CNS Image is a FileMaker plug-in for working with images. You can work with images stored in container fields or stored on the hard drive. On the most basic level, you can use CNS Image to Import images from the hard drive into FileMaker container fields and Export images from container fields to the hard drive. However, you will find these basic functions much more powerful than FileMaker’s Import and Export. The format of the image you Import or Export can be different than the original. You can use dialogs or hard-coded paths to locate and save images. You can even Import PDFs on Windows and see a preview of the first page just like you have been able to do on Mac for years.

Importing and Exporting images is only the beginning of CNS Image, though. The plug-in can do so much more with your images. Have you ever needed to rotate an image in a container field? You can do that. Have you ever wanted to have a small thumbnail in your database of a much larger image that is on the hard drive? You can do that. Have you ever wished you could split a PDF into multiple images and browse through them all from FileMaker. You can do that. Have you ever needed to download an image from the internet into a container field? You can do that. Have you ever wanted to adjust the brightness of an image? You can do all these things and more.

CNS Image is not just for FileMaker Pro either. Everything that works under FileMaker Pro will also work under FileMaker Server, with the obvious exception of bringing up a dialog for selecting a file to Import or Export. This means you can use Scheduled Scripts to batch process images at night, or create Instant/Custom Web Publishing solutions that can convert, stretch, crop, and more.

As of version 3.0, most of the functions from our discontinued MMColor plug-in have been merged into CNS Image. These functions allow you to work with color palettes much like you would in a professional design application. You can directly manipulate colors using a variety of color spaces or you can use the system color picker to choose a color. You can then use that color with the TextColor calculation function or create color images/chips for use in your database. For information on updating your database from MMColor functions to CNS Image functions, please see Upgrading from MMColor.