Keep files out of your FileMaker database.
Faster than a container field
SuperContainer builds resized thumbnails from your high-resolution images, so they load far faster than a regular container. Viewing is multi-threaded, so you keep working while files load in the background. Remote users feel the difference most.
A lighter database
Files live in folders on your server, not inside the FileMaker file. Add all the Word docs, PDFs, and photos you want and the database never grows, which means faster backups, less corruption, and better performance.
Store files anywhere
Point SuperContainer at any base directory, on the server it runs on or a network storage volume. Your files stay in a folder structure you control.
Works in FileMaker Go
FileMaker Go and mobile devices are fully supported. iPad and iPhone users view documents stored in SuperContainer with no changes to your solution.
Upload from the browser
Users upload files straight from a web browser, by clicking a button or dragging files in. No FileMaker client required.
One copy, shared by everyone
Files live on the SuperContainer server, so every user opens the exact same document. Add a file once and the whole team sees it, no matter who stored it or where.
What is SuperContainer?
SuperContainer handles document and digital asset management through a FileMaker Web Viewer instead of a container field. Upload, view, download, and resize images and documents from FileMaker Pro or a web browser. Under the hood it's a Java servlet you embed in your layouts through the Web Publishing Engine, so it looks and behaves like a container field, without the slow speed, bloated files, and cross-platform path issues of embedded or referenced containers. Installing it is a download and a double-click.
How it differs from built-in containers.
SuperContainer is a container built for the web. Like FileMaker's own containers, it stores files outside your solution, makes thumbnails, and keeps file sizes down. It goes further: you control exactly where files live and how they're organized, you can run it on any computer for dedicated storage, and you get web uploads, simple browser access, support for legacy solutions, and a PHP and Java API. One tradeoff: you can view SuperContainer files in FileMaker Go but not upload to them from it, and built-in containers suit single-user setups where SuperContainer expects a server.
Compared to built-in container fields.
| Capability | Container fields | SuperContainer |
|---|---|---|
| No plugin required on user computers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works cross-platform | ✓ | ✓ |
| No mounted shared volume needed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stores only a reference, so databases stay small | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reference contents in scripts and calculations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag and drop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multithreaded viewing while images load | ✓ | ✓ |
| Files in organized folders you control | — | ✓ |
| Dynamic thumbnail generation for large files | — | ✓ |
| Display documents on FileMaker-powered websites | — | ✓ |
| Open files directly for editing | — | ✓ |
| PHP and Java API | — | ✓ |
| Upload folders, multiple items, and macOS packages | — | ✓ |
| Standalone macOS server renders PDFs and EPS with Core Image | — | ✓ |
What customers say about SuperContainer.
“This is my second [360Works] product. You make great stuff and your full featured demos are just good business. I have 110,000 medical images being served with supercontainer. FTPeek will upload these same images after encryption.”
“I really appreciate the level of customer service you've offered on your products. Your Supercontainer and Plastic plug-ins work great, and they're easy to configure/deploy. We always strive to go the 'extra mile' for our clients, so it's really refreshing to be on the receiving end of sterling customer service.”
“I always avoided plugins… but what [ScriptMaster] adds to the FM-world is simply amazing! I have been ScriptMaster for more than a year … in the past few days I've been working with FTPeek and SuperContainer, now our paperless account workflow really flows ;-)”
“Your customer service is absolutely amazing, especially Obinna Oparah. I've contacted him several times for help with SuperContainer, and each time he's taken the time to slowly explain and even demonstrate the fix. He's patient and thorough, and an asset to your company… I'll recommend you to everyone I can.”
“I would like to acknowledge Obinna Oparah for his superb support in helping to identify an issue with SuperContainer. While the problem turned out to be insignificant and easily remedied, it nevertheless caused considerable stress and time investment. Obinna was extremely helpful and persistent, and kept working with me until the problem was solved. Kudos to [him] and 360Works support.”
Pricing.
Not ready to buy? Try the fully functional two-hour free demo.
Unlimited use for up to 10 users in one company, school, or organization, on FileMaker Pro.
- Up to 10 users, one organization
- FileMaker Pro, client-side
- No server-side features
Unlimited users in one organization, plus deployment on a single FileMaker Server for web publishing, scheduled scripts, and Perform Script on Server.
- Unlimited users, one organization
- One FileMaker Server deployment
- Scheduled scripts, Perform Script on Server, web publishing
For developers shipping SuperContainer inside one solution to unlimited organizations. Covers server scheduled scripts, Perform Script on Server, and the Web Publishing Engine.
- One developer, one bundled solution
- Unlimited organizations
- Developer-registered keys
System Requirements
All of our products are supported on Mac, Windows, and Linux — system requirements are the same as those of FileMaker.
Common questions.
Yes! SuperContainer can be run independently of FileMaker Server by either deploying it with the standalone .jar file included in the download or deployed in a separate instance on TomCat. You must have a Java Runtime Environment installed in order to use the .jar file.
Yes, you can configure where SuperContainer stores files by modifying the web.xml. Instructions to do so can be found here: SuperContainer - Configure a Custom Location
Yes, using URL parameters you can change the way SuperContainer displays a file in a browser/web viewer. Please see the documentation here for instructions on how to hide the delete button amongst other appearance customizations.
No, SuperContainer includes a companion plug-in that can be used in FileMaker scripts to interact with SuperContainer Server directly. Please see the documentation for the companion plugin here for further explanation of its functions.
Basically, you will need to transfer the files that SuperContainer hosts to the new machine. It will be easiest to copy the entire 'Files' folder from the old server and transfer it to the new machine and place it where you want SuperContainer to look for files. If you are using a non-default location, you will want to also transfer over the web.xml file to replace the new one that gets created when you run the installer. If you are using the standalone, you can either transfer over the .jar file to the new server or required changes in the options menu.
Yes! Both the server application and the companion plugin support Web Direct.
While SuperContainer can create thumbnails of common image formats, not all deployment options support file types outside of this. In order to get thumbnail previews of PDFs and other file types, you must deploy SuperContainer with the Standalone .jar file on a Mac. This is because this deployment can leverage the Core Image library that is native to the Mac OS.
Need help setting up one of our products?
We are experts in FileMaker, Java, and Amazon Web Services. If you need a customized plugin, modifications to an existing plugin, or full plugin and web-app integration services, we can perform these services for you. Please reach out to us to discuss your solution needs and create an estimate.