OLE problem

[Michelle Craig]

We have two linked Access databases that a vendor
developed; these form the basis of an application. We
purchased it and had to make some modifications to the
forms and reports. There is a table in the "root"
database (this feeds the other database that has all the
forms, reports, macros, and the end-user interface) that
contains an OLE field that is supposed to link to a .bmp
image file. When the program generates a report, it shows
and prints the image. On my computer, this works fine.

However, when I copy the database to another computer,
what happens is instead of the image showing up in the
field when the user edits the form, the name of the file
appears. Any of the existing links I've created on my
computer work okay, but if the user has to change the
name of the .bmp file in this field, it shows the file
name.

I've gone in to the form properties and made sure that
the field control on the form was set with the following
parameters:

display type = content
update option = manual
OLE type allowed = either (I've tried making this one
or the other but it didn't make any difference)
Enabled = yes
Locked = no

Even if the user creates a new document from this form
that has all new .bmp file links, it STILL puts the file
name in instead of the image. I've made a lot of
modifications to this application on my computer because
it would have taken too much of the user's time for me to
do it at that machine. I don't understand why, when I
copy the database, everything else works okay but this.

Incidentally, when I go into the backend database (where
the root tables are located) and look in the table that
houses the records containing the OLE links, instead of
the type of image, such as Bitmap Image or JPG Image, on
the second machine it says Package. Hope this might help.


Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Michelle Craig
Mgr Info Support Svc
Kent State Univ - Registrar's Office

 

[Greg Homyer]

Michelle,

Access does not handle well the storing of graphic images in OLE Object
fields, and is dependent on graphics filters/tools such as MS Photo Editor,
as included in a complete install of Office, or others. Even when MS Photo
Editor, for instance, is present, and after linking to an image file located
in a folder instead of in the database, a check of the OLE field in the
table will display MS Photo Editor 3.0 instead of the image file name.

You should also note that storing such images in the OLE field will also
tend to bloat your database considerably. See http://accdevel.tripod.com
for other ways to store/display graphic images or check out www.lebans.com
for a download of code, which you may adapt for use in your own apps, that
will allow you to display the actual image in forms or reports, while
storing the image files outside your database.