General Inlay Deep Dive

In this episode, we take a practical look at how Inlay extends FileMaker with native tools for S3-compatible object storage, media processing, network diagnostics, SMPTE timecode, caching, and workstation activation.

Rather than moving important workflow logic into separate helper apps or external services, Inlay brings these capabilities directly into FileMaker scripts. The goal is to help developers build more reliable production workflows while keeping storage, media, diagnostics, and automation logic close to the solution itself.

What this deep dive covers

This episode walks through the core pieces needed to build a production-ready Inlay workflow:

• Creating reusable S3 storage profiles with Inlay_S3_SET_CONFIG
• Installing and verifying FFmpeg tools with Inlay_INSTALL_FFMPEG and Inlay_CHECK_FFMPEG
• Diagnosing endpoint latency with Inlay_CONNECTION_DIAG
• Inspecting local media before upload or processing
• Reading video metadata for duration, frame, and stream details
• Normalizing and calculating SMPTE timecode
• Running background transcodes for proxies, web-ready MP4s, and poster frames
• Verifying object integrity with SHA-256 checks
• Pre-warming local cache for frequently accessed cloud assets
• Activating a workstation with Inlay_REGISTER_LICENSE

Why it matters

FileMaker solutions often grow beyond what FileMaker provides out of the box. Storage, media processing, diagnostics, and automation usually end up living in scripts, helper apps, cloud functions, or services outside the FileMaker environment.

Inlay is designed to reduce that fragmentation.

By exposing these capabilities as native FileMaker functions, developers can build workflows that are easier to reason about, easier to deploy, and easier to support in production.

Who this is for

This deep dive is intended for FileMaker developers, consultants, and production teams who need to work with cloud storage, media files, timecode, diagnostics, or automated processing without pushing critical logic outside their FileMaker solution.