Take screenshots & simultaneously capture the link, place it into an Excel file which is linked to a FileMaker/Claris db.

[afalexander]

Hi, I'm self-taught and I'm sure I'm missing something obvious even after extensive research. Please bear with me for this complicated help request!

For data compilation in Excel (desktop), I need to:

• Capture screen shots (images are critical) & simultaneously capture the source url.

There are thousands of images to be gathered, so file size becomes an instant issue. I have external cloud storage (dropbox & onenote), and plan on storing the images there, but I need a quick way to the above in one step. I have MS Access and FileMaker/Claris, but I need to keep this in a spreadsheet because I need to share with others who do not use databases, databases aren't easily shared, and I don't have time to explain how to view things in any other software. I DO, however, plan on linking the spreadsheet to a my FileMaker/Claris db. I'm a sole enterprise, so I don't have to worry about interoperability with an IT department; I'm building this db on my own. And, I'm a sole enterprise, so I don't have the benefit of an IT department doing all of the heavy lifting. I'm familiar enough with databases that I can do basic coding, but each time I do, I have to research and copy other code, and modify it to what I need. In other words, I have to reinvent the wheel each time I need to do something new, script-wise, and I don't even know if the ability exists, script-wise or not.​

• Share this desktop version with others (cloud based versions do not keep the true format and functionality). The file size gets very large with images, and I need to be able to email the spreadsheet. Many viewers and contributors are of varying abilities and software users. I need the equivalent of sharing my screen, but with them having the ability to pinpoint EXACTLY what we're both viewing.
• Link FileMaker/Claris to capture additional data, but have the spreadsheet format available when needed (another reason I need to email a copy - there's no way I'd send a live-linked spreadsheet to another party). New users would only be working on small data points, but I need that to be easily imported. I need to research the best way to store images externally via container fields in FileMaker (any advice on this would be appreciated. I haven't done so in years, and I can't imagine how many shortcuts there are now to storing images externally), so being able to save images in the spreadsheet AND the FM db simultaneously probably has a simple script, I just don't know what it is.

Here is what I'm working on:

• I'm researching products already on the market for trademark purposes (no matter what platform - individual websites, amazon, target.com, walmart.com, etc.).
• I need to take a screen shot of the item to capture the current, actual image (for internal vetting purposes) & the data on the screen . Most of the major websites prevent web-scraping, so a screen shot is critical, especially when the information can change so quickly. Any workarounds for web-scraping would be appreciated; I'm a small enterprise and hardly a large-scale data mining operation. Gathering data from an external link used to be a great option.
• I need to be able to link the screen shot of the images to the source url, to check if that link changes, as well as for quick reference to the site. Links are usually long, so combining a link with the screenshot is necessary to keep the spreadsheet from becoming too unwieldy. Combining those steps (screenshot + url capture and then being able to drag the screenshot to a cell) will be especially helpful since thousands of images are to be collected.
• I then need to compile additional information on the images I've just gathered, for internal, training, or cross-purpose uses, which is where the FM db comes in to play. Conversely, external viewers are overwhelmed at all the data collected, and tailoring a spreadsheet for a particular, but required, user is also a factor. Detailed reports are still too vague, but too much data loses the audience.

Any help is appreciated, even if it's only a partial solution. Thank you!!

 

[Joe4]

Welcome to the Board!

This looks like a big project, and is probably more than can be expected from free help (which is usually geared to individual, focused questions, and not entire projects).
You may need to look into Consulting services for something like this.
Here is a list of ones referenced on our site: Consulting Services

 

[afalexander]

Welcome to the Board!

This looks like a big project, and is probably more than can be expected from free help (which is usually geared to individual, focused questions, and not entire projects).
You may need to look into Consulting services for something like this.
Here is a list of ones referenced on our site: Consulting Services

Thank you! I was hoping I'd missed something obvious...

 

[Dan_W]

Well this is a doozy. I have a few thoughts on the above:
- in terms of taking screenshots, one option is a method I wrote about here for taking snapshots of websites: Website Snapshots

Its a method of using VBa to leverage Chrome to automate the taking of qebsite snapshots.ot may not work in your case, but I'd thought I'd mention it.

- second point is that you may want to consider using the JPG image format - it is quite optimised for size, and universally accepted, but the better benefit for you, I think, would be its inherent ability to store exif metadata, in which you could easily store data like the Source URL. I've written code for people on this forum about accessing and writing exif metadata, that should be easy enough to find if you're interested.