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Sacred Bear StudiosHi all :)
So, I own two smart phones (an Iphone and a Galaxy) and two tablets (again, an Ipad and a Galaxy), and of all the wondeful apps out there, I haven't been able to find ANYTHING that allows you to create a "scrapbook" style page template, take a picture and apply the pic to the page template, then enter info spreadsheet style and apply it to the page as well, ultimately for the purpose of creating a catalog of one's collection.
has anyone come acrooss an app like that, or is anyone here an app developer?
THX, BMB
Sacred Bear StudiosAfter some more research, I think it might be possible to adapt a "scrapbooking" app to do what I want, so I have a redacted question-
if there's anyone here who uses scrapbooking apps, can you recommend one that may be flexible enough to do what I want? (preferrably android based, as my ipad is a 1st gen with no camera) has anyone used a scrapbooking app to create a catalog?
PennsylvaniaThere is a program called FileMaker.
It is a database application for cataloging and organizing information. It does the same thing as Microsoft Access only it's a lot easier to use and it's better, too.
If you're not familiar with the concept of how a database works, imagine a card catalog in a library.
You have a series of cards in a drawer. Each card has specific information on it, written in a standard format:
Author, Title, Description, Catalog Number, Location, etc.
To find a particular book, you go through the card catalog and search for an author's name, for instance. When you find that card, you can use it to look up information about that book and, if you want to read that book, you can see where it is located in the stacks. You can organize cards by any of the categories, by author, by title, by type of book, etc.
Now, take that concept and translate it to the computer.
Each card in the catalog is called a "record." Each record contains lines of information called "fields."
To manage your database, you create a new record for each item you want to keep track of and enter the pertinent information into the fields. When you have a series of records, the computer keeps track of them and allows you to search, sort, select and organize your data by any criteria you want.
Using our card catalog analogy, if you only want to see records for books whose genre is "fiction," you can select that. If you only want books by a certain author, you select that. If you want books with certain words in the description, the computer will show them to you. You can also select books by multiple criteria such as "books by a certain author with a particular word in the title."
If you have ever used the computer at a library to find a book, you have used a database program. In fact, most libraries, these days, don't use card catalogs anymore and, if you want to find a book, you have to use the computer.
So, let's translate this to wrangling your Bear collection...
Your database will contain records (virtual index cards) which, in turn, contain a series of fields to hold information about your Bears.
Let's say...
Bear's Name, Manufacturer, Style Number, Size, Color, Fur Type, Date Adopted and comments. If you want to add a picture, there is a way to add that, too.
Once you enter all your Bears into the database, your "Bear Family Album" is complete. Now, you can search by any criteria. You can select, sort, view and edit your list. If you add new Bears, you can create new records.
FileMaker is a program that allows you to create such a database and format it any way you want. You can determine what information is in the database. You can determine how it is laid out. You can create multiple views of that information for accessing your data for different purposes. (e.g. "Browse," "Edit," "Print."
FileMaker started out as a program for desktop and laptop computers but they have versions for iPad and iPhone.
The app I believe you want is called "Bento for iPad."
See it here: http://www.filemaker.com/products/bento/for-ipad/
Bento can be a fairly complex program to learn and operate but you can use ready-made templates to get started with. You can edit those templates to suit your particular needs. If you have a desktop/laptop computer, you can even share/sync your database between devices.
FileMaker/Bento is a paid program but I believe it is the best application for keeping track of things.
I use it to catalog my camera collection.
I have over 100 cameras in my collection and several hundred photography related items, too.
I can recall information on any of them and I know where everything is stored. It know the condition and value of every item. I would never be able to manage my collection without FileMaker.
We also have a catalog for our Bears.
If I need to know anything about a Bear, when we adopted him, where he came from or anything, I can look them up in a few minutes.
You will need some time to learn the program but it is the most powerful and flexible database system out there.
Do check it out! 
Sacred Bear StudiosThanks for the info...I am familiar with both Mac and PC based DB. The problem is that we're talking about a collection of over 300 that would need to be compiled all at once- a monumental task even under ideal circumstances. If i had to use a PC based DB, it would require me to use a stand-alone camera, then move my files by card to the PC, then sort through them one by one as I build the pages.
I really need to find a tablet based program that will allow me to use the built-in camera to take a pic from within the app and automatically apply it to a new page, so I can move through the whole process in a linear fashion instead of sorting out batches.
I know that sounds picky, but I just don't want to take months to do it :/
thanks for the help though, PC-DB isn't completely off the table, but it's a last resort.
PennsylvaniaI don't know all the features and specs of Bento. I use FileMaker Pro. It does the same thing but with different features.
Bento might be able to use the iPad's camera. I don't know for sure.
Bento does allow you to create and edit databases on the iPad. There are lots of templates to get you started.
Yes, no matter what application you use, there is going to be a lot of work doing the setup and data entry. There's really no way around it.
If you have a lot of data in another format, CSV text file, for instance, you can import that data into Bento/FileMaker but you'll have to massage the data into the right format before importing and you'll probably have to tweak your data afterward.
Once the main work of designing the database and entering the data is over, you ought to be able to do anything you want without a lot of work.
Sacred Bear Studiosok, thanks....I'll check Bento out. Is Filemaker also a tablet app?
PennsylvaniaFileMaker Pro is a desktop application but it can publish your database as an HTML/web page.
Anybody on your local, in-home network can access your data and edit if you give permission via passwords.
