10 months ago

Display Images Without Storing in the Database!

In this video, I'll show you how to display images in your Microsoft Access forms and reports without storing them in your database. Images (or any external files for that matter) can really bloat your database, making it big and slow. Storing the files in an external folder and tracking the location of that file is a much more efficient way to handle images with Microsoft Access.

Haruki from Kawasaki, Japan (a Platinum Member) asks: I would like to be able to print out employee name badges with their name, the company logo, and their picture. What's the best way to do this in Microsoft Access?

Members

Members will see how to use a little VBA code to make a button that we can click on and browse for the filename. This way you don't have to type in or copy/paste the path and file for the picture. Just click, select, done.

Extended Cut Video - Silver
Gold Member Template Download - Gold

Silver Members and up get access to view Extended Cut videos, when available. Gold Members can download the database template from class plus get access to the Code Vault. If you signed up on YouTube you have to contact me so I can set up your account here on my web site. If you're not a member, Join Today!

Courses

OLE Images: https://599cd.com/ACB6
Images in Reports: https://599cd.com/ACX4
Images from Web Sites: https://599cd.com/ACX24
Imaging Seminar: https://599cd.com/Imaging
Image Map Overlays: https://599cd.com/OverlayMap
Full Image & Document Management: https://599cd.com/ABCD5

Links

Tab Order: https://599cd.com/TabOrder
Dymo Labels: https://599cd.com/DymoLabels
Make Images Shrink on Reports: https://599cd.com/CanShrink

Learn More

FREE Access Beginner Level 1
Access Level 2 for $1.00

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Questions?

Please feel free to post your questions or comments below or submit them via the TechHelp page.

Browse Button in Images Video Upload Images Link
John Schulte
4 months ago

I have Rick's Images video set up in Access but when I click the new "Browse" button, it goes to an Access form and not a directory where I can click on a jpg. Any ideas what I did wrong?

Thanks, Read More...

Adam Schwanz
4 months ago

Can you post your code here in that button so we can see what might be wrong?

Richard Rost
4 months ago

Hi John. Impossible for us to tell what you did wrong if we can't see what you did. It's like when my girlfriend asks me what I'm eating in the kitchen at 3am.

Nothin'. :)

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Images Upload Images Link
Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Hi Richard:

I was watching the free video and extended cut video how to have images in a database and I did it a long with the video. Thank you that helped. Is there a way I can have a sample image or something above the profile picrture field so I know or someone that uses the database to put the picture in the picture in the image box. I know i have the button under neith to click and select a picture I just want to have the image sample above the propfile picture text box. Ia there a way I can do that. If you want me to i can send you a sample of what i'm talking about what i want to do

Adam Schwanz
9 months ago

Are you asking if you can just have a default value picture that's always there until someone puts in a picture? Maybe I'm not understanding what you're asking. You can use the upload images button at the top right of your post to share a screenshot of what you're trying to do.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Yes that what I want to do!

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Adam Schwanz
9 months ago

Assuming your doing it how Rick teaches, not storing the files in the database and calling them from a folder. Just set the default value of that field that has the folder location to the location of the "sample" placeholder picture.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Yes that is correct I'm doing what Rick teaches and just want to set a default value of the field that has folder location to the location pof the "sample" placeholder picture.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

hi Adam:

Please see screen shot. I have profile picture and button under neith

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Hi Adam

Yes, that what i want to do set default value of the field has the folder location. Just want default value picture that always there until I put a picture. Can u point me in the direction how to do it please?

Adam Schwanz
9 months ago

Sorry maybe I don't understand, you just want that profile picture to contain a default picture right? Like C:\desktop\sample.jpg

Just click that field and set the default value of it to C:\desktop\sample.jpg or whatever your location is.

Or are you asking something else?

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Yes want it profile picture to contain a default picture. Where can i get a sample picture to put there?

