Claris FileMaker 2023 and Studio Manager

11/25/2023

in SM News

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Nov 25, 2023 Update: MacOS Sonoma compatibility. Claris continues working to resolve issues with FileMaker Pro 2023, now at version 20.3.1.31. There are many fewer issues since last month. Check this Known Issues webpage for the most recent information. Be sure to keep FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Server and FileMaker Go updated to the most recent version. Current version updates can be found on the Claris Downloads webpage. For the greatest compatibility, also keep MacOS Sonoma up-to-date.

We updated our MacBook Air to MacOS Sonoma recently and so far haven’t encountered any issues that make us wish we hadn’t. Actually MacOS Sonoma is kinda cool.

News Flash Oct 7, 2023: MacOS Sonoma Compatibility with 10 known issues. Progress not perfection just yet. Claris has a published list of the known issues with FileMaker Pro 20.2.1.60 and MacOS Sonoma. After a quick once over looking at the list, we think it is too early to upgrade to MacOS Sonoma on a Mac running FileMaker Pro. Look through that list and see what you think. If you have a bright and shiny new Mac that came with Sonoma, use FileMaker Pro with a non mission-critical file that’s well backed up.

We do have an M1 MacBook Air, that may be a candidate for testing, but right now, we will wait at least a 2-3 more weeks, for a shorter or at least more pleasant sounding list of compatibility issues to come out from Claris.

News Flash Oct 3, 2023: A new version of FileMaker Pro 20.2.1.60 is out. If you are running FileMaker Pro 20, you should get an invitation to update. Consider updating on a secondary Mac or PC that runs FileMaker 20 before updating mission critical Machines. Using a file on FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud is likely a sure bet on day one. There is no mention of support for MacOS Sonoma with this new release.

On April 23, 2023 Claris announced the availability of a new version of the FileMaker family of apps along with a surprise new naming scheme and logo. If you purchased FileMaker Pro or Server directly from Claris, then you should have already received an email about this latest major upgrade. Like so many other software publishers, Claris delayed this upgrade due to the global pandemic. It released FileMaker 19 May 20th, 2020 with the most recent update to 19.6.3 in February 2023.

We at Tokerud Consulting Group are conservative adopters of newly announced major upgrades; so we have yet to acquire it. We are following several sources of information about the upgrade however, because we want to know what benefits it might offer our existing and prospective customers.

So far what we’ve seen are claims of speedier performance. That has been touted as a feature with every upgrade, so we’re not impressed yet. What is likely a detail, as far as you are concerned, is that FileMaker 2023 will only support the most recent 2 versions of MacOS: Ventura and Monterey. Studio Manager users generally stay up-to-date, as far as the operating system is concerned, so we doubt this will be a problem for you.

We’ll post again if we find something to boast about, or to warn you about, as far as the impact of FileMaker 2023 on Studio Manager. It has influenced us in one way however. We have decided to call our next release: Studio Manager 20.

As you may know, the currently available version is Studio Manager 18. We are going to skip a number in order to stay consistent with the technical name FileMaker 20. Studio Manager 20 is now in development. It will be a bit longer before it’s ready for your consideration, upgrade or purchase.

Now that your business in growing again [post pandemic], we encourage you to consider Studio Manager, as a new enhancement to your management tasks, or as an upgrade. Our primary developer, Janet Tokerud (415) 789-5219‬, is eager to answer any questions you have about the upcoming Studio Manager 20 or FileMaker 2023.

FileMaker 2023 Technical Specifications

Introduction to FileMaker 2023 from Claris

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MacOS 13 Ventura is officially compatible with Claris FileMaker Pro 19.6.x

03/24/2023

in SM News

For Studio Manager 18 users eager to upgrade to latest macOS 13 Ventura, the good news is that, at the time of this writing on 3/24/23, Claris International has yet to find any compatibility issues with FileMaker Pro 19.6.x.

To be safe, we recommend that you make a couple of backup copies of Studio Manager and upgrade to the most current version of FileMaker Pro before upgrading your Mac. We take a pretty cautious approach to system software upgrades. Start by making a backup of the hard drive (or SSD) that you want to upgrade. Then check to make sure the backup is good. We like a commercial app (to which we have no connection): SuperDuper! for making a bootable backup of the drive. That way, if there’s any issue with your upgrade to macOS Ventura, you’ve got an external drive, and backup, to restore you where you started.

