using images as buttons on forms

[Guest]

Hello,
I'm working on an Access application and since it will run on a touch screen
system I need to have lots of buttons to let user to access all of the
functionality of the application itself. Button command doesn't look so great
and they are very little customizable so I would prefer creating images to be
used as buttons on forms.
You may know that whichever software you use to create images, when it comes
to export it will always be exported as a square or rectangle, even if it is
only a simple round. So the first think that needs to be done is to set the
canvas color in the software you are using to create the graphic to match
PERFECTLY the background color of the form were the image has to be used
(unless you want to provide to surround the image with a border) . I have
used essentially two way to go through this:
- first I simply have taken the RGB values and used to set the canvas color;
- second I took a screen snapshot of the form; open it in fireworks and used
the eye dropper to pick the color of the canvas.
Both method worked fine. But while testing the application on different
machine it may happen that he images doesn't blend nicely with the background
color of the form anymore (!). How can I overcome this? Do you have
suggestions on were I can study how to manage this kind of issue with colors
in Access?

Last: what is the best image format to use graphics as buttons? I will say
..bmp. I'm I right?

Thanks in advance!!
Rocco

 

[Ken Snell \(MVP\)]

So the first think that needs to be done is to set the
canvas color in the software you are using to create the graphic to match
PERFECTLY the background color of the form were the image has to be used
(unless you want to provide to surround the image with a border) . I have
used essentially two way to go through this:
- first I simply have taken the RGB values and used to set the canvas
color;
- second I took a screen snapshot of the form; open it in fireworks and
used
the eye dropper to pick the color of the canvas.
Both method worked fine. But while testing the application on different
machine it may happen that he images doesn't blend nicely with the
background
color of the form anymore (!). How can I overcome this?

The number -2147483633 represents the "default" back color that ACCESS will
use, based on the individual PC's settings and operating system colors.
Unless you're using a different back color value for the section that
contains the control....

Last: what is the best image format to use graphics as buttons? I will say
.bmp. I'm I right?

Best to use .bmp image files as the picture image for a command button.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply!
Actually, I'm not using an image on a button control. I'm using just an
image that WILL ACT as a button (ie. user click on the image and an action is
fired). Using a custom image ON a button control will rise LOTS of trouble
given the *sort of* 3D aspect of the control, unless you can deal with
transparency which AFAIK is possible only in Access 2007.
My trouble is matching the image background color to the of the form
background color. Even using the same RGB values, the form background color
can be rendered different the image background color on same pcs. Cannot
understand why...
I hope it is clearer now...

 

[Ken Snell \(MVP\)]

..bmp image file is still the best file type to use for image controls.

I don't have any other experience with what you're trying to achieve for the
background color. Perhaps try going the other way -- set the Back Color
property of the section of the form to the back color of the image?
Otherwise, you're probably going to have a difficult time trying to match
colors for this purpose.