Richard Rost
9 months ago

Adam is right on the money... just set a default value in either the table or the form. Put that picture where you want it. Make it a picture of me if you want. :)

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Oh ok thank you for letting me know Richard. I got it now.

Richard Rost
9 months ago

Don't thank me. Thank Adam. :)

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Thank you Adam. I got it. If i need help with anything do you have an email I can contact you or just send comment here? I really appreciate your help. I just started with the Access courses in January and on the expert level already just saw that the image is in Expert 4.

Richard
I forgot that I saw that in Expert Level 4 is the images. I was actually watching that yesterday.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

hi Adam:

This is what i wanted to sdo. I was watching Expert Level 4 and saw that in the lesson that Richard was showing how to do images and saw he put a boarder of the picture so I know or someone knows that where the picture is placed when I pick a picture. Please see screen shot i sent.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Sorry for the confusing you what i want to do. It was a property I wanted to set.

Adam Schwanz
9 months ago

Ah OK, that's quite different then I was getting from your question haha. Glad you got it figured out.

As for future help. Feel free to post on the forums and hopefully me or someone can help you. Rick does an amazing job at making all these videos and still finding time to answer forum questions. Otherwise if it's something that's going to require someone to research or look at your database. You may want to be aware this exists too AccessDev.NET

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Hi Adam

Thank you again for your help. Sorry about that i was trying to explain better what I wanted. So glad i got it. I saw it in the expert level 4 lesson. Yes, if i need help with anything else will post in the forum and If I need help with my database will go to the AccessDevNet. Thank you again. I really appreciate it.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Hi Adam

I even did something better with the profile picture until someone puts a pictures there will send you the screen shot

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Hi Adam:

I know Rick says not to store attachments in a database. I have a database for my Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT) I use special transportation I use to go to work and anywhere I want to go in suffolk county. I keep tracked of all my trips and cancels in the database and also in the database I attachment files that i have tickets I scan to my compute and upload them in to the database so i know what ticket number and also I keep tracked of my receipts when i get a receipt from the driver. I only store 2 fiiles in each record. I have date field I search by date range when i search for certain data I have tab where i can click on the attachment field and swee the files. I know Rick says not to store files i the database. I created this database way back in 2004 and didn't know not to store attachments in a daatabase. I have over 1,000 records in the database but only like 2 files for a record. I want to know if this is okay or what i can do.

Adam Schwanz
9 months ago

I mean you're just bloating your database size. Ideally, it wouldn't be that way. About your only option if you want to undo that though would be to get all those photos, either copies or the original, and put them in your folder and set them up the right way. Then delete the stored photos after. Rick may need to chime in here, I don't use attachments for this reason, so I don't know if there's a way with VBA to automatically copy all of them into a windows folder.

Richard Rost
9 months ago

Yeah, in fact Alex and I were just talking about this. You can - with some fancy VBA coding - extract all of the attachments from the database, save them as files on the hard drive, save the locations of those files in the table, and then delete the attachments. Once they add that 25th hour to the day, maybe I'll write something up. LOL

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

That is good idea. Can you make a techhelp vidro what you and Alex were talking about how to do that

Richard Rost
9 months ago

It will be beyond the scope of a TechHelp video. It's pretty complex stuff and it's very specific. Perhaps a separate Template. TechHelp videos also have to have mass appeal.

Joseph Messina
9 months ago

Ok Thank you for letting me know.

External PDF Linking Upload Images Link
Chuck Hobbs
9 months ago

Hi. The image video worked great to debloat my Documents DB by placing the JPG files outside of the database. However some of my documents are multiple pages and are in a PDF file and cannot be used as images. Read More...

Alex Hedley
9 months ago

See Access Open Other Programs Seminar

Chuck Hobbs
9 months ago

Thanks for the advice. After a lot of research and almost understanding all the VBA coding that I found. It occurred to me That there is a hyperlink file type available to me. It works great for my purposes. My backend went from 127 meg to just 17 meg by putting all my jpg and pdf files outside of the database.

Thanks

Chuck

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