Caveat

Claris is in the habit of removing the compatibility of an older MacOS version whenever FileMaker becomes compatible with a newer version of macOS. If the past is any indication, they will support the current macOS and two previous versions. The news has yet to appear on their FileMaker Technical Specifications webpage, but we’re going to make a guess that with the next upgrade of the FileMaker product line, that support for macOS 11 Catalina will be dropped. You have been forewarned (even though we admit that we’re guessing).

In order to test compatibility, we like having at least one Mac running each macOS version supported by Claris FileMaker. That way we’re able to test and document any differences in Studio Manager that you might experience, depending on what version of MacOS you use.

A change in network sharing

If you have been using peer-to-peer file sharing but not paying attention to Claris’ plans, you might be dismayed to learn that peer-to-peer has been deprecated in FileMaker 19. This does not mean the feature has been completely removed, just that it has been relegated to the recommendation that it only be used for testing purposes. If you have a 2, 3 or 4-person operation that has depended on peer-to-peer for years, we’ve got some suggestions.

You have options

Using a copy of Studio Manager on the host Mac, test it with your client Macs to see how it works for you. Perform some data entry, create new records, run reports, print, send email, etc. If you don’t notice any problems, then it’s probably OK to launch your real system and work as usual. Keep on backing up your file at least once a day. Then regularly check your backups to make sure you can restore if need be.

In our day-to-day operations, we’re a small shop too. Our solution was to purchase FileMaker Server. We run it on a “headless” Mac mini (no monitor, mouse or keyboard) and access it via screen sharing. It didn’t take long for us to ask ourselves “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” FileMaker Server is easy to set up and use and it makes backups on the fly several times a day without interrupting workflow or needing any user input.

If you contact FileMaker Support and ask for help with peer-to-peer, they may tell you that you need to purchase FileMaker Server or use FileMaker Cloud. The choice is yours since it depends on many more factors than just the size of your workgroup. For more information on this change, see the Claris Knowledge Base entry on Network Sharing.

Enjoy using the latest, greatest versions of the MacOS and FileMaker, together at last. Let us know if you notice any glitches or have any recommendations our other users would appreciate.

As always… thanks for being part of the Studio Manager family!

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MacOS Monterey and FileMaker 19.4 OK’d by Claris FileMaker

12/12/2021

in FileMaker 19, MacOS Monterey

According to the Tech Specs page for Claris FileMaker Pro 19.4, FileMaker is now compatible with MacOS Monterey. This is great news for users eager to be working with FileMaker 19.4 and latest operating system. If you check the Tech Specs page yourself, you’ll find the news under the heading: Supported operating systems and devices.

Claris is however, in the habit of removing the compatibility of an older MacOS version whenever FileMaker becomes capable of working within a newer version. They usually support the current MacOS and two previous versions. This time the loser is MacOS 10.14 Mojave. You read that right, Mojave is no longer supported by FileMaker 19.4.

This change by Claris, which we knew would come sooner or later, finally convinced us to upgrade the few Macs we still had running Mojave. Janet was able to upgrade her iMac Pro to Big Sur, while Scout was limited to Catalina due to the age of her 27″ iMac. We like having at least one Mac running each MacOS version support by Claris. That way we’re able to test and document any differences in Studio Manager that you might experience depending on what version of MacOS you use.

A change in network sharing

If you have been using peer-to-peer file sharing but not paying attention to Claris’ plans, you might be dismayed to learn that peer-to-peer has been deprecated in FileMaker 19. This does not mean the feature has been completely removed, just that it has been relegated to the recommendation that it only be used for testing purposes. If you have a 2, 3 or 4-person operation that has depended on peer-to-peer for years, we’ve got some suggestions.

You have options

Using a copy of Studio Manager on the host Mac, test it with your client Macs to see how it works for you. Perform some data entry, create new records, run reports, print, send email, etc. If you don’t notice any problems, then it’s probably OK to launch your real system and work as usual. With one precaution – back up your file at least once a day. If Claris updates FileMaker to 19.5, test again. There’s no guarantee at this point, so proceed with caution.

In our day-to-day operations, we’re a small shop too. Our solution was to purchase FileMaker Server. We run it on a “headless” Mac mini (no monitor, mouse or keyboard) and access it via screen sharing. It didn’t take long for us to ask ourselves “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Server is easy to set up and use and it makes backups on the fly several times a day without interrupting workflow or needing any user input. We’ve got 2 developers working remotely – having those backups has saved our butts a few times.

