FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[mattmillus]

Hello Carles and thanks for releasing an excellent tool!
I just ported my catalog from a custom designed access database I had been using to your software and I am loving it.

I do have a feature request though - would it be possible to add the ability to print labels directly from the software? I realize it already has support for printing reports (which works great) but I would love to be able to print sheets of lables onto sticker paper for my acrylic bases. Nothing fancy would be needed, maybe the ability to chose a font and size, and font alignment (left or center) for each of the three fields that most people would want on thier labels (species/description/locality). Even better, you could make it work with your active selection, so you can select a couple of specimens and print labels for only those.

Currently, the only option I have is exporting the dataset to excel, and then from excel importing it into an access database at which point I can print labels using the 'reports' feature of access. Quite an inconvenience though! Since the program already supports printing, I dont think this feature would be a huge project, but then again I am a c++ coder and not at all familiar with the languages you used so I might be wrong =)

Let me know your thoughts on this!

Matt

[Tracy]

Glad you asked that question Matt, I was wondering the same thing...

Tracy

[Carles Millan]

Printing labels: it's not as easy as it seems. Implementing a robust and flexible function to have labels printed is not a matter of a couple of hours because not only the fonts should be controlled.

In addition to fonts there are a lot of other parameters to take into account. Paper size, columns number, columns width, label height, position of the fields, what fields to include, inserting a graphic logo, drawing frames, and so on. And all of them must be hard coded.

A simplified function to perform that task might be written and perhaps would not be highly time consuming but I'm sure it would'n satisfy most people.

I'm sorry, but currently I have no time enough to develop that function.

Thanks for your comments,

[Tracy]

Thanks anyway Carles. I am very happy with your program as it is, regardless of whetherit prints labels (I did not realize how much effort was involved in programming that feature, either).

Regards,
Tracy

[guppyman]

Just downloaded the software. Will try it now.

Thanks so much.

[Carles Millan]

New version 1.6.0 just released, with the following features added:

(1) Two user definable fields that can be free labelled and filled with any content up to 50 characters each.

(2) A fourth photograph can be included in every specimen record.

(3) The field description has been enlarged from 60 to 100 characters.

Should you find any bug please report it in this forum.

This new release can be downloaded as usual at this site.

Installing an update over your older version does not overwrite your data, which is kept unchanged.

More than 2,900 downloads have been registered so far from all over the world.

[Carles Millan]

Some people asked repeatedly for a function that allow to keep the records of the removed or deaccessioned specimens, i.e., those that are no longer in your collection for having been traded, sold, given away, or simply thrown to trash (I myself send to trash some piece from time to time).

The new version 1.6.2 of the program does keep those records and permits to see and manage them the same way as the regular ones, until the user decides to discard them if he/she ever wants to.

For more details about how to proceed read the last Questions & Answers from inside the program.

This new release can be downloaded as usual at this site.

Should you find any bug please report it by replying this message.

[Carles Millan]

Hi!

The new version 1.6.4 includes an improved backup function that keeps your data files separated for each day of the month. This means in case of catastrophe you might restore the copy of today, or the one from yesterday, or the one from the day before yesterday, and so on, up to 31.

A new field "Purchase price" has been added so you can enter the price really paid in any currency after discount (if any). The preexisting field "Original cost" is intended to store the price really paid in your native currency.

Download it at this site.

[Carles Millan]

New version 2.0 available - More than 5,000 downloads so far and counting...

The installation pack reached last week 5,000 downloads from all over the world.

The version 2.0 has lots of new functions to make the mineral collectors' life easier when cataloging their database.

And it's free of charge.

To download the latest version just click here.

Should you have on your computer a previous version with real data, don't worry. All of them will be kept after installing the update.

The program is for Windows, but if you are on a Mac or a GNU/Linux machine there is a trick to run it. Just read the FAQs for more details.

[Carles Millan]

[zanthal]

I've been scouting for a good cataloging software (that is free) and most are out-of-date, mainly for scientific pursuits, or cost a bunch, or any combination there of.

Thanks for spending your time to put this together, I will be sure to put it to good use.

[Carles Millan]

[Carles Millan]

New version 2.2.8 already available

A new grid to manage your contacts database, displaying graphs of several types, specimen auto-numbering, field 'country' auto-filling, up to 5 photos and 6 species in every record, plus other minor new functions. Reached near 7,000 downloads.

More info.

[Carles Millan]

Just today the software downloads have reached the round number of 10,000.

The latest program version is 2.4.8 with a lot of great new features added.

Anyone interested will get all the info by clicking here.





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[Philip Fox-Rousell]

Can anybody out there help? We downloaded the latest version of Carles Millans database but have been unable after hours of trying, to insert any of our own mineral photos into the database.
Please can someone advise how we do this. We are using a PC running Windows 7 Home premium.
Thanks
Michelle and Phil Fox-Rousell