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Imaging Seminar Lessons Welcome to Access Imaging. Total running time is 3 Hours 32 Minutes. Lessons
AddendumsSource CodeIn the seminar, I make use of a function called LaunchCD to pick a file. There is a better method now available to select a file. Use the new PickFile code. It's very easy to use and fairly self explanatory. I'm including links to both functions here: Resources
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Questions?Please feel free to post your questions or comments below. If you have questions about a specific lesson, please specify the lesson number and the time index in the lesson where the issue occurs. Thank you! Subscribe for UpdatesIf you would like to be notified whenever changes are made to this page, new lessons are posted, or comments are made, click on the subscribe button.
IntroIn this seminar, you will learn how to efficiently use images and graphics in your Microsoft Access databases, including embedding and linking objects like images, Word documents, and Excel files. We will cover using the image control, creating shared image folders, browsing for and copying images, editing files with external tools like Microsoft Paint, and displaying images from web servers. You will also learn about the Access 2007 attachment data type, handling OLE objects, binding images to records, using VBA to automate image tasks, and tips for sharing images across networked databases. These lessons are designed for those with basic Microsoft Access experience.TranscriptWelcome to the Microsoft Access Imaging Seminar brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor, Richard Rost.The seminar focuses on teaching you how to use images and graphics efficiently in your Access databases. Today, we are going to start by learning how to embed objects in our databases. These objects can be graphics or images, but they could also be other file types like Word documents or Excel spreadsheets. All of these types of objects can be embedded into our databases. We can also link to them by storing them outside the databases and just saving a reference to them, linking them into our database. We will learn how to work with these non-image objects like Word documents, but our main focus will be on using images and graphics. So, we will study the image control extensively. We will learn how to use the image control to display an image that is not stored in our database. We will create a shared folder to store all of our images in. This shared folder can be on your PC or could be on a network file server. As long as the images are somewhere that all of the users of the database are going to have access to, we can display those images in our Access forms and reports. I will show you how to browse the network or your computer to select a file, select an image, and then copy that image into our shared imaging folder. Our goal here is to create a central repository for images that are not stored in the database because the bigger the database gets, the less efficient it gets. If you have thousands and thousands of records, whether you are working with employees or products, as your database starts to get more and more images in it, it is going to get slow and really clumsy. We will also see how to edit those images. We will make a button you can click on that will launch Microsoft Paint, which comes with Windows, to edit the images even though they are not stored in the database. I will show you how to use the Microsoft Web Browser control to display images from a web server. If an image is on the web, you can use it in your Access forms and reports. Finally, I will teach you about the new attachment data type that is new with Access 2007 that you can use to store not only images, but also any kind of file - again, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, all those things - right in each record in your database. In lesson one, we are going to go over all the different types of objects in Microsoft Access. We will talk about images versus OLE objects, bound versus unbound objects, linking versus embedding, and when and when not to store objects in your database. We will also talk about the new Access 2007 attachments feature. In lesson two, we are going to set up and create our database file. I will show you a couple of customizations that I prefer, and I will talk a little bit about setting up a trusted location. In lesson three, we are going to build a quick employee table and a form to go with it, so we can start working with OLE objects. In lesson four, we are going to talk about embedded OLE objects. We are going to insert some pictures into the OLE object fields in our table and in our forms. We will talk about displaying the icon versus the full image, and when that happens, we will see how to edit or display that image in the full editor, changing the registered program type in case you want some other application to open up your image when you double-click on it, and we will see the difference between Zoom, Clip, and Stretch. In lesson five, we will talk about linking OLE objects into your database. We will talk about some file folder considerations, and why you should set up a shared network folder for your linked OLE objects if you want to share these images and other objects across the network with different users who are using the database. In lesson six, we are going to take a look at some other types of OLE objects. We can drop Excel spreadsheet fragments or whole files into our Access OLE fields. We can drop Word documents, and we will see how to make an employee report real quick and address some issues with that. In lesson seven, we will talk about unbound OLE objects. Those are objects that are stored at the form or report level. I will show you how to take a popular Excel sheet and bind it to a form so that all of your database users can work with it. In lesson