Calculations between records? 2

[cedarcreek]

I work in motion picture editorial. We use a File Maker continuity list that lists every scene in the movie, it's duration, and the footage the scene starts at. Every time there is a new cut of the movie I have to go through each scene to find the start time. Each scene is it's own record and It would be so much easier to calculate the start time from the duration field of the previous record. My question is this:

Can I get a sum in record 'B' by calculating between records i.e. adding a field from 'B' to a field in the previous record 'A'.

Regardless of the actuall calculation how would I tell the program to do this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hugh

 

[lebisol]

use a calucated field=field_A + field_B
more details on field info wold be great...
All the best!

:--------------------------------------:

[URL unfurl="true"]http://mostarnet.com[/url]

All around in my home town,
They tryin' to track me down...

 

[TStriker]

Hugh,

Where you define the fields on the AUTO ENTER tab there is a selection to use the VALUE FROM LAST VISITED RECORD. Try checking this and see if it does what you're asking.

The other possibility if you are running FM v8 is to use the new function 'GetNthRecord'. Check out the help file for this function, it will show you how to go back one record in your found set and pick up the information from there.

-Striker

 

[cedarcreek]

Thanks guys I will give these suggestions a try and may be asking for more help down the way. I really appreciate your suggestions.

H

 

[Zerosum]

Is it possible to vary the color of the text value of a calculation field according to what the calculation returns?

I have constructed a database of commodity price movements. One field "Direction" returns "up" or "down". Is there some way to color "up" blue and "down" red? Of course if "up" and "down" had their own fields, I could easily do this in Layout, but that's not what I want. I also have various calculation fields returning either the ansi character ? or ?. I would like to color code these as well.

It might be possible to accomplish this using container fields. However I understand that it is not possible to perform searches, or further calculations using the contents of container fields, so that rules them out.

I am new to FMP so be gentle with me.

 

[Zerosum]

Sorry,

After joining I was taken to this page for some reason. Only the bottom "Add Post" section showed up on my laptop screen. I thought I was starting a new thread.

 

[JeanW]

Yes, it's possible.

FM7/8, see the help file for Text Formatting Functions, with the RGB functio you can play around.

FM < 7, use a container field that you put behind the desired field and change the color by calculation, f.i. with a Case statement. You will still have the possibilty to search on the 'front' field.