Importing from Bento, can't include media field type

[Pandora]

I’m new here, having recently heard about Tapforms as a replacement (and upgrade!) for the recently discontinued Bento.

I have a database that includes a field of the type “media” where i stick an image associated with each record. When I exported from Bento and imported into Tapforms, the images were not imported. I’m assuming that this is because the CSV transportation method can’t include anything not text.

Short of copy/pasting each of these images from Bento into my Tapforms form, is there any way of doing this?

thanks!

[Brendan]

Hi Pandora,

There is a way to do it, but it’s a bit technical.

There are some instructions on one of my blog posts which describes what to do to get your images from Bento into Tap Forms Mac.

Here’s a link for you:

Exporting photos from Bento

Thanks!

Brendan

[Pandora]

Thank you for your help, Brendan. It is indeed technical but not insurmountable. I’m up to the step that requires me to “To import your images in the mobile version, open Tap Forms on your device, start the FTP server, and copy all your images to the Photos folder.”

I assume this means going to my iPad and issuing arcane incantations…

This I will take up tomorrow when I have more energy.

-Pan

[Stuart]

You can use ForkLift or CyberDuck FTP clients on the Mac to transfer the image files to Tap Forms on your iPad. I used ForkLift (paid app from the Mac App Store) but CyberDuck is shareware and free to download and try.

[Brendan]

But it’s also easier to use the Finder if you’re using the Mac version. You can just drag the photos into the Photos folder that Tap Forms uses on the Mac (not the same as your Photos folder in your Home folder). This one’s stored in ~/Library/Containers/Data/Documents/Photos

[Pandora]

Interesting ideas.

All this mention of Forklift and Cyberduck reminds me that I have Transmit that I use to upload files to a remote host and that could probably work.

@Brendan: I just looked and I don’t have a Photos folder in that location. Actually, in the /Containers folder there is no /Data folder. Does Tapforms create this while doing some setup action?

[Pandora]

I’m blind. In reading the instructions it says

copy all your images into this folder if you’re NOT using iCloud sync:
~/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents/Photos

Can’t seem to get Cyberduck to open a connection to my iPad at 192.168.1.102 port 8080. What is the purpose of opening a cyberduck connection if all I need to do is copy the images to the
~/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents/Photos
folder (if not using cloud sync) or to the
~/Library/Mobile Documents/FXLPHZS84D~com~clickspace~tapforms/Documents/Photos
(if using cloud sync)? It seems like an extra few steps if all I could do is copy the images directly by Finder into these two folders on my Mac.

Can I drop my images into Dropbox (a Dropbox icon shows up in the Imports window)?

If I just copy my images to ~/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents/Photos, will the sync up with my iPad version?

[Brendan]

Hello Pandora,

The ~/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents/Photos folder is where Tap Forms will look for photos when the iCloud checkbox button is turned off. When it’s turned on, it will look in the other folder.

The Cyberduck instructions were just for copying the photos to Tap Forms on the iPhone or iPad. But it’s certainly easier to just drag them to the right folder on your Mac.

If you’re using iCloud sync, then you just need to copy the photos into the iCloud Photos folder at ~/Library/Mobile Documents/FXLPHZS84D~com~clickspace~tapforms/Documents/Photos. They will automatically be sent to your other devices which are logged into the same iCloud account.

Thanks!

Brendan

[Pandora]

@Brendan: Thanks for the clarification. However, I’m about to throw in the towel. I feel so incompetent at times. I went to the /Documents folder in both locations and neither had a /Photos subfolder. I created this and copied all my images (that had been separated from their folders per the script ./bntfolderstofiles) to first the /Mobile… folder but when neither device saw those images, I copied them to the /Containers… folder. I’ve clicked the sync action on both my Mac and my iPad and the field for those images is still empty.

By throwing in the towel I mean I will copy/paste these images from the Finder into the appropriate field in my form. It will take time but certainly no more than I’ve already spent trying it out per Giacomo’s fine tutorial. Fortunately, there are only ~300 images. :-)

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Pan

[Brendan]

Hello Pandora,

Are you sure you went to the right place? When you set a new photo in any record, Tap Forms will auto-generate the Photos folder for you.

Can you please send me or post a screenshot of the ~/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents folder?

Thanks,

Brendan

[Pandora]

Hi Brendan, Thanks for the suggestion – however the issue is moot as I’ve been adding images manually. More to your question: I’m not sure I went to the right folder. If I recall correctly, I had not tried to add images to any of the records prior to that point in time. I was following Giacomo’s instructions and had only imported the CSV (text) part of my Bento database, so there would not have been a Photo folder auto-generated.

Since I have cloud sync enabled, there is nothing in
/Users/tod/Library/Containers/com.tapforms.mac/Data/Documents

However, all the images I’ve manually inserted are here:
/Users/tod/Library/Mobile Documents/FXLPHZS84D~com~clickspace~tapforms/Documents/Photos

[Brendan]

Hi Pandora,

Yes, that’s the right folder when iCloud is enabled.

So is everything ok now?

Thanks!

Brendan

[Pandora]

Well, sure, things are indeed okay. Except for the problem listed in my other thread at

Inconsistent display of images

Encountering problems when first learning a new app can often be helpful as it gets you immersed into the little things.

Thanks for all your advice.

[Author]

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