There is also a companion app for the iPad called "FileMaker Go" which allows you to share FileMaker databases on your iPad.
I have experience making and using databases in FileMaker Pro and I have experience sharing them via HTML.
I'm sorry but I don't have direct experience using Bento or FileMaker Go. I have only read about them.
FileMaker costs $299.00 and up, depending on the features you want. FileMaker Go is free with the purchase.
Bento for desktop only cost $49.99 and Bento for iPad only costs $9.99.
I'm guessing that you need to make a basic "flat" database.
You don't need to make a "relational database." Correct?
You don't need to use web sharing or multiple users. Right?
It seems to me that you don't need the full feature set of FileMaker and that Bento would probably give you everything you need.
If you don't need to use your database on a desktop/laptop computer, I bet Bento for iPad would do the job you need.
Sacred Bear Studioscorrect, I just need to hammer out a basic serializable "skeleton" laytout.....basically a photo box in the upper left corner, then just tab-selectable empty text fields with fixed header lines, what I want to do ideally is open the application on my tablet, snap a picture (from a command within the app) which will then automatically apply the pic to a new page, from there allowing me to tab down and type in text into the appropriate feilds, save the page and move on to the next page....lather, rinse, repeate.
wishful thinking, I'm sure, but there must be a market for an app like that, for those of us who don't need "bells and whistles", just a simple indexable record for our physical collections. There ARE apps for cataloging "media" collections (comic books, music albums, ect.) but those are based on UPC/SKU entries and don't allow attachment of a picture file.
PennsylvaniaDon't know exactly how it works on the iPad but, on my desktop, FileMaker can import photos from any source that your computer can read.
Typically, I take photos with a digicam then store them in a folder on my hard drive. Then I put those into FileMaker.
FileMaker can either "embed" the photo (store it as part of the database file) or "link" to the file. (store only a reference to the original file which lives some place else on your computer.) The difference is that embedding the photos makes your database file get really large. Linking the files makes for smaller files but, if you ever move those pictures to another location or, God forbid, the ever get deleted, you lose access to those pictures through FileMaker.
I don't see why you couldn't take pictures with the digicam in your iPad and store them as part of your iPhoto collection then link to them from Bento or FileMaker.
That way you save space on you iPad and you can still look at them using iPhoto. You'll be able to make double use of those pictures, then. Just transfer them to a gallery or folder that you know not to delete, rename or move.
Bento for iPhone might be able to import directly through the iPad's digicam but I don't know for sure. That's something we'd have to research before I can give an answer.
Sacred Bear StudiosI'm gonna look into Bento for Android (my Ipad is 1st gen, which has no camera)....I think Filemaker is out of the question (unless I can steal a decent crack-off on P2P) $300 is way too much to spend considering my basic need.
will be awhile before I can mess with that anyway, I've got a bear project underway that will be keeping me occupied for awhile 
PennsylvaniaI got FileMaker only because I used it for work. I needed a copy on my own computer in order to work at home.
My boss bought the 5-seat license package. They were only using four of the seats. We made a deal. He gave me one of the licenses in exchange for occasionally being able to ask me to work at home.
I know that FileMaker can import files from Bento but I don't know about Bento's ability to import FileMaker databases.
I THINK it can work, provided you don't use any FileMaker features that Bento doesn't understand.
I'd have to check to be sure.
I am working on creating an app for just this purpose. Please take a look my post all about it where I am also asking for help in determining exactly what people would like to see in such an app. Thanks 
Teddy Bear Collector iPhone/iPad App Brainstorming & Crowdsourcing
I am working on creating an app for just this purpose. Please take a look my post all about it where I am also asking for help in determining exactly what people would like to see in such an app. Thanks
Teddy Bear Collector iPhone/iPad App Brainstorming & Crowdsourcing
It has been a long time since I mentioned that I was working on a bear collector app. Now, a few big projects later, I finally was able to spend some time creating what I hope is a useful app for bear collectors. It is called Teddy Bear Collector. I have also become one of the forum's sponsors in an effort to help promote it. My soon-to-be wife and I both had extensive bear collections prior to meeting each other, and as you can well imagine, things have progressed from there absent what I call "family planning". Trips to our favourite bear buying store often end with "Oh why not? Let's just get it."
I created this app so that people can simply and easily share their bears, while also keeping a handy catalogue of their collection for their own reference. I won't bore potential readers with the details, but it is available for iOS for now, but given enough interest, I could flex my Android muscles and get it on that platform too.
I am a very nimble software developer and my skin is tough enough to handle criticism, so if anyone has any issues with it or wants to make a suggestion, I am all ears and ready to help.
Sacred Bear StudiosHey James, THANK YOU for creating this app....if need be, I'll dig my old 3Gs from the graveyard, but I would much rather use my Note 4 for that purpose. Please do write an Android version, there's a much bigger market there than IOS (and better camera/editing options too)
~CHEERS!!
Hey James, THANK YOU for creating this app....if need be, I'll dig my old 3Gs from the graveyard, but I would much rather use my Note 4 for that purpose. Please do write an Android version, there's a much bigger market there than IOS (and better camera/editing options too)
~CHEERS!!
Hi Blackmoon,
You are most welcome!
I will look into the Android version. Will keep you posted.
Android version has been built and is beginning testing as I write this. Should be live sometime next week. Not too late to get in a last minute feature request if it is simple enough.