If you contact FileMaker Support and ask for help with peer-to-peer, they may tell you that you need to upgrade. The options are FileMaker Server running in your office, or FileMaker Cloud. The choice is yours since it depends on many more factors than just the size of your workgroup.

For more information on this change, see the Claris Knowledge Base entry on Network Sharing.

Enjoy using the latest, greatest versions of the MacOS and FileMaker, together at last. We’d love to hear from you if you notice any glitches or have any recommendations our other users would appreciate.

As usual… thanks for being part of the Studio Manager family.

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Claris FileMaker 19 is not yet Compatible with MacOS 12 Monterey

10/28/2021

in Compatibility, FileMaker 19, MacOS Monterey

Claris is not yet showing FileMaker 19, or any other version of FileMaker, as compatible with MacOS 12 Monterey. You can check compatibility now and in the future at the Claris.com FileMaker 19 Technical Specifications page. Scroll down a bit once you get there.

I saw a note in passing on the Claris site that no problems have been reported running FileMaker 19 on Monterey, but since Monterey came out on Monday 10/25/21, don’t expect a lot of reliable and complete bug information this soon. To be confident, please don’t run anything mission critical on a Mac running Monterey just yet.

While you’re waiting, If you are brave, you could very carefully try a TEST copy of a Filemaker file in the latest version of FileMaker 19. To do this, duplicate your Filemaker file and call it XXX TEST COPY with the XXX part the normal file name. This TEST COPY can be run in risky circumstances, because it isn’t the file that you will rely on. Also, plan on running it from a user computer, not the server. [Disclaimer: Be aware that your TEST COPY could be damaged in subtle ways, so do NOT plan on using it for any reason other than testing.]

Another even safer measure would be to have your TEST COPY on a Mac or PC running a Claris-approved OS for FileMaker 19 and then, from your Monterey Mac, access the TEST COPY over the network so now you are less likely to crash your host. Although unlikely, you might crash your Monterey Mac while testing FileMaker 19 right now.

All this carefulness will not be necessary within a few days (weeks or month). We anticipate that when it’s ready, Claris will release another update; 19.3.2 is the current version. Note that specifications from Claris about compatibility with Monterey will almost certainly include disclaimers and exceptions, so watch for those.

The chart below is copied from the Claris website. If you’re eager to upgrade to MacOS 12 Monterey and use FileMaker 19 for Studio Manager, then check this webpage often. It’s one of many charts on the page.

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Studio Manager 18 Demo Works on Your iPhone and iPad too…

01/03/2020

in SM News

SM18 Demo Places Screen as Viewed on iPhone 6s Plus

Once we slaved to get the product and website ready for Studio Manager 18, we got the demo finished and up with a new ReadMe and new Manual. Yay! We discovered almost by accident that you can actually download the demo from your iPhone or iPad if you are running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13. Which almost everyone already has. Janet thought that was cool probably because she discovered it first.

If you are adventurous and a little persistent and have an iPhone or iPad in your hand(s) as we speak, you could try it. Tap this SM18 Demo tab. Tap the first link in the body saying “Fill in Minimal…”. Then fill in the red dotted items about yourself and press the Submit button to get to the downloads page.

Press the download link you want – probably the demo itself and it will either start downloading or if that doesn’t happen it will ask you if you want to download SM18_Demo.zip”? Tap Download. A little down arrow in a circle appears to the right of the location bar at the top of the screen – I think it bounces then stops. When stopped the download is complete and it should put the zipped file in your brand new cool Files folder on your home screen or wherever else it is on your iPhone.

The iPhone Timesheet on an iPhone 11 Max

You will still be at the Downloads page, so this is your chance to download the Demo ReadMe PDF and the Demo Manual PDF. Press each of these links in turn and say download if it doesn’t just start downloading.

At this point all 3 of your downloaded goodies should be in the Files app directory at the top level. This is if everything went perfectly. In any case, now open the Files app to get your goodies. The readme and manuals open up immediately and ask if you want to preview. Choose preview and your looking at a PDF which views better sideways on an iPhone.

But what fun is reading the manual – am I right? Well, skip it maybe. You know whether you will use it. I think it is good to have but up to you.

So now you Open your Files app and top left should be where your shiny new SM downloads are unless they are sorted alphabetically or something in which case find the S section. I found the expanded files at the bottom of my Files directory after they unzipped.

Tap Studio_Manager_18_Demo and get — drumroll — a black screen that says Studio_Manager_18_Demo in the middle of it and 59.1 MB on it. Click the little share box in the bottom left (box with up arrow) and scroll right to get to a white button with 3 dots in it and tap it.

