At this time there does seem to be some issues when trying to connect Aperture 3 and FileMaker while running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. There has been major code changes to both the operating system and host application which will require a new update to resolve these issues. We are looking into possible resolutions and bring the plug-in to full 64-bit compatibility at the same time, stay tuned…

There is a bug in Aperture 3 that causes plug-ins to specify the last used preset in Aperture's export dialogue instead of the one you choose when in the export plug-in module. A suggested workaround is to export an image normally using the required preset in Aperture, then use the plug-in for that setting chosen previously.

We have a general FAQ section with a licensing page outlining the answers to most common questions here. If you find you still need assistance, please email support here.

There are various reasons for this kind of error. One likely cause is if you have changed the database schema of the Aperture_Photo table within FileMaker. Changing the field name, type or other field options will usually cause the plug-in to fail. Likewise, removing a column will cause the plug-in to fail. However, adding additional columns should not be a problem. To confirm that the plug-in is failing because of a bad database schema, see if exporting your photos to a newly created FileMaker database works.

Strange data in a given metadata field can also cause the plug-in to fail. If some photos are able to export successfully, but others fail, this could be the reason.

Yes, an example database is included on the installation DMG.

It is possible in the future that our plug-in could work with the server version of the FileMaker product allowing a user to send photos from a Mac to a computer running FileMaker server. Currently this is not possible because FileMaker has not yet implemented the necessary JDBC adaptor for use between multiple computers. You could consider contacting them and requesting that they work this into a future update.

As a workaround to this issue, you might be able to import your photos into a FileMaker database via the plug-in. Then import from that database into the server version. For more support on this subject, please visit www.filemaker.com/support/

Yes, but this is an unsupported configuration at this time that will require file sharing and FileMaker development experience.

All users accessing this file will need their own licensed copy of FileMaker Pro.

Click here for a pdf file listing all the metadata that Aperture to FileMaker exports.

When diagnosing plug-in errors, there are several system variables to take into consideration first before digging deeper into the code. Repairing your permissions is a good place to start, and also good practice after installing software. To do this, launch Disk Utility from the Applications under Utilities. Then select Repair and press Repair Disk Permissions. This basically cleans up your system files so that they can access each other properly. If that does not resolve the issue, you could simply restart the machine as another basic starting point. Testing in an alternate or new account could also help in determining the root of the issue. For more on what information you should send in when requesting technical support, please read through the general FAQ section or contact us.

Aperture to FileMaker can be removed by deleting the plug-in file located at:
Macintosh HD/Users/YOUR USER NAME/Library/Application Support/Aperture/Plug-Ins/Export/ApertureToFileMaker.ApertureExport

If you are removing this plug-in because you have experienced problems or it did not meet your expectations, please contact us and let us know why.