eight, we are continuing with unbound OLE objects. In this lesson, I will show you how to embed a corporate logo into one form and have that automatically displayed in multiple forms and reports without having multiple copies of it, so it keeps your database small. The users can still edit that logo without having to contact the database designer. That is you. In lesson nine, we are going to start working with the image control. We will insert a basic image into our form. I will show you how to manipulate the picture property using VB code. We will load an image up from our drive or from our shared network folder. We will change the image using a button and some VB. I will show you how to load a different image when the form loads. That way, you don't have to save any images inside the form code itself. We will see how to use an empty image control box. In lesson ten, we are going to continue working with the image control. I am going to show you how to use the image control and change the image using Visual Basic code as we move from employee to employee. We are only going to store the file name of the picture in the table. So as we move from record to record, the picture will change. We will do that in VB code. The benefit is we are not saving any pictures in our database. In lesson eleven, I am going to show you how you can use the common dialog control that is found in Access 2003 and earlier to browse your hard drive or your network files and pick a file to be stored in the database. In lesson twelve, I am going to show you another way to use a common dialog DLL (dynamic link library) to browse for a file and select it. This will work for any version of Microsoft Access and it does not require any ActiveX controls. In lesson thirteen, we are going to take on a little project. We are going to copy any files, any images selected by our user, up to the file server. So, if you pick an image that is located on your C drive and your local computer and you want to put that in the database, we are going to copy it up to the file server and store it there. This is part one of that. In lesson fourteen, we are continuing with copying files to our server, our images folder. We are going to write a function called getFileNameOnly, which will take a full path name and separate out just the file name so we can store that in our images folder and display that in our form. In lesson fifteen, we are going to determine if that file actually needs to be copied up to the server or if we are already working there. If we are not already in the shared data images folder, we need to copy it from wherever we are up to the server, so everyone has access to it. In lesson sixteen, we are still copying files up to our server. There is a lot to do. We are going to ask if they want to copy the file if it already exists. If you have already got a rick.jpg in your shared images folder, do you want to copy another one? We are going to learn about the DIR function, the directory function, to see if a file exists. Optionally, we will make the employee ID part of the file name. So, if you are looking at a file called 9-rick.jpg, you know that is employee number nine. Now with any complex database comes error handling. In lesson seventeen, we will talk about some issues that come up when the user clicks cancel when selecting a file, when they pick a non-image file type like a text file, or if they move or rename some of the images in your shared images folder. We will discuss how we are going to deal with that. You might want to give your end user the ability to edit the pictures in your database, which is easy to do using image controls. I am going to show you how to use the shell command to allow users to edit pictures using MS Paint. Going back to OLE objects, if you want to embed an OLE object like a picture or a text file or something into an OLE field, we can do that with VBA code. We will make a pick object button, browse to an object (any object: picture, text file, whatever), and then, using VBA code (three lines of code), we will embed that object right into our form or our table. You might have a repository of images that are on web servers. In this lesson, I am going to show you how to display images in your Access database that are located on the web. In lesson twenty-one, we are going to look at the new attachments type that was added in Access 2007, where you can attach pictures, Word documents, and other files right into your tables in your database. Prerequisites: In this class, I am going to assume that you know the basics of Microsoft Access, essentially the material I cover in my basic series 101 to 104. I am not going to take the time to explain simple things like how to make a table or create a form. I am going to assume you understand the basics. My Access 200 series intermediate classes are certainly recommended and my Access 300 series, which is advanced stuff including VBA coding, will be helpful. There will be a lot of VBA programming in this seminar, but you do not have to understand how all of it works to make your database work. I will cover all of the VBA code that I use in the seminar, step by step, so that you can see what I am doing. If you just want to copy it line for line, that is okay too. As long as you get it to work for your database, that is what is important. If you have no prior programming experience, that is okay. You should still be able to follow the seminar. Versions used: I am going to be using Microsoft Access 2007 for most of the videos in the seminar. However, 90 percent of the material is exactly the same, regardless of what version of Access you are using. If you are using Access 2003 or 2000, you should be able to follow along with me. Some of the screens are a little bit different, and if they are really different, I will show you the differences using Access 2003. Some of the features, like the new attachments data type, are