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Sending Layouts

PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 10:59 am
by manatee
Is there a way to send Filemaker layouts with FMSpark not using PDF which doesn't work in a runtime solution? Conversion to HTML would be nice. Thanks.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:53 am
by John Sindelar
fmSpark can send HTML emails, but there is nothing in place to convert a FileMaker layout to html. You'd need to create the html stationery by hand or use the copy-from-website feature in fmSpark.

Hope that helps.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:10 am
by manatee
Mailit 4 can send a layout from Preview mode via the clipboard so I was just wondering if you plan to include this feature into FMSpark in the future. I tried pasting the output from clipboard into the plain HTML template but it didn't work. I'm developing an application that creates email flyers and had planned to use PDF until I discovered it doesn't work with runtime. Any suggestions appreciated.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:13 am
by John Sindelar
Gotcha.

We don't have any plans to add emailing layouts: the great thing about fmSpark is that it lets folks send HTML mail WITHOUT making layouts or writing calcs: you create HTML stationery for your flyers, create one or more templates for that stationery, and then your users add the content which is merged with your stationery and Ta Da!... your users just made their own HTML mailings. So instead of making a layout for your flyer, I'd make (or hire a web designed to make) and html version instead.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:35 am
by manatee
John,
I know I can do it that way with HTML but my users are not that technically able to use FMSpark this way. By using layouts I can insert 80% of the data for them and also the flyers contain a lot of graphics, they need a turnkey one button solution which I currently have using PDF attachments.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:06 pm
by John Sindelar
Well I'm not sure why your users would have to edit the HTML, but if you say html won't work I guess I have to believe you. We don't have a mail-layouts solution and your PDF options are limited with the runtime. What about PDF generation plugins?

PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 12:15 pm
by manatee
What PDF plugins are available? The only one I was aware of went out of business, it wads a German company I think? Is it possible to run mailit 4 with FMSparks version 3. Even if PDF was available on the runtime I would still have a problem with Windows systems. Print drivers could solve that problem. Oh well I will solve this eventually!! Thanks John