Using First Look Pro 4 on Multiple Computers

Version 4 of First Look Pro was completely rewritten to make it more reliable, faster, and more oriented toward being used on multiple computers connected over a network. First Look Pro now features extensive database management tools, mutual aid management, and data synchronization between computers.

Differences between First Look Pro 3 and First Look Pro 4

The way you set up First Look Pro 4 to be used on multiple computers is significantly different from First Look Pro 3. In First Look Pro 4, you now have the ability to synchronize your First Look Pro data between all the computers on your network that are running First Look Pro. You can make changes to your First Look Pro data on any of your mobile computers and easily update all your other First Look Pro computers to also have those changes.  There is even a convenient “backup” feature you can use to copy data to computers that are not networked together. For these features to work properly in Version 4, you must establish one First Look Pro installation on your network to be the Master and all the other computers running First Look Pro become Clients.

One of the most important differences is how diagrams and photographs are attached and stored by First Look Pro 4. When you attached a diagram or photograph to a record in First Look Pro 3, all that was stored was the path to locate that file. All the separate diagram and photograph files had to be manually copied, along with the First Look Pro database files, to each computer. This made it difficult to set up and maintain First Look Pro on multiple computers, because you had to be very careful to copy each file (and there could be thousands of them) to the exact same file folder location on every computer! If diagram or photo files were not copied, or were copied to the wrong folder, they would not show up in First Look Pro 3.

With its new SQL database format, this is not a problem in First Look Pro 4. Every file you attach (such as diagrams, photographs, documents, or .pdf files) is incorporated directly into the First Look Pro 4 database file. If you want to back up your First Look Pro 4 data, or copy it to another computer, you simply copy the database file and all the attachments automatically are included with it. This makes setting up additional First Look Pro stations and maintaining all your data much easier.

SQL Server Express imposes a 4 gb file size on the First Look Pro database file, which is large enough to hold tens of thousands of records with images. We do not recommend attaching very high resolution digital photographs, however, as this can increase the size of your database dramatically and slow down synchronization, without really providing any benefit.  When very large images are attached to a First Look Pro record, the program will automatically compress the images to reduce their size. This option can be disabled in First Look Pro Preferences, if you wish.