only available in Access 2007, but that is a small portion of the material covered. The lesson on the common dialog control that lets you pick a file is only valid for Access 2003 and earlier, but I will show you a workaround for Access 2007. Basically, if you have Access 2000 or later, you should be just fine with the seminar. I have not tested it for Access 1997. I also have not tested it with the new Access 2010 yet, but that has not been released as of the time of this video. As soon as 2010 comes out, I will try the lessons in that version as well. I strongly recommend that you relax, sit back, and watch all the lessons one time through without doing anything. Then, watch the lessons a second time following along and build the database that I build. You will get the most out of these lessons if you follow along with me. Do not try to apply what you learn in my seminar immediately to your database. Build my database and you will get a lot more out of it. There are some sample database files that are associated with this course in case you want to download those and look at them. You can also copy the source code out of the databases or right off my webpage. There is going to be some code that you are not going to want to sit here and type line by line, nor should you have to. In the lessons where that source code or sample database files are available, I will put the web address up on the screen in that lesson. If you have questions while you are following along with the lessons, I strongly recommend that you post your questions in the student interaction forums. If you are watching this seminar using my custom video player software or if you are watching online in my interactive theater, you will see a little window pop up next to the video called the Student Interaction forums. There, you can post your questions and read other questions that other students might have posted. That is the best way to learn: interact with me and other students in the forums. If you are watching this course offline, if you are not connected to the web, go to my website when you have a chance at AccessLearningZone.com and look for the forums. QuizQ1. What is the primary focus of the Microsoft Access Imaging Seminar?A. Using VBA advanced programming in Access B. Efficiently using images and graphics in Access databases C. Creating custom queries and reports D. Migrating databases to the cloud Q2. Which statement best describes embedding in the context of Access databases? A. Storing images and objects inside the Access database file itself B. Creating links to images on a web server C. Only referencing external documents without storing them D. Using only text-based objects in Access Q3. What is the advantage of storing images in a shared folder instead of in the Access database? A. It increases database file size for backup purposes B. It makes the database run faster and easier to manage C. It prevents all users from accessing the images D. It restricts images to one user at a time Q4. What tool does the seminar demonstrate to allow editing of images stored in a shared folder? A. Microsoft Word B. Microsoft Excel C. Microsoft Paint D. PowerPoint Q5. What is the Microsoft Access Image Control primarily used for? A. Embedding images inside tables B. Creating forms and reports only C. Displaying images that are not stored in the database D. Converting images to text Q6. What does the new Attachment data type (introduced in Access 2007) allow you to do? A. Store hyperlinks to images only B. Store only text data C. Attach images and other files directly to each database record D. Share images over the web automatically Q7. In which lesson will you begin building an employee table and a form to work with OLE objects? A. Lesson one B. Lesson two C. Lesson three D. Lesson five Q8. What is an OLE object in Microsoft Access? A. Only a Word document B. Any non-text object, such as images, spreadsheets, or documents, that can be stored or linked in Access C. Only images from web servers D. Only files larger than 1MB Q9. Which of the following is a reason NOT to embed many images within your Access database? A. Access cannot handle image files B. Embedded images can make databases large and slow C. Images cannot be used in reports D. Access only supports embedding text files Q10. When linking OLE objects for shared access, what is an important recommendation made in the seminar? A. Use compressed files only B. Store files in a shared network folder C. Always embedded everything D. Never use image files Q11. What is the difference between bound and unbound objects in Access? A. Bound objects are linked to form controls; unbound are not B. Bound objects are stored in tables or queries, unbound objects exist only at the form or report level C. Bound objects can only be images; unbound can only be documents D. There is no difference Q12. What technique allows changing the displayed image as you move from record to record in a form, without storing the images in the database? A. Embedding images using OLE fields B. Storing only the file name and dynamically loading the image using VB code C. Printing the image files separately D. Exporting images to Excel Q13. What feature is demonstrated for choosing a file on any version of Access, with no ActiveX control requirement? A. Using the old common dialog control B. Using a custom DLL for file browsing C. Embedding each image in a form object D. Only using images on C drive Q14. When a file with the same name already exists in the shared images folder, how does the seminar suggest handling it? A. Always overwrite it B. Ask the user whether to copy the new file C. Rename the existing file automatically D. Ignore the conflict Q15. What does the 'getFileNameOnly' function described in the seminar do? A. Checks if a file exists in a folder B. Extracts just the file name from a full pathname C. Compresses image files D. Duplicates a