Bound object frames

[Pat Hartman]

A2010 full and runtime/various versions of Windows from XP to Win7.

Does anyone know the trick to getting the BOUND object frame to show a .jpg? I can get it to show a spreadsheet but for .jpg's, it just shows an icon. I thought it had something to do with which program is registered to open .jpg files but I've tried every one I could think of and not been able to get this to work.

I can't use the attachment data type since that isn't supported by SQL so it has to be the OLE Object.

I know storing graphics bloats the database but there will only be a few dozen of them and I don't want them as separate external files because that causes distribution and security issues (these are signature files).

I posted this under forms but I'm sure I'm going to have the same problem with reports when I get to that point.

 

[Simon_MT]

The best way is to assign the image file to an Image control.

Function GetPicture()
    With CodeContextObject
        If GetPictureExist = True Then
            .[ImageControl].Visible = True
            .[ImageControl].Picture = GetPicturePath
        Else
            .[ImageControl].Visible = False
        End If
    End With
End Function

OR

Store the entire image file name of the form and then in the Control source put =[ImageFile] this is Access 2007 and as I developed in Access 1997 I haven't used this method as it was unavailable.

Simon

 

[Pat Hartman]

I am trying to use a BOUND control. Also, the code you posted doesn't compile so you are not using VBA objects.

 

[ChrisO]

Pat.

If they can be converted to monochrome bitmaps they can be inserted directly using ‘Create from file’.

Chris.

 

[Pat Hartman]

I have added the signatures to the table. The problem is that they display as icons rather than graphics. If I replace the signature jpg with a random xls file, the spreadsheet shows just the way it should.

 

[ChrisO]

Pat.

Does the attachment work for you?

Chris.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Thanks Chris. It works perfectly. I now need to figure out what is different about mine. What is the file type of your files and how did you load them? Mine are .jpg and I was using the shortcut menu (right click) to add them.

 

[ChrisO]

Hi Pat.

They are monochrome bitmaps (quite small) and were inserted using ‘Create from file’.

Chris.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Thanks Chris. The problem seems to be with jpg's. I loaded my jpg into your app and it only displayed the icon so I converted the files to .bmp and that solved the problem. The bmp's are 10 times the size of the jpg's but I only have about two dozen to add so I'm hoping the database doesn't bloat too much.

 

[Simon_MT]

Pat,

My fault: First I establish where the images are stored

Function GetPictureDir() As String
    GetPictureDir = Forms![Menu]![Image Directory]
End Function

Then associate the image location with the imagefile from a query

Function GetPicturePath()
    With CodeContextObject
        GetPicturePath = GetPictureDir & .[Image File]
    End With
End Function

Then establish if an image exists:

Function GetPictureExist()
        If Dir(GetPicturePath) <> Empty Then
            GetPictureExist = -1
        Else
            GetPictureExist = 0
        End If
End Function

Then render the image Form > OnCurrent

Function GetPicture()
    With CodeContextObject
        If GetPictureExist = True Then
            .[ImageControl].Visible = True
            .[ImageControl].Picture = GetPicturePath
        Else
            .[ImageControl].Visible = False
        End If
    End With
End Function

Simon

 

[ChrisO]

Pat.

If you don’t need colour information in the signatures then convert them to monochrome bitmaps and they will be about the same size as a jpeg.

The jpegs I converted from were 4k and the monochrome bitmaps I converted to were 5k.

Chris.

 

[Pat Hartman]

@Chris, your samples were not good enough to use as signatures but I'll see if I have some software with the option to save as b&w and if that degrades the quality too much. I knew bmp's were huge, that's why I started with jpg's. I wish I knew why the jpg's won't render but I've wasted enough time on this problem so I'm moving on. There's not enough signature files to cause a problem so I can live with the bmp's even though they are huge in comparison to the jpg's.

Anyone who can tell me "why" bmp works and jpg doesn't gets a beer.

@Simon, thanks but I am using a BOUND control. That means that the actual file is stored in a field in the table. You are trying to solve a different problem.