You could have a plugin developed or design an MS Access form to drop a graphic user interface onto the Crates table, so that your packers can manage the data via and alternate GUI.

I personally prefer intranet/browser based solutions.

Blog: www.petrovay.com/tmsblog

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rob Morgan
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Crates as objects or containers

Hello David,

I don’t know if there is a better solution. We manage our crates via the crates table, but the GUI only accesses the crates table from locations or shipment steps. So, I end up going directly into the Crates table (from the backend) and manage the crate data and print reports as needed. It’s difficult for our packer to manage crates via the GUI.

What I would love is a Crates module that directly accesses the fields in the Crates table.

- Rob (Baltimore)

From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Aylsworth, David
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Crates as objects or containers

Does anyone else out there create object records for crates? We started doing this a few years ago, mostly so we could put them into a “Crates” department and allow our art handlers to create, edit, and delete records as they were needed. They also can link the objects that belong in that crate to the crate, and link images of the crate to the record.

Obviously this partially duplicates the function of the “containers” in the shipping module, and our exhibition registrars will often make duplicate records so that they can manage the crates in a shipment while our art handlers can manage the crates as empty things needing to be schlepped around town.

We’re not happy with the duplication, but being able to keep track of the locations of an empty crate seems really difficult to do if it’s not an object in itself.

Has anyone else managed a more elegant solution?

Thanks,

David

David Aylsworth

Collections Registrar

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

telephone: 713-639-7824

fax: 713-639-7780