file Q16. What is a suggested practice for editing images within the Access database setup described? A. Only database administrators can edit images B. Users can use the shell command to open MS Paint from Access C. Export images to Word to edit D. Never allow users to edit images Q17. If you want to display an image from a web server in Access, which tool is recommended? A. The OLE image field exclusively B. Microsoft Web Browser control C. Only bound controls D. The Attachments data type only Q18. According to the seminar, what is the best way to get the most out of the lessons? A. Apply the lessons immediately to your own database as you watch B. Watch all lessons once, then a second time follow along with the database build C. Only skim the material quickly D. Ignore sample database files Q19. What does the seminar recommend if you have questions during the lessons? A. Contact Microsoft support directly B. Post questions in the Student Interaction forums C. Email the instructor only D. Wait until after finishing the lessons to ask Q20. What is the general prerequisite knowledge for this seminar? A. SQL Server management B. Basic knowledge of Microsoft Access (101-104 series) C. HTML and web development D. No computer experience needed Answers: 1-B; 2-A; 3-B; 4-C; 5-C; 6-C; 7-C; 8-B; 9-B; 10-B; 11-B; 12-B; 13-B; 14-B; 15-B; 16-B; 17-B; 18-B; 19-B; 20-B DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks. SummaryToday's video from Access Learning Zone covers the Microsoft Access Imaging Seminar. I am Richard Rost, and in this seminar, I will explain how you can effectively incorporate images and other graphics into your Access databases.Our main focus is on using images and graphics, but I will also cover how to work with additional file types. You will learn how to embed objects such as graphics, images, Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets into your databases, as well as how to link to files by storing them outside the database while saving only a reference. Both of these techniques are valuable, and we will explore them in depth. Although we will discuss working with non-image objects like Word documents, the majority of our time will be devoted to mastering the image control in Access. I will show you how to display images that are not actually stored in the database. One of the first steps will be creating a shared folder for your images, either on your local PC or a network file server. The essential requirement is that all database users can access this location. This approach keeps your database streamlined and efficient, particularly if you have thousands of records, as storing too many images inside the database slows things down considerably. You will see how to browse your computer or the network to select an image, and then copy it into your shared imaging folder. By building a central repository for your images, you improve efficiency and performance. I will also show you how to edit images using Microsoft Paint by launching it from inside Access, even if the images themselves are not stored in the database. Another technique we will cover is displaying images from a web server in your forms and reports using the Microsoft Web Browser control. If your images are hosted online, you can integrate them into your database interface easily. A key part of the seminar will be learning about the attachment data type introduced in Access 2007. This lets you store not only images but also files like Word and Excel documents directly in your records. Here's a brief outline of the lessons: Lesson one introduces the various types of objects in Access. You will learn the differences between images and OLE objects, bound and unbound objects, and the choices between linking and embedding. I will also discuss when it is best to store objects in your database and when it is not, as well as introduce the Access 2007 attachments feature. In lesson two, you will build the seminar database file with some key customizations. The lesson also explains how to set up a trusted location in Access. Lesson three involves creating an employee table and a corresponding form, which gives us a base for working with OLE objects. Lesson four examines embedded OLE objects. Here, we practice inserting pictures into OLE object fields and forms, exploring scenarios where only an icon appears versus a full image. We will deal with editing and display options, switching the registered program type for image handling, and compare the Zoom, Clip, and Stretch settings. Lesson five turns to linking OLE objects instead of embedding. I will discuss why setting up a shared folder on the network benefits users and explain important considerations for working with linked files across the network. In lesson six, we expand to other types of OLE objects, such as embedding Excel spreadsheet fragments or entire files and Word documents. You will also create an employee report and look at related challenges. Lesson seven covers unbound OLE objects, which are stored at the form or report level. I will guide you through making an Excel sheet available from a form so all your database users have access. Lesson eight continues with unbound OLE objects, demonstrating how to embed a corporate logo into one form and have it automatically appear in multiple forms and reports. This minimizes redundant file storage and simplifies updates, letting users (such as yourself, the database designer) edit the logo easily. In lesson nine, we tackle the image control. You will learn to insert an image into your form, manipulate the picture property using VBA, load images from your drive or shared folder, and switch images using a button and some code. I will show you how to load a new image each time the form opens without saving images inside the form itself, and how to use an empty image control. Lesson ten takes things further with image controls, using VBA to update the image as