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Getting Started


Accessing the Mediapedia server
The catalogue component of the Mediapedia is accessed thru a copy of the FileMaker Pro database application – version 8.5 or greater.
All the Mediapedia files are stored on the central Mediapedia server. To install either a demo or a complete copy of FileMaker Pro please refer to the application’s installation instructions for your computer platform.
Why FileMaker? It is a cross platform database that is easily amenable to rapid visual database development and deployment to the internet without extensive programming skills.

Starting Mediapedia
Having first negotiated access permission to the Mediapedia server, one only then needs to start their local copy of the FileMaker application.
• From the File menus select ‘Open Remote’
• From the resulting dialog box’s View menu select Favorite Hosts from the dropdown list
• If connecting for the first time you will need to Add the Mediapedia server’s IP address to the Favorite Hosts list:               []

The initial Home screen presents a series of buttons and shortcut links to various aspects of the database.

Mediapedia Home - Various Modules

Figure 1: Home

The Mediapedia Navigational Tools


Understanding the layout of the various Mediapedia screens will assist in learning the features of the program. The following diagrams show the major layouts along with the names of the different screens and their elements.

By hovering the mouse pointer over most items on the various layouts you will see a pop-up Tool Tip identifying the item in question.

Toolbars
Depending upon the version of FileMaker which you are running the system toolbar and its options may vary somewhat. All illustrations are given utilising the current version 10.

In FileMaker version 10, the Status Toolbar utilised in previous versions has been moved to the top of the screen from the left-hand side. Additional features have also been incorporated to increase usability.

Status Toolbar version 10

Figure 2: Toolbar - FileMaker Pro 10

Please consult your FileMaker Help menu or PDF users guide for a complete explanation of the various navigational and functional components shown.

Within the screen layouts for most sections of the Mediapedia database the sub navigational ‘tab’ navigation metaphor has been heavily utilised as nested menu tabs within menu tabs.

Navigation Toolbar

Figure 3: Navigation

The general navigation between the various database modules is accomplished via the main menu module buttons across the top of the screen window.

Additional windows can be opened and used to illustrate or work on different parts of the database independently from the initial window.
• To open another window of the existing window; from the system toolbar Window menu item select New Window.
• To open an additional window of another module, while holding down, the ALT key on Windows or the Option key on a Mac, click on the module button at the top of the screen for the module you wish to access to initiate a pop-up window of that module.

Status Toolbar version 10

Figure 3b:

Navigation between records is activated by clicking on the ‘book’ pages to take one forward or backwards thru the record pages.

Screen Layouts

The various screen layouts on offer for each module vary but most include the following common ones which can be accessed via the menu tabs.

Form View
The Form view is most often the type of layout one arrives at when changing modules. This layout enables quick access to basic information and common tasks for a particular record, such as creating new records, editing existing records, finding or referencing illustrative images.

The Form view screen gives you the most information about any one item. It also provides access to all the sub-menus accessed via a series of tabs and their sub-tabs.

Some fields have ‘value lists’ (drop-down lists), to access commonly used terms. These fields have a downward pointing arrow on their right hand side. A few have small square tick boxes to toggle selection.

The other layouts can be accessed via the drop-down Layout menu in the top panel or via the Tabs and sub-tabs within the layout on the screen.

Moving Image basic Info tab form view

Figure 4 : Variants Basic Info form view

List View
The List View provides a thumbnail image of the item along with some basic descriptive information for multiple items at once.

Moving Image Holotype Form view

Figure 5: Variants List view

Records can be sorted via the ‘Sort by’ menu located within the column name shown at the top of the list’s columns.

List View with sort buttons atop columns

Figure 6: Column Sort buttons in Variants List view

Table View
The Table View provides a series columns of information for all module fields scrolling off to the right very much like a spreadsheet view. Again, the columns can be sorted by right-clicking on the column name.

Table View sortable via column headings

Figure 7: Variants Table view

 

Cataloguing - see next section