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Using FileMaker Pro Advanced tools
F
ILEMAKER PRO HELP 611
Starting runtime solutions (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
Displaying databases in Kiosk mode (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
Kiosk mode is a way of displaying your database solution or your runtime database solution on a full
screen, without any toolbars or menus. As the name suggests, Kiosk mode can be used to present
your database to users as an information kiosk. You can design your database to run through a
touch screen.
Database files that open in FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, or the runtime application can
be transformed into files that must open in Kiosk mode for all accounts with a specific
privilege set.
When you create a solution to run in Kiosk mode, you need to provide navigation for your solution
and the ability for users to quit your solution.
The primary file is the main database that users see first in your Kiosk solution. Because Kiosk
mode does not contain any menus or window controls, the primary file must contain buttons that
users can click to navigate through the solution, close the files, and quit FileMaker
Pro,
FileMaker
Pro Advanced, or the runtime application.
To decide how users will navigate your Kiosk solution, start by planning your navigation design on
paper. Decide what will happen when each button is clicked, and give users a way to get back to the
beginning of your solution from each layout. To further control what users see, create startup
scripts
that display a specific layout when a file is opened.
• If your Kiosk solution will be run with a touch screen, use large buttons and allow space
between buttons.
• Try to limit the number of options available on one screen.
• Because Preview mode disables buttons, make sure that any Enter Preview Mode script
step is followed by a Pause/Resume Script script step and specify an amount of time the
script should remain in Preview mode. Place an Enter Browse Mode script step after the
Pause/Resume Script script step.
Notes
• When a Kiosk solution is open, access to the operating system is limited. On Windows
machines, you can press Alt+Tab to go to another application from your Kiosk database
solution.
• If you have a previous Kiosk solution that displayed the status area, you will need to update
your solution. You cannot display the
status toolbar or layout bar in a Kiosk solution. You will
need to add record navigation, script paused status, and script Cancel and Continue
buttons to your layouts.
Related topics
About creating runtime solutions (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
Setting up files for developer solutions (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
Creating Kiosk solutions (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
For your solution to display in Kiosk mode, you must:
• create an account with a limited privilege set or create a specific Kiosk account.
• clear the default option of logging into the file with the Admin account.
• enable Kiosk mode. At the same time that you enable Kiosk mode, you can bind the
database as a runtime solution.