The iPhone Dashboard: This is where a user sees their own task deadlines and can enter or see today’s timesheet (on iPhone 11 Max).

If you have FileMaker 18 Go on your iPhone (remember?), you can just tap Copy to FileMaker Go 18 and be prompted for your credentials. OK, you never downloaded the ReadMe or now don’t know where it is so type in account name: “demo” and password: “jedimaster” and hit the blue go button below the little keyboard. Or, if you must hit the arrow in a circle right beside where you typed the password. The latter will save your password in filemaker for future reference.

If you want the easy way from here, choose Dolson, CJ from the list as our Demo Manual uses her account in the examples. Then press the continue button. At this point, I’m done explaining. You are in. You are proud!

Play with this (with or without the demo manual) as a start. The 4-page Demo ReadMe as of right this minute says you need a Mac or PC to use the demo – Wrong! That’s going to be edited and probably already is.

The iPhone doesn’t have as many things to do as the iPad or Mac or PC has so you can kinda fiddle with it to see where it takes you on an iPhone. If you have the iPad or Mac or PC and, if you are interested enough, you can use the 38-page Demo manual and learn something. It has screenshots so don’t think about it like a bad thing that it has 38 pages.

But the demo manual is mostly for the Mac or PC not the tiny, always with you, iPhone or even the medium-sized iPad you love. But, on the other hand, you probably have a computer for actual work somewhere around and can use the FREE and cool Trial version of FileMaker Pro Advanced to get into the nooks and crannies of the computer version.

Contact us if you are interested or have the least little problem trying to make your iPhone, iPad or Mac/PC run the demo. Remember this is the full Studio Manager product here with a couple tweaks to keep it from being used for everything. It’s not little show and tell. It’s the product with a couple switches switched. You can email, text or call and the good news is we won’t charge you a cent to answer your questions, listen to your ideas or even listen to your complaints.

P.S. If you are on a Mac or PC. Just download the demo from the SM18 Demo tab and get the ReadMe and Demo Manual while you are at it. You already know how to do that so you are good.

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The Studio Manager 18 Demo is Up!

12/30/2019

in FileMaker 18, New Demo, New Version, SM News, Studio Manager 18

You can use the demo tab to answer the usual quick questions and continue over to download the full-function Studio Manager 18 Demo, ReadMe and full 38 page Demo Manual.

5:33 pm PST: The Demo readme is up.

5:43 pm PST: The full 38 page demo manual is up.

My writer and graphic designer extraordinaire, Scout, has help tremendously in our effort to beat the clock for those who want a 2019 tax deduction.

I totally agree we need to make a fair presentation of an amazing product but I think it will indeed here by 6 pm PST. Wish us luck on that. We’ll probably be tweaking into the night. Our website undoubtedly has some hard to find references that still say Studio Manager 17 or, worse, SM16. But not for long.

Happy New Year! Yes, you can buy the full program too or upgrade.

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Studio Manager 18 is Done — SM18 Demo is Going up

December 30, 2019 FileMaker 18

We are doing very last minute things like editing the PHP in our Demo tab prompt so you can download the demo. It should be all done by 1 pm Dec 30 2019 PST. Scout felt the need to edit the iPad SM18 Demo About screen, but I’m hopeful she will get it perfected in […]

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Studio Manager 18 Goes Golden Dec 30 2019!

December 27, 2019 New Version

Release Details: Every year about this time, we put the finishing touches on our latest version. One of our goals is to keep pace with FileMaker, improving, refining and polishing Studio Manager. So… we’ve completed the product development phase for Studio Manager 18, and are preparing to release it into the world before the end of […]

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We are Putting Final Touches on Studio Manager 18

December 22, 2019 FileMaker 18

New Features: A couple new features to mention off the top of my head are that: iPad access supports landscape and portrait. When you rotate or pick up your iPad in a particular orientation, you get optimal viewing. All iPad sizes are supported. And look awesome! iPhones too. Don’t forget that having Studio Manager 18 […]

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FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced Certified as Compatible with MacOS Catalina…

December 22, 2019 SM News

Claris is now listing FileMaker Pro 18 Advanced as Compatible with MacOS Catalina! We are as excited as anyone to see that and will still stay a while longer on MacOS Mojave while further returns come in to be on the safe side. Studio Manager development and FileMaker work on our own and other client […]

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