you move from record to record in your employee table. Instead of storing the image itself, you will save just the file name, and the VBA will update the display accordingly. This method ensures your database does not get bogged down with stored pictures. Lesson eleven introduces the common dialog control available in Access 2003 and earlier. You will learn to browse your files and select one to store in the database. Lesson twelve presents an alternative for browsing files using a common dialog DLL. This method works in all versions of Access and does not require ActiveX controls. Lesson thirteen features a project where you copy a selected file or image up to your file server from a user's local drive, ensuring all users have access. Lesson fourteen adds to this by creating a function to extract just the file name from a path, so you can display it in your form and organize it efficiently. Lesson fifteen helps you determine whether you need to copy a file to the server or if your image is already there. This ensures files land in the right location for all users. Lesson sixteen discusses what to do when a file with the same name already exists. You will use the DIR function to check for duplicates, and I will show you how to optionally include the employee ID in the file name for clarity. Lesson seventeen addresses error handling. This covers cases where users cancel out of file selection, pick an unsupported file type, or move or rename files in your shared images folder. For editing pictures within the database, I will explain how to employ the shell command to launch MS Paint from Access. Returning to OLE objects, I will show you how to embed various files into OLE fields using VBA. You will create a button to select any object and add it to your form or table with only a few lines of code. If you have images hosted on the web, I will teach you how to display them in your Access database. Later, you will work with the Access 2007 attachments type. This feature allows direct attachment of images, Word docs, and various files into tables. There are some basic prerequisites for this course. Ideally, you will have completed my basic Access series (101 to 104) so you are familiar with tables, queries, forms, and reports. Intermediate Access courses in the 200s are recommended, and if you have dabbled in VBA with my 300 series, that will help as well. However, extensive programming experience is not required — I will show you each bit of VBA used in the seminar, and you are welcome to simply copy the code. Throughout most of the seminar, I will use Access 2007, but nearly all the material is relevant for Access 2000 and 2003 users as well. Where there are significant differences, especially regarding features like attachments and dialog controls, I will point these out. While I have not tested the seminar with Access 1997 or Access 2010 yet, Access 2000 and later should be fully compatible with almost everything we cover. My recommendation is that you first watch all the lessons straight through without trying to build alongside me. After that, watch them a second time and construct the sample database together with me. This approach helps consolidate your learning before you apply these skills to your own projects. You can also download sample database files and the source code from my website. This saves you from typing out long code snippets by hand. If you have questions, I encourage you to use the student interaction forums available with my video player software or online in my interactive theater. There, you can read and post questions and see what other students have contributed, which greatly enhances the learning experience. If you're watching offline, just visit AccessLearningZone.com and look for the forums the next time you are online. You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends. Topic ListEmbedding images and objects in Access databasesLinking to external images and objects Working with non-image OLE objects Using the image control in Access forms Creating a shared image storage folder Copying images to a shared network folder Editing images with Microsoft Paint from Access Displaying web images in Access using Web Browser control Using the attachment data type in Access 2007 Images vs OLE objects in Access Bound vs unbound objects in Access Linking vs embedding objects in Access When to store objects inside the database Setting up a trusted location in Access Building an employee table and form for OLE objects Inserting and displaying OLE object images Configuring icon vs full image display in OLE fields Changing registered programs for OLE objects Understanding Zoom, Clip, and Stretch image modes Linking OLE objects with file folder strategies Using shared folders for linked OLE images Storing Excel or Word files as OLE objects Creating quick reports with embedded OLE data Using unbound OLE objects in forms and reports Embedding a single corporate logo in multiple forms Dynamically displaying and changing form images with VBA Storing only file names of images in tables Loading images for each record using VBA Using common dialog control to browse for files in Access Using DLLs to enable open file dialogs in Access Copying user-selected images to the file server Extracting file names from full path strings Determining if an image needs to be copied to the server Checking if a file already exists before copying Appending employee ID to image file names Error handling for file selection and image issues Launching MS Paint to edit images from Access Embedding objects in OLE fields using VBA Browsing and embedding arbitrary objects with VBA Displaying web server images in Access Using the attachments field to store images and files |
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| Keywords: Access Imaging Seminar PermaLink How To Store, Link, Edit, and Display Images and OLE Objects in Microsoft Access Databases |
