strip (with nothing
showing in the field itself). When I double-click on the field, it
plays the song from within Filemaker.

What it’s doing is treating the MP3 file as it is QuickTime file. The
reason I say this is because the results are the same as if I had
clicked on the field, gone to the “Insert” menu and selected
“QuickTime” instead of “File”.

Before the files had been moved to a different location on the hard
drive, the way I had inserted the file references was to go to the
“Insert” menu and select “File”, and check the box that says “Store
only a reference to the file”. The result would be that the file name
showed up in the field. I would not get the play-strip. When I
double-clicked on the field, it opened the song in ITunes and played
it there, rather than playing it from within Filemaker. That is the
way I want really like it to work now.

So, I would appreciate any of your thoughts. Could it just be that
the procedure you suggested can’t be done with MP3s? If not, do you
have any ideas for a workaround?

Just for reference, I did a synopsis below of the steps I took.
Thanks for any help you can offer. Alex


Here is what I did:

- From the File menu, I select “Import Records”. I choose “Folder…”

- Where it says “Folder Location”, I hit the “Specify” button, and
select the folder of files whose paths I want to update.

- Where it says “File Type”, “Picture and movie files” is selected (it
does not give you an option for MP3 files), and the box for “Import
only a reference to each picture file” is checked. I then hit the
blue “Continue” button.

- In the bottom left of the Import Field Mapping dialog box, I select
the “Update matching records in found set” option.

- On the top of the Import Field Mapping dialog box, I have “Image” on
the left going into my container field named “FILE” on the right. I
have “File Name” on the left matching up with my text field named
“FILE NAME” on the right.

- From the File menu, I select “Import Records”. I choose “Folder…”

- Where it says “Folder Location”, I hit the “Specify” button, and
select the folder of files whose paths I want to update.

- Where it says “File Type”, “Picture and movie files” is selected (it
does not give you an option for MP3 files), and the box for “Import
only a reference to each picture file” is checked. I then hit the
blue “Continue” button.

- In the bottom left of the Import Field Mapping dialog box, I select
the “Update matching records in found set” option.

- On the top of the Import Field Mapping dialog box, I have “Image” on
the left going into my container field named “FILE” on the right. I
have “File Name” on the left matching up with my text field named
“FILE NAME” on the right.

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Store the paths in a global text field and use that field for a calculated
field ( return as container). When the path changes you need only change the
global.