![]() ![]() As I mentioned, there are several themes that include layouts optimized to the screen of the iPhone (and iPod touch) and the iPad. Speaking of iOS apps, one of the big features in this release is the rebranding of the FileMaker iOS client, which is now referred to as FileMaker Go and which is now a free App Store download. The addition of interface options that mimic iOS (including button and field styles) as well as those that offer great 3D and gradient features may seem trivial, but they truly take FileMaker Pro to another level – databases that look functional but uninspiring and drab are easily transformed to look like high-end Mac/Windows applications or custom iOS apps in a matter of seconds. ![]() Most impressively, changing a theme is insanely simple and can be done even with users accessing the database in question. The themes offer a consistent color scheme, user interface elements, and font selection. There are a over three dozen themes available to make it easy to present a consistent look for each layout or form be it on a Mac or PC screen or an iPhone or iPad. The visual focus is definitely clear in FileMaker 12 and its new theme support. That option to work with whatever your most natural process happens to be is something that few database solutions can come close to matching. If you’re someone who thinks more visually, however, you can start from a user interface design perspective and create the various layouts that users will see and then build out the the data and relationships to match the layout. If you’re someone who visualizes data as sets of values and tables, you can build a database around those more abstract and data-oriented concepts and then add a user interface onto it. One of the features that I’ve always loved about FileMaker was that, while it has immense scalability and you can configure a variety of field types and relationships between multiple databases, the process of setting up the backend functionality has always been extremely easy to understand. Let’s start with the FileMaker Pro 12 interface. The use of inspector pallets, the alignment features for creating layouts, and the inclusion of really polished and professional looking themes all speak the same visual and user interface language as the major Apple apps. In fact, as I’ve used FileMaker Pro 12, I’ve found myself thinking of it as a natural extension of Apple’s iWork, iBooks Author, and the sadly now-defunct iWeb. FileMaker is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple and that relationship really comes through in this release. ![]()
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