Hi Bob
THE IDEA OF THIS FORUM IS TO GIVE FREE AND UNBIASED ADVICE.
The original question did not mention db size (If you search this forum you
will see many answers on this subject where I have given step-by step method
to reduce files sizes of picture or insert thumbnails.
I noticed that at the bottom of each of your posts you have a link to an
expensive programme (not saying it’s not worth it but at $349 to use on 2 or
more computers, it is expensive). Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong
with that but I think it may be a good idea to inform anyone if you have a
connection the site offering the programme. I tend to offer very simple
answers to questions asked by beginners as there are so many people on this
forum with vastly greater expertise than I have and they are better able to
answer questions of a more detailed type. But I have NEVER given a link to
any website I’m connected with (there are quite a few)
Access picture programmes.
Ok – I do understand that some websites vastly over estimate the bloating of
databases that will be caused by “using†pictures, in forms, reports, etc,
and, in some badly thought out database this may be true. But playing on
inexperienced designers fears of “crashes†is not really very open – when for
example you could simply offer people this link FOR FREE and it will do the
same job and the vast majority of these 3rd party programmes.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/285820/en-us
Below is the link to the main search that will do almost everything it
possible to do with access in relation to pictures (any this is all FREE)
http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=LCID=2057&spid=2509&query=picture&adv=
The companies I work with have looked at many of the sites and have
evaluated many “solutionsâ€. In general (although not all) they tend not to
provide any functionality that even an intermediate access user could produce
with just a little work (and maybe a Google search or two). They are mostly
over priced – we assume that this is a people tend to think “you pay for what
you getâ€. Even when the coding behind them is solid there is “nothingâ€
behind them (other than some html overlaps) that you can’t download for free
from the main ms site.
So- If anyone is reading this who would like to “use†pictures on an access
project my advice would be to be to
1 Create a public module for referencing the picture
2 Create an image box on a form / report
3 Create a field in your source table that contains the path to your picture
4 Link the image box via the module to the table field
5 Remember that you can link as many picture as you want in a form or report
(not just one as most people do).
6 Make a copy of your database and play around with designs. You really can
(simply) produce the same results FOR FREE.
You DON’T need to spend anything other than a little time (to learn the
basics).
To link thumbnails here is a FREE method
You need to save the original picture on your hard drive and simply show a
“thumbnail†Bitmap copy of this on you form that could be used “as-is†or
maybe as a hyperlink to open the main picture (using OnClick)
Make copies of the pictures you want to link to your records (on C Drive /
hard disk) and save them as
ThumbnailPicture1,
ThumbnailPicture2,
ThumbnailPicture3,
etc, (or use the ID of the record in the table)
If you have a picture processing programme such as Photoshop or Photopaint
then use that to resample and convert. If you don’t have one of these
programmes:
1 Click start
2 Click My Pictures (if that’s where they are)
3 Right click the picture and select “Open Withâ€
4 Select Windows Office Picture Manager
5 After the picture is open click the Picture Menu then select Resize
6 Resize your picture to the correct size
7 SaveAS a copy of the original (DON’T JUST SAVE or you will ruin the
original picture)
BMP Windows Bitmap this is best option
GIFF CompuServe Bitmap is also OK
JPEG’s “will†work but they are not really meant for this type of
application REMEMBER that JPEG’s are reducing formats – so each time you
change and save you will lose some resolution.
Create a TEXT field in the table (use this OLE field on your form if you
wish to display the picture on a form with a particular record)
To link your picture thumbnail with the OLE
8 Open the Table that will hold the data /picture (not the form)
9 navigate to the OLE field on the correct record and Right Click
10 Select Insert Object
11 Select Create From File and then Bitmap and then check the Link option
12 Browse to your new thumbnail and select it
13 Click OK
14 View your image on the form
You can use this linked picture in a report as well as in a form.
Some notes on the size of your OLE object – regardless of what anyone will
tell you there is no way of converting pixels to cm’s – which your OLE object
will be sized in, UNLESS you know the size of each pixel or even the screen
resolution and as screens are all different sizes and resolutions this simply
isn’t possible here, so I have given the APPROXIMATE conversions here you
will have to gig about with your thumbnail until it fits your OLE. Better
still save all the thumbnails as size that you’re happy with and resize your
OLE to fit this.
On a screen resolution of 1024 Pixels X 768 (this is standard High Res for a
lap top)
5mm = 118 Pixels or 14.173 Points
1cm = 236 Pixels or 28.346 Points
So you can work out that say 3.5cm would be 827 Pixels or